The Scientific Products Association of Nigeria (SPAN), at the weekend, urged manufacturers to invest in ‘serious’ research and development to discover products that are suitable for Nigerians.
The association, which also urged the manufacturers to collaborate with educational and research institutions, implored relevant stakeholders to urgently upgrade the Nigerian educational curricula at all levels of education from analog to digital.
It said it would work with research institutes to commercialise any product findings that are useful to Nigerians and Africans.
President of SPAN, Kate Isa, who spoke in Ikeja, Lagos, during a conference with the theme, “Science in the 21st Century: Making Science Relevant in Nigeria,” said the world might be in trouble by 2050 if Africans, who are projected to constitute 50 per cent of the world’s workforce, are still being trained with analogue equipment.
Isa said science remains a veritable vehicle for national economic development and growth, and that industrialisation of nations would not have been possible without science and technology.
She said lack of interest and investment in science and technology in Nigeria’s educational systems and their outputs, was one of the reasons top-scoring science graduates choose to be make-up artists and fashion designers in Nigeria.
“The problems of the educational institutions continue into the research institutions. From personnel who may not have been educated with the right tools and curricula, to institutions which are not adequately equipped for modern science research and discoveries, to policies which underrate the importance of science and technology and therefore do not prioritize them in budgetary allocations, our science research institutes are not able to play the important role of innovating and discovering products and solutions for our peculiar needs.
“The same challenges in the educational and science research sectors continue to our manufacturing sector. Most of our manufacturers engage in just “fill and finish”. Not much Research and development (R&D) happens in Nigeria, and this is most unacceptable.
“Africa’s Young Population is a major asset but calls for serious top level strategic and coordinated plans, to articulate policies and effectively harness resources for their impactful and sustainable development.
“Nigeria should be the true “Giant” of Africa by leading in effectively preparing this 50% global workforce. It will take intentionality, visionary leadership and dedication of human and material resources to achieve this.
Our talented youths are all over the developed countries doing great exploits and we are fast losing them out to those countries where the systems work and opportunities abound.
“Japa” is real. I’m sure we have all experienced it one way or another. Nigeria can reverse the trend by creating enabling environment for the youths to thrive in and science and technology present a great opportunity for this.
Speaking on the new constitution, Vice President, SPAN, Dapo Sonola, said: “The first constitution was done in 1986 but now we have a comprehensive one that goes along with the current terms.
“The new constitution is not dramatically different; in the old one, we have something like N10, the expanded council has added more committees, more responsibilities and a few things that resonate with digital age.
On what it’s done differently from the founding members, he said: “The key thing the founding fathers didn’t have to contend with is that the quality of people in the space was good, they were the best, but now the quality of entrants is good enough so, we have to do advocacy, sensitisation.
