Minister says FG will harness natural resources to bridge technology gaps

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February 24, 2017 2:44 PM

According to him, the ministry will utilise natural resources to enable diversification of the economy to yield better results.

Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu

The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, said that the Federal Government would redirect its energy to harness natural resources to bridge technology gaps in the country.

The Chief Secretary to the Minister, Mr Taye Akinyemi, in a statement quoted on Friday in Abuja, quoted Onu as saying making the remark when he received the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Jigawa State, Hajiya Rabi Eshaq.

The minister called for synergy between the Federal Government and the state governors to convert natural resources of the country to diversify the economy, create jobs and wealth for all.

Onu said that the ministry would intensify efforts to move Nigeria from a resource-based to a knowledge and innovation-driven economy.

He pledged to support science and technology initiatives in the in the country for national development.

He said that the ministry would assist education institutions by distributing science equipment to secondary and tertiary institutions to encourage students to embrace science and technology early in life.

Onu said that the ministry would continue to strive to ensure that the country produced most of its technology needs locally.

The commissioner had told the minister that the aim of her was to establish a better relationship between the ministry and her state in the area of science and technology.

“This is with a view to expanding the scope of science and technology in Jigawa state,” Eshaq said.

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