The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, has said it will partner with the Nigerian Academy of Science (NAS) on research and development.
The Executive Secretary, NCDMB, Engr. Felix Ogbe noted that the Board would work closely with the Nigerian Academy of Science.
The Board pledged during the official commissioning of the NAS-TY Danjuma Science Museum and Library Building at the NAS headquarters in Abuja.
Represented at the event by the General Manager, Corporate Communications and Zonal Coordination, Barr. Esueme Dan Kikile, Ogbe reiterated that the Board is championing the construction of the Oloibiri Oil Museum and Research Centre in collaboration with Shell Petroleum Company, the Bayelsa State Government, and the Petroleum Technology Development Fund, PTDF, after five decades of oil production to have a dedicated oil research centre in Nigeria.
Ogbe mentioned that promoting research and development is one of the key thrusts of the NOGICD Act and the Board is actively pursuing it.
“The museum would not only focus on the building itself but would also serve as a centre for research. After over five decades of oil production in our country, it is essential that we have a place dedicated to oil and gas research,” he stated.
In his remarks, the President, Nigerian Academy of Science, Prof. Ekanem I. Braide stated that the museum would serve as a valuable resource for inspiring and strengthening Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics, STEAM.
He emphasised that the fellows of NAS believe that for sustainable national development to be achieved, research must inform policy, and policy must be translated into practice. This, he said, requires healthy collaboration between researchers, the government, industry, and communities, as well as intersectoral collaboration.
Ogbe further noted that the board understands the importance of R&D to national development and has dedicated a $50m fund for Research and Development. He charged that research should be taken seriously as a critical tool for national development.