The Federal Government of Nigeria has expressed its willingness to collaborate with the African Union to advance Science and technology innovations as well as develop competence and skills that will enable Africa combat poverty and underdevelopment.
The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu disclosed this when the Commissioner of the Human Resources, Science and Technology Department (HRST) of the African Union Commission (AUC), Prof. Sarah Anyang, paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja.
The Minister commended the African Union for spearheading Africa to move in a new direction, adding that with her abundant materials resources, African countries must embrace a knowledge and innovation driven economy in order to add value and diversify their economies.
“Most of the developed world came to Africa to exploit its raw materials and challenged African scientists to focus on the study of material sciences, mathematics, medicine and others.”
The Minister urged African countries to pay special attention to science and technology innovations so that “we will now use the instrument of science and technology innovation to add value to the enormous raw materials we have; that is the only way we can create jobs for our people, grow the economy further and fight poverty.”
Earlier, Prof. Sarah Abgor had stressed the need for Nigeria and AU to work together “in the march of progress for Africa we want; an Africa that we envisage and the paradise that African can become.”
According to her, “The youths of Africa are our strength and also the leaders of tomorrow, hence they must be given the right environment to develop and the right competence and skills to be able to participate in the development of Africa we want.”
She disclosed that Pan African University, a flagship of continental Educational Strategy for Africa, is open to African youths to apply for scholarship programmes on the AU website.
“The Pan African University runs five specialised training in five different universities in Algeria, Kenya, Nigeria, Cameroon and South Africa. It is sponsored fully by AU members’ states from masters to Phd levels,” she concluded.
