UNESCO Report: Science Ministry Lays Off 1,089 Workers
From Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja, 11.01.2006
Information Communication Technology
Minister of Science and Technology, Professor Turner Isoun has said that the final report on reform study of the country's science sector will be completed by the end of the year.
The report is a product of a study undertaken by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), commissioned by Federal Government as part of the reform programme to streamline the activities of various sectors involved in science and technology development.
Isoun said as part of the outcome of reform, the ministry has commenced the right-sizing of the workforce.
He said the exercise would claim 1089 jobs in the Ministry of Science and Technology and its parastatals.
Out of this number, 76 would come from the core ministry while 1013 would come from the 19 parastatals.
The 1089 workers that would be sacked in the exercise represent 18.15 per cent of the 6000 staff strength of the ministry, its parastatals and agencies.
Minister of Science and Technology, Prof. Turner Isoun, disclosed this in Abuja at the 2006 Ministerial Press Briefing organised in conjunction with the Ministry of Information and National Orientation.
Isoun said a number of foreign countries have been supportive of the reform programme. For instance, the Japanese Government had provided a grant of $500,000 for the take-off of on going reforms in science and technology to make it more result oriented while United Kingdom, UNESCO, World Bank, Canada and Ukraine is offering support in several ways to uplift the technological development of the country.
The minister expressed joy that some research products of the ministry and its parastatals were now being commercialised and put into the market. These include NICOSAN, an anti-sickle cell drug that was developed in Nigeria.
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