Lagos – The Ministry of Science and Technology will soon be renamed Federal Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, according to a memorandum of the ministry released to journalists on Monday.
The memorandum, signed by the Minister, Prof. Mohammed Abubakar, however, said that the new name was subject to the approval by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
The recalls that the memorandum on the new policy on Science, Technology and Innovation was presented to the National Council on Science and Technology on May 13.
According to the memorandum, the addition of “Innovation” is necessary due to the importance of innovations to the nation’s development.
It also said that the addition would make the ministry and its agencies to be more conscious of innovations.
“Science, Technology and Innovation play pivotal roles in the industrialisation and sustainable socio-economic development of nations.
“It does not only influence a country’s level of development profoundly, but also determine its international competitiveness and position in the world economy.
“Consequently, in the 21st century, it is imperative for developed and developing nations across the globe to improve their capacities to generate and manage new knowledge,” the memorandum quoted the minister as saying.
It said that to enable Nigeria benefit adequately from the application of Science and Technology (S&T), a national policy was first formulated in 1986.
The memorandum added that the policy was reviewed in 1997 and 2003, but both review processes were inconclusive as they lacked necessary legal support.
It stressed that because of the above reason, Nigeria, through the ministry embarked on the review of her extant Science and Technology policy, now referred to as the National Policy on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI).
According to the memorandum, the new policy, with the inclusion of “Innovation”, aims at reforming and optimising S&T for enterprise development, wealth and job creation and enhanced global competitiveness.
It said that the policy was also expected to reinforce the provision and utilisation of STI infrastructure for the attainment of macro-economic and socio objectives as elaborated in the vision 20:2020.
“In view of the incorporation of innovation into the new national policy, it is proposed that the council also be renamed the National Council on Science, Technology and Innovation,” it said. (NAN)
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Federal Ministry of Science and Technology to be renamed – Minister