Maduako Igbokwe l Friday, November 20, 2020
ONITSHA, Anambra, Nigeria – National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) has presented Special Science and Technology Materials to nine Science Secondary Schools in Anambra state. The nine schools that benefited from the programe are Obosi Girls Secondary School, Federal Science Technical College Awka, Special Science School Abagana, Community Secondary School Akpo, Community High School Ogboji.
Others include Abot Special Science School,ihiala , New Era Secondary School Nteje -Oyi, St. Charles Secondary School, Onitsha and Ideke Girls Science School ,Odekpe.
Speaking at the presentation Chairman, Senate Committee on Science and Technology , Senator Uche Ekwunife said the initative was designed to encourage young Nigerians in secondary schools to embrace science and technology early enough in their lives.
Ekwunife represented by the former Commissioner for Commence in Anambra state, Barr. Ken Arinze said Nigeria quest for innovation and productivity is more realizable with science and technology.
According to Ekwunife, Science and Technology will enable Nigerian children to identify potential value chains in the overall processes of productive engagements and take advantage as they choose their career paths.
Ekwunife said ” Let me start by commending NOTAP for living up to its statutory mandates since it’s establishment. This event is clearly one of the strategies to further engender the benefits of science and technology in our country.
“I also like to further reemphasize the importance of science and technology to our national development. Nations that have had breakthroughs in technological applications are no better than us because Nigeria is endowed with abundant human and natural resources – even much more than some of them.
“Some of these nations simply faced their problem after identifying them specifically, deploy scientific applications and solutions found. I am particularly excited for this initiative because the interest of our children in science and technology from primary to secondary schools will be reawakened.
“Telling these stories pictorially this way will make our quest for innovation and productivity more realizable as a nation because our young ones will get to see the processes from farm to the factory and to finished products practically demonstrated. This will enable our children to identify potential value chains in the overall processes of our productive engagements and they can take advantage of them even as they choose their career paths.
“I am also happy that this project, which was initially launched in Abuja, is being spread across the geo-political zones and states of the federation. This will ensure that more of our youths are reached for participation. A blend of our indigenous technology and the foreign ones will see Nigeria excel faster and better and will also be more cost-efficient for us as a nation.
“I trust that this project will not only boost science and technology as a tool for our national development, but it will also demystify science and technology amongst our children. I call on our governments across board to take this seriously by making funds available to NOTAP for more deliveries whenever the need arises.
“I call on our students and other participants present here today to see this event as an opportunity to ask innovative questions that will help them go forward. At the level of the National Assembly, we remain undoubtedly committed to ensuring that the enabling legislations are supported to enhance NOTAP in carrying out its mandates Please do not hesitate to bring forward areas in the NOTAP Establishment Act that you may feel need to be fine-tuned by way of amendment to enable you perform better.
“We remain committed to seeing that our extant laws are abreast with the reality of time. To this end, you can always count on us”
Speaking also at the event, the Director General, NOTAP, Dr. DanAzuma Ibrahim said the purpose of the materials was to catch the Nigerian youths early in the field of science and technology.
“If we are able to build a strong foundation in science and technology, it will leap-jump the nation into greater height .We are also trying to develop the competencies of individuals by providing them enabling environment to translate what they have learnt to practice.
“Science and technology are what should move this country forwards and we also thinking of going to secondary schools to upgrade their laboratories.They need practical knowledge ,we don’t just want only the theory. If you don’t have good laboratories, we cannot be able to achieve the goals. We are laying strong and solid foundation for our science and technology to pick up” he said.
