students who emerged winners at the year 2020 Young Nigerian Scientists
Presidential Award Competition.
The scholarship is in any science-related discipline of their choice at
any university in the country.
Declaring open the 2020 Science, Technology and Innovation Expo with the
theme ”Enhancing The Growth Of A Diversified Economy Through Science
And Technology”, the President commended the creativity and competitive
spirit of the three young scientists who emerged tops in the competition
tagged 774 Young Nigerian Scientists Presidential Award (774 YONSPA).
The students are Masters Akintade Abdullahi Akanbi of Osun State from
Osogbo Government High School Osogbo, Osun State, who came first; while
the second positions went to Uwakwe Nelson Kamsiyochukwu of Anambra
State from British Spring College, Awka and Aimofumhe Eshiobomhe Sigmus
of FCT from the School of the Gifted, Gwagwalada, Abuja, respectively.
President Buhari noted that Nigeria’s greatest resource is its human
capital, assuring that his administration would continue to support
human resource development.
”This is richly embodied in our youth who make up tens of millions of
incredibly talented persons, constantly pushing and striving towards
greatness. The future of Nigeria belongs to our youth.
”This Administration will therefore continue to create the enabling
environment for them to develop to the fullest, their potentials.
”We will harness their energy and their talents to make Nigeria achieve
true greatness,” he said.
The President reiterated the commitment of the Federal Government to
partner with the private sector on science, technology and innovation
sector development towards ensuring that the sector plays the very
important role in advancing the frontiers of knowledge for nation
building.
”Government will continually support the creation of intervention funds
to strengthen research and development, human capacity building
programmes and collaboration with the organized private sector.
”We will continue to work towards the realisation of the National
Research and Innovation Fund. I am aware, this Fund will help promote
research activities in our country,” he said.
The President, therefore, directed the ministers of science and
technology to create the needed opportunities to ensure that Nigerian
scientists work towards providing solutions to the nation’s challenges
of insecurity, unemployment, poverty, healthcare delivery and power,
among others.
The President affirmed that if Nigerian potentials in the Science and
Technology Sector are properly harnessed, with the enabling environment
created, 100 million Nigerians will be taken out of poverty in the next
ten years.
”This remains my aim for Nigerians,” he stressed, noting that
Nigerians at home and abroad have always demonstrated remarkable
ingenuity and inventiveness and with the right environment, and policy
framework, there is no limit to how far Nigerian innovation can go.
”A prime example of an outstanding Nigerian is Mal. Jelani Aliyu, who
is now Director-General of the National Automatic Design and Development
Council.
”Malam Jelani designed the General Motors of America’s leading auto
brand the Chevrolet Volt. Now he is assuring Nigerians that all the cars
that took part in Argungu Motor Rally were assembled in Nigeria,” he
said.
In his remarks, the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu
thanked the President for the many efforts in promoting STI, including
recognizing the sector as being at the centre of all economic activities
under the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) 2017-2020.
The Minister said in the last six months of the second term of President
Buhari, the STI sector helped create over 900,000 jobs while data from
the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) show that Nigeria saved over N1
trillion in the importation of raw materials in both 2017 and 2018.
”The data for 2019 is yet to be released. Patents from scientists and
engineers, who passed through the National Office for Technology
Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), an agency under the supervision of
the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, have continued to
increase.
”In 2015, the first year of the Buhari administration, it was only six.
In 2016; it was 16, 50 in 2017, 55 in 2018 and 57 in 2019,” he said.
As the Covid-19 crisis spreads across the globe, Dr Onu declared that
what is happening around the world is a wake-up call to intensify
efforts to manufacture goods locally and patronize made-in-Nigeria
products.
”The Presidential Executive Order No. 5 and the National Strategy for
Competitiveness in Raw Materials and Product Development in the country
already passed by the Federal Executive Council will help in realizing
this noble objective,” he said.