…Calls for post-crude oil strategic plan
By Iheanacho Nwosu and Sam Otti
Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, yesterday, warned that Nigeria’s population could rise to one billion people in 2099 and suggested a post crude oil strategic plan to save the nation from further economic crisis.
Onu said adverse effects of crashing price of oil in the international market calls for a post-crude oil plan that will sustain the nation’s economy.
He also disclosed yesterday that, in re-inventing the country, the Federal Government will establish technology villages in the six geo-political zones soon. In addition, he said the federal government was working in building a science and technology museum in different parts of the country. In addition to that, he stated that his ministry was working on a proposal to set up a special bank which will be known as a Science and Technology Development Bank (STDB) to cater for funding needs of technological investments.
The minister said this at a lecture titled: ‘Positioning Nigeria as the Technology Hub of Africa,’ to herald the convocation ceremony of the University of Lagos (Unilag).
He said Nigeria’s growing population will in years to come, hit one billion, such that the people would consume domestic oil products in the country, with nothing left for exports.
He said it has become of critical importance to device an alternative method that would harness indigenous technology for the development of the country.
The minister decried lip service paid to the science and technology sector by past administration’s in the country.
According to him, four agenices in Science and Technology Ministry had zero capital allocation in the 2015 budget, while the overhead in the recurrent expenditure was barely enough to buy diesel for efficient operations of the affected agencies.
“A nation can be rich but not great by the possession of abundant natural resources as all that money can be lost with the collapse of commodity prices,” he said.
“Many branches of our research institutes will in the future be located in or affiliated with universities. He said the President Muhammadu Buhari administration was eager to reposition the neglected science and technology sector, which he said remains of critical importance to the country.
The lecture was attended by the former head of Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan, former Chief of Army Staff, Gen Oladipo Diya, Senator Ike Nwachukwu, Prof Jerry Gana, chairman, Governing Council, Unilag, Vincent Maduka, chairman of the event, among other dignitaries.