Minister harps on effective utilisation of science, technology to fight poverty

THE Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, has said that Nigeria and indeed Africa, is poised to effectively utilise science and technology in order to shift focus from the negative reports that have been associated with the continent for so long as the face of hunger, poverty, illiteracy and disease.

He said this when the delegation of the African Union Scientific Technical and Research Commission with Impart Africa, paid him a visit in his office in Abuja.

Dr Onu said Africa remained the second largest continent in the world, and that 80 per cent of industries in the world were dependent on Africa for their raw materials.

The minister noted that the continent was endowed with water resources and fertile land to cultivate and develop their economies.

He said that as Africa began to effectively explore and utilise science and technology, Nigeria would be able to erase the shame of its youths embarking on illegal migration, with catastrophic effects of sufferings and eventually avoidable deaths.

He said, “Africa is now placing enormous attention on science and technology that will assist the continent to harness her material and human resources towards sustainable economic development”.

He noted that Egypt once ruled the world because of science and technology, and doubled as a base for knowledge for the world to visit and emulate.

Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Dr Adams Otakwu, informed the minister of the Union’s efforts at encouraging science and technology through community based projects towards development of the continent.

He, therefore, intimated the minister of the upcoming African Development Summit scheduled to take place in Nigeria from October 9 to 10, 2017.