Abuja – The Independent Research Evaluation and Advocacy Group (IREAG), an NGO, has urged the Federal Government to adopt innovation-led approach to achieve rapid technological progress in all sectors in the country.
Mr Bonny Alarms, the National Coordination of IREAG, made the call at an event to mark the 2015 World Science Day/National Science and Technology Policy on Tuesday in Abuja.
Alarms said that adopting such approach in all sectors of the nation’s economy would help the country to know areas it was doing well and where it had failed.
According to him, today’s global knowledge-driven economy, sustainable development is one of the dominant themes in the front burner of the global discourses.
“Every nation or government strives to grow, develop and transform their economies through robust initiatives, programmes and activities geared toward sustainable development.
“By this, they hope to attain technological advancement and improve the quality of life of citizens,’’ he said.
Alarms explained that 20 top most advanced countries in the world had adopted the innovation-led approach to achieve their rapid advanced economy and advanced technological development.
He said these countries had higher Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capital and have been able to double their national income within a relatively short time compared to others.
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The coordinator believed that the role of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) was a critical success factor, especially in fighting corruption and diversifying the economy to achieve the desired change agenda of the Federal Government.
“It is an inevitable task and government cannot do it alone.
“It is in recognition of this need that IREAG wants to use this occasion to introduce a new programme called, ‘Science and Technology Roundtable Programme,’ he said.
Also speaking, Prof. Muhammed Yerima, the President, Biotechnology Society of Nigeria said science and technology were very important in national development.
“Scientific approach is influencing almost all sectors of the economy and Nigeria cannot exempt itself from it, most especially in the economy that is dwindling.’’ Yerima added.
He said that in spite of the country’s scientific backwardness, Nigeria could also compete favourably with other developed countries in the world.
“Its achievable once our government is ready to deploy scientific technology principles and policies which is the answer to the rapid growth of the economy,” he said.
Delivering a paper entitled; “Science Diplomacy and Research Commercialisation Strategy; The Israeli’s Experience,’’ Mr Benny Umer, the Acting Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, said Israel’s rapid development was driven by scientific approaches.
Umer said most nations of the world used scientific diplomacy as a tool to address common problems and to build constructive international partnerships.
He said this approach had become an umbrella term to describe a number of formal or informal technical, research-based methods among collaborating countries of the world.
While pledging his country’s partnership with Nigeria, Umer urged the Federal Government to build strong innovative ideas into the younger generation by establishing science oriented institutions in Nigeria.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the event was, “Bridging the Gap between Research Findings, The Industry and the Market’’. (NAN)