By Cross Udo, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has directed relevant Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government to ensure that the outcomes of research in science and technology enrich policies that impact the real sector.
The President issued the directive when, in a courtesy visit, the President of the Nigerian Academy of Science and the fellows of the Academy, Professor Ekanem Braide, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday.
Tinubu emphasized that his administration is advancing an all-encompassing approach to leveraging the capacity of Nigerians to innovate and create solutions from all spheres of human initiative across the public and private sectors, including farming, manufacturing, information technology, and academia.
In a statement by his spokesman, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, the President said, “The pathway to unlocking the potential of our national contribution to the global economy of tomorrow lies in what we do today. I am fully committed to the comprehensive integration of research and its outcomes with the process of policy formulation and implementation in all fields of national endeavor.”
During his investiture as the Grand Patron of Science by the Academy, the President said the pace of change around the world, reflected in some national and global challenges, requires more reliance on research for solutions and actionable data, especially in health and education.
“The Minister of Education, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, and the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning are here. All the relevant ministries should ensure that science research guides process development in relevant areas of advantage. We must not fail to utilize research outcomes to enrich our policies,” the President said.
In her remarks, the President of the Nigerian Academy of Science, Prof Ekanem Braide, said a national research fund should be established as the country moves towards a knowledge-driven economy.
“Mr President, we thank you for your support for a national research fund, and we believe that this will go a long way in resolving our challenges. Indeed, we can make quicker progress if we take advantage of the inputs of all Nigerians from the business community, the academia, and the public sector,” Braide said.
Listing some of the interventions and achievements of the Academy in improving the lives of Nigerians, Braide further advised that the nation’s 265 universities, 84 polytechnics, and 205 colleges of education be upscale in science research infrastructure and funding.
The President acknowledged Braide’s historic feat of emerging as the first female President of the Nigerian Academy of Science since its establishment in 1977.
