SCIENCE AND TECHS: CATALYST FOR ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION- MRS NENADI USMAN
The Nigerian Minister of Finance, Mrs. Nenadi Usman has drawn a correlation between human resource development for Nigeria and the Administration’s desire to eradicate poverty.
Mrs. Nenadi Usman, while presenting a paper at a presidential retreat on Science and Technology held at the Presidential Banquet Hall, State House Abuja at the weekend, said Science and Technology had a crucial role to play in facilitating the development of all sectors as demonstrated by the experience of Brazil, India and China, adding that significant growth could be achieved in agriculture by improving the use of Science and Technology by farmers.
The Minister urged Nigerian workers in both the manufacturing and service sectors to develop the Scientific and Technological skills necessary to compete in globalized market.
Without this skill, she observed, “our workers cannot compete effectively in the highly skilled technologically intensive industries”.
The success of the economic reforms, she said, had enabled government to vote considerable allocations to the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, since 2001 adding that the total resource envelope for the Ministry was expected to increase to 18 billion naira in 2007, from 13.5 billion naira in 2001 which would represent an increase of 33%.
Mrs. Usman challenged the private sector to also assist in funding science and technology, pointing out that the achievement of macro economic stability by the government, increased transparency, privatization and liberalization, as well as legislative and regulatory reforms had created an enabling environment within which the private sector could thrive.
She expressed satisfaction that government support for private sector-led investment in science and technology has begun to yield fruits, citing the development of the drug, Nicosan Xychem, for sickle-cell anaemia, as a classic case of public-private sector partnership.
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