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We strive use science and technology for self-reliance

Thursday, October 07, 2004

Welcome Speech By His Excellency, Alhaji (Dr.) Abdullahi Adamu,(Sarkin Yakin Keffi) Executive Governor of NasarawaState, at the Occasion of the 9th Meeting of the National Council on Science and Technology, Lafia, Thursday, October 07, 2004.

I am delighted to receive and welcome you all, distinguished scientists, technologists, administrators and all other categories of operators in the science and technology sector and guests to this council meeting holding in our dear Nasarawa State. 

Your  choice  of  the  theme  for  this year’s meeting, which is, “Promotion of Science and Technology through the concept of Technology Incubation and Science Parks” underscores our nation’s aspiration to use science and technology for self-reliance and, through it, develop an enhanced capacity to manage our human and material resources for the benefit of humanity.

The Technology Incubation Centre (TIC) concept is globally recognized as offering one of the most reliable options of developing the resources of a nation.  We see this option being actively promoted in both the developed and developing countries. This platform is generally acknowledged as an ideal launch pad for science and technology to develop, maintain and maximize sustainable wealth creation, poverty reduction and quality livelihood for the people.   

Honourable Minister, on behalf of the people of Nasarawa state, I wish to commend your vision and energy, which are being solidly deployed to the promotion of science and technology as our nation’s engine of growth in line with modern global trends. We pledge our total support for this vision and mission, which you are spearheading in the interest of the present and future generations of our people.

Let me use this opportunity therefore, to place on record the appreciation of the Government and people of Nasarawa State for the developmental efforts of your ministry and to assure you that we fully identify with the landmark successes of the Ministry.  We are particularly proud and delighted to note the following achievements during your tenure:

Ø                  The launching of Nigeria Sat-1;

Ø                  The mobile Internet units and overall awareness and development in the Information Technology (IT) sector,

Ø                  The new outlets for cassava in the baking and confectionery industry;

Ø                  New developments in local alternatives for the construction and building industry;

Ø                  Development of biodegradable pesticides and environmentally friendly organic fertilizer;

Ø                  Local capacity for laboratory glassware, science kits and basic scientific equipment; and

Ø                  Total local sourcing of low-tension ceramic electrical insulators, amongst several others.

It is in the light of these achievements that I would like to extend to you our hands of friendship and partnership in the scientific development of Nigeria. However, we are incapacitated in this desire due to the almost total absence of your ministry in our State. The most visible presence is a liaison office of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC).  We would like to experience more of your presence in Nasarawa state through the setting up of Technology Incubation Centers (TICs) and pilot plants around the state.  Let me quickly add that this administration is committed to providing you with all the necessary assistance for the take-off of viable and successful TICs and pilot plants in the State.  We would also like to call on the federal government through your ministry, to establish a federal university of science and technology in our state. 

As a pointer of our desire to use science and technology to improve the fortunes of our people, I wish to inform you that we are currently using solar powered panels for our village and rural area electrification projects. Amongst the villages initially chosen to test run the project were Tashan Mada, Kwara and Gidan Buba. The scheme proved very successful in providing electricity for these rural settlements. In order to build up on our success at the pilot stage, government has decided to expand the scheme into a full fledged programme of indoor and outdoor solar powered lighting systems in the rural areas of the state. The programme will comprise of the following elements:

  1. outdoor village lightening systems for all our villages that are not yet connected to the national grid;
  2. solar lightening schemes for schools to enable them have electricity for laboratory and internet use;
  3. solar lightening systems for community health centers to enable our medical personal utilize the technology to preserve essential drugs and other medicaments, as well as have access to telemedicine and electronic medicine (that is e-medicine); and
  4. provision of electricity for community television viewing centers.

Our rural water supply schemes have also been using solar powered technology to provide potable drinking water for all our electoral wards in the state. There are a total of 147 solar power driven boreholes in this programme and those which have been completed have already proved very successful in providing clean drinking water for our people as well as drastically reduce the incidence of water borne diseases in our villages. 

In our effort to provide adequate infrastructure for the industrial take off of the state, we are currently building an independent hydro-electric power plant at the Farin Ruwa waterfall. When completed, the project will significantly boost the electric power situation in the state for commercial activities, thus providing a pedestal for us to invite industrial conglomerates to set up large scale production plants in our state.

Nasarawa State is renowned for large-scale production of groundnuts, cassava, yams, cereals and a rich variety of citrus fruits. Cottage industries based on cassava starch, chips, and chemical derivatives of starch are viable in this State and we are ready to facilitate individuals and firms which will be able to invest in this area.   

It is also important to inform this august gathering that Nasarawa State has some of the largest deposits of salt in Nigeria.  Unfortunately, the technology currently used in refining the salt is archaic. Nasarawa state is desirous of developing cheap and small scale machinery which will improve the productive capacity of the salt miners. We are prepared to partner with the Ministry in this endeavour which will see the economic fortunes of our people improve.

As most of you may be aware, we are also rich in a variety of mineral resources such as tantalite, barite, gemstones, coal, tin, casiterite, topaz and several others. While we are aware that solid mineral mining is on the exclusive legislative list, your Ministry can also assist us in our desire to establish small scale processing industries for these resources for non-formal and artisan or semi-skilled categories of workers in the sector.

Honourable Minister, distinguished guests, permit me to state that Nasarawa State has commenced the process of implementing service reforms through transparency and due process, including integrating Information Technology (IT) into government processes. We were the first in the defunct Northern Nigeria to establish a state website and are currently in the process of computerizing our entire public service.  Our civil servants are being encouraged to become computer literate. Our nine specially designated science schools are also being equipped with computers as a first stage in an aggressive pursuit of computer literacy amongst our students.   

Education is a focal policy area for the Nasarawa State Government and we would like to express our desire to partner with your Ministry in using the Mobile Internet Units (MIU) to promote computer literacy in our schools and rural communities.  This is a very important area where we can have very fruitful collaboration with your Ministry.

In commemoration of the holding of this council meeting in our state, we wish to announce the creation of a state ministry of science and technology. Appropriate legislation to actualize this pronouncement will follow immediate. 

Honourable Minister, distinguished members of the National Science and Technology Council, while acknowledging that the list of the various roles that science and technology can play in our national development is limitless, let me state in conclusion that there remains a lot of ground to be covered in our desire to bridge the international digital divide and play a role in the 21st century information society. We must therefore continue to make additional efforts at developing our capacity for using information technology to mitigate our nation’s problems.

Once more, I say thank you for holding the 9th Council meeting in Nasarawa State.  May God, in His infinite mercies bless you for your services to the fatherland and give you journey mercies back to your destinations at the end of your meeting. 

On this note, it is now my pleasure and privilege to declare the 9th council on science and technology, holding in Lafia, Nasarawa state, open.

May God continue to bless our efforts.

 
 
 

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