Nigeria must accord priority to science and technology, says Buhari

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari yesterday stressed the need for Nigeria to give priority to the development of science and technology to boost growth and development of the country.

Speaking at the inaugural meeting of the National Research and Innovation Council (NIRC) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the president said without such priority Nigeria’s quest to meet up with advanced countries would remain a mirage.

The committee which has the president as chairman, was inaugurated on February 18 2014.

Some of the ministers that attended the inauguration included those of Science and Technology, Education, Power Works and Housing, Finance, Budget and National Planning, Agriculture among others.

Buhari assured the council of his administration’s determination and commitment to ensure that as a nation, “we will invest appropriately in Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) in order to guarantee our competitiveness both continentally and globally.

“Our goal to secure our nation, grow our economy, create jobs and fight crime can best be achieved if we embrace science and technology. I am aware that Nigeria must accord high priority to Science and Technology if it must take it rightful place among the leading economies in the modern world.

“Nigeria’s vision of becoming one of the 20 largest economies in the world by the year 2020 is only attainable when Science, Technology and Innovation are fully integrated into our national socio-economic development process. That process will now be fast-tracked with the coming on board of this council.

It is my fervent hope that our research and innovation output should be measured by number of Intellectual Property such as patents granted and not only by the number of articles published in scholarly journals.