18th April, 2018
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, on Tuesday urged the nation’s researchers to show more commitment and improve on their research for the country to move forward.
Mustapha made this call in Abuja at a Roundtable Discussion on Research organised by the Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions in collaboration with Heritage Hunters.
The theme of the roundtable, which held on Tuesday is “Research for National Development, Research can turn Nigeria around.’’
Mustapha, who was represented by Mr Gabriel Aduda, Permanent Secretary on Political and Economy Affairs, said that the attitude of Nigerians to research was the bane of the nation’s development, without research Nigeria cannot develop.
“We cannot develop without research, you can only maintain what you have for a little while, before it will depreciate because whatever you do not improve on cannot last.”
According to him, Nigeria has been exporting its raw materials instead of making it more valuable.
“I hear figures being read over and over again but am yet to see that one that clearly comes out to tell us we are investing amount on research and development.
“ There is no sector of the economy that does not need to get involved in research, even in our homes, because if the home front is not working you need to step back and research, to ascertain why things were not working.
“I want you to take this very seriously, the developed world is advancing because they pay attention to research.
“The school curriculum of the old days is what we are still operating with when things should have changed to accommodate new innovation.
“Our institutions are a shadow of what they used to be, we pay through our noses and we still don’t get what we need.”
According to him, the trend can only change if we pay attention to research and technology, agriculture needs research to know better ways of improving on the local things we have.
“ You will be shocked to see how we lose on agricultural produce that we should process because we are not able to keep them.
Solar energy is still sounding like Greek in the ears of many Nigerians today because we have not improved on it.
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He noted that government could not do it alone, the challenge facing the government was serious, “we all need to create environment for innovation and development”.
He, however, encouraged people to improve on their capacities in the area of research.
The Minster of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, said that no nation could develop without science and technology and no development without research.
He, however, advocated for more funding for the research institutions in the country.
The Chairman of the Organising Committee, Dr Theophilus Ndubuaku, commended the Federal Government on the steps taken to ensure the passage of the bill.
He said that Nigeria was blessed with many research institutions but they were not developed.
He then appealed to companies and organisations to fund research, to aid development and employment.