Nigeria Has To Stop Exporting Wood To Import Toothpicks – Ogbonnaya Onu

Ogbonnaya Onu

The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, says Nigeria cannot afford to continue to be a consuming nation, depending on others for her basic needs.

Speaking, Wednesday, when he met with heads of agencies under the Ministry in his office in Abuja, Dr. Onu, who reiterated his resolve to effect change, said “it is difficult to understand that a greatly endowed nation like Nigeria will export crude oil and import refined oil, export wood and import toothpicks”.

“The successful tackling and resolving these key issues which hitherto have been holding back our progress as a nation is the major challenge before the science and technology sector,” the minister said.

Dr. Onu also reminded the officials that the various agencies were established by government in its wisdom because of the conviction that every challenge of the nation’s existence can only be tackled and resolved through endeavors resulting from the various innovations and research from the Agencies.

He, therefore, enjoined them to develop team spirit, relate to each other, pass on research findings and innovations to sister agencies relevant to the findings/innovations and then revert to new areas pertinent to their primary mandate.

He also charged the heads of parastatals to become agents of change that the present administration has promised Nigeria and the change that Nigeria deserves in all ramifications.