Abuja- Prof. Lucy Ogbadu, the Director-General of National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), on Monday advised Nigerian women to improve their lives by embracing science, technology and innovation (STI).
Ogbadu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that STI was a veritable means of improving the living standard of women in general.
“There is a lot they can gain from science and technology and innovation.
“Science and technology as a lot to offer the womenfolk by improving the standard of their living.
“So I encourage women to participate fully in science, technology and innovation.”
According to her, whatever a woman knows in STI, her children can easily learn it from her.
“If we can encourage small children to go into science and technology then the nation will be better prepared to take are place in the committee of nations, because science and technology is the driving engine of any nation’s economy.
“So, when the woman is encouraged in that field, the woman will better prepare are children for their role in science and technology.”
She said that the agency and other stakeholders had intensified efforts towards passage of the Biosafety bill into an Act so as to regulate the practice of biotechnology in Nigeria.
“What it means is that biotechnology can now take a centre stage in the development of this nation.
“Biotechnology and a few other technologies are the ones driving the economies of nations.
“So if Nigeria is able to go into biotechnology full scale it then means that our economy can grow.
“We are working hard towards the passage of that bill, because when that bill is passed then Nigeria will be set for biotechnology full scale.”
According to her, lack of Biosafety Law has denied the country numerous benefits that the modern biotechnology techniques have to offer in improving food production, health and industrial growth.
She identified others benefits as environmental sustainability, employment generation and wealth creation.
Ogbadu said President Goodluck Jonathan’s assent to the Biosafety bill would offer the needed legal instrument to facilitate research and development in addition to the establishment of modern biotechnology industries.(NAN)
