Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, the Minister of Science and Technology in Nigeria said that the inability of the past leaders of the country to focus on science and technology was the cause of underdevelopment in the country resulting in the failure of the country to join the league of developed nations.
According to the Minister, no nation has ever achieved greatness either in the past or in the contemporary society without science and technology. The most important factor that distinguishes developed and undeveloped countries as mentioned by the minister in his speech is science and technology.
He alluded to history saying that remarkable contribution to human civilization and prosperity were made by only countries that embrace knowledge especially technological knowledge.
Science and technology for him should be coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology which according to him was disregarded by the past administrations.
The Minister pointed out that enough attention has never been given to science and technology by the country which he labelled the technology hub of Africa.
Onu while delivering the University of Lagos’ 2016 convocation lecture listed Nigeria among the three countries that the world believed has possibility of developing rapidly after the World War II but failed to live up to that expectation owing to the inability of her leaders to apply science and technology in harnessing the human resources as well as natural resources the country is blessed with.
As a solution to the problem, Dr. Onu urged the current generation to do more. The minister said that it was now time for the country and Africa as a continent to wake up and utilize science, technology, engineering and innovation to maximize the use of the huge natural resources God endowed the continent with.
