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Tag: Ogbonnaya Onu

  • FG launches waste to wealth programme in Abia

    FG launches waste to wealth programme in Abia

    The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, on Friday flagged off the Federal Government’s “waste to wealth” programme in Abia State.

    Onu said the programme was expected to help in converting huge wastes generated in major cities and rural areas in the state to wealth with the help of appropriate technology.

    The minister said: “What becomes waste in one household can become wealth in another. The time will come when people will pay for waste.”

    Onu, who was the first civilian governor of Abia, said the state was picked for the pilot project because of the people’s enterprise, adding that the spirit of ingenuity which has made Abia popular was what the country needs to grow her economy in a sustainable manner.

     

  • FEC okays N20.6 billion for road contracts

    FEC okays N20.6 billion for road contracts

    …Approves policy for technology acquisition

     

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday approved N20.6 billion for road contracts in Plateau and Kwara states.

    The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, briefed State House correspondents at the end of the FEC meeting chaired by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    He was with the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, Minister of Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah and the Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu.

    The two roads, he said, are N10.4 billion for the reconstruction of Pankshin-Balank-Yalen-Salak-Gindiri road in Plateau state and N10.2 billion for reconstruction of Sharre-Patigi road in Kwara state.

    He said “The ministry presented two memoranda to the council. The first was to with respect for approval to construct the Pankshin-Balank-Yalen-Salak-Gindiri road in Plateau state for N10.46billion.

    “The second one is the Sharre-Patigi road in Kwara for N10.2 billion; both prayers were approved by the council.

    “The other memorandum was in respect to inherited liabilities from the old power ministry where a judgment of N119 billion had been signed against the Federal Government as a result of acts of officials of government who varied the presidential approval without seeking further directive from him and then awarded the contract on that basis.

    “So the party who was the beneficiary of that contract which they subsequently sought to withdraw went to court and got a judgment,” he said.

    Onu said that the Council approved a policy to encourage technological advancement in Nigeria.

    The initiative, he said, will help Nigerian firms to produce what the country needs as it will boost foreign investment in Science, Technology and Engineering from where local content could be developed.

    Through the policy, he said that technology transfer will be facilitated with more taxes to be paid to government, and wealth creation for the country and people.

    “The Federal Executive Council in its deliberations approved a policy that will help us to change the direction that we have been taking as a nation, a direction that will be very useful in helping us to start looking inwards to produce the things that we need as against depending on other outside people to import our requirements.

    “Some of the highlights will involve for example where we have bulk purchases of major items that we are bringing into the country that those who normally would have supplied from outside the country will now come to Nigeria to establish their factories to produce in Nigeria.

    “By doing so they will offer job opportunities to our people, tax will be paid to government so wealth will be created but most importantly Nigeria will now acquire the necessary technology that will help us to build capacity.’’

    Onu said that FEC agreed that henceforth whoever wanted to practice any profession, in Engineering, Science and Technology, Medicine, Accountancy, Quantity Surveyors and others must be certified by appropriate professional bodies in Nigeria.

    He said the measure was very important in building the nation’s local capacity adding that there were so many areas that the fiscal policy had covered.

    According to him the aim is that in the next 10 years Nigerian firms shall be in a position to carry out very complex jobs, especially the ones that they do not currently have the expertise to do.

    He said the country would for now rely on foreign companies for such jobs but when they arrive they have to work with Nigerian firms who would understudy them from project conception to inauguration.

    The minister stated that it was the only way that the country could acquire the necessary technology to build our local capacity hoping that in 20 years Nigerian firms should be competing with the best in the world.

    He said FEC has accepted to declare a state of emergency on Science and Technology because the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan 2017 to 2020 recognised the cardinal place of science and technology in driving the recovery and growth plan.

    “We are not looking for transfer of technology because we know it would not happen; what we are looking for is acquisition of technology and we are interested in building our own capacity.

    “We are convinced that we can do this and we believe that with the new policy we will be in a position to acquire technology,’’ he stated.

    Onu noted that the country could train professionals using the foreign professionals adding that the Ministry of Interior would be involved to ensure creation of a new classification in the immigration policy in that regard.

    He also said that the ministry of foreign affairs would help the country to improve its free visa status ranking from the present 92 position.

    He described the position as very low as it allowed Nigerians to enter only 45 countries on free visa.

    He said this was a difficult journey but would take Nigeria to where it should be in the committee of nations.

    Onu added that the approval had not been done since the country became independent and added that in project design the country would insist that all the language would be in English rather than any other foreign language.

    He noted that with the movement of other nations toward solar and other means of technology outside oil the country should be preparing for a post-crude oil era.

    Enelamah said that FEC approved a memorandum that was presented to amend the list of pioneer industries and products that will enjoy pioneer status going
    forward.

    This, according to him, is line with the ease of doing business policy of government.

    He said “As many of you know the pioneer incentive scheme is governed by ye Industrial Development Income Tax Relief Act and the whole purpose is to give tax holidays to industries we consider pioneer. Pioneer doesn’t mean that they are new it only means that they are not yet mature, we want those industries to grow.

    “We want to attract investment in them and you will find that this covers a wide range of industries and those tax holidays ranges from 3-5years. The pioneer list was last reviewed by the Federal Executive Council in 2006, so you could see that this was long overdue.

    “On doing the review, special attention was paid to the ERGP to capture the current realities that will help to implement the plan to make sure we attract the kind of investment, industries and players that will help to implement and realize our objectives in the ERGP.

    “I should also point out that there was multi stakeholder engagement, private and public sector in arriving at the industries that will be included in the pioneer incentive scheme.

    “In terms of the recommendations approved by FEC today: we have tried to remove all ambiguities in the definition of industries by reclassifying industries according to the international standard in industrial classification which is the global standard which is also the standard that is used by the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics.

    “The other thing we also did is to agree that the pioneer list will be reviewed regularly every two years, biannually so that just that if things come up, we live in a fast changing world and we are being responsive to our world. In the case of additions to the list they will be effected immediately, for deletion of industries that we consider mature there will be a three year window that will be allowed for those that are already investing in that industry that were enjoying pioneer status to carry on till the end of that three year period.

    “Against this backdrop, we then approved 27 industries that were recommended for addition to the pioneer list today. We also recommended and it was accepted by the Council that mineral oil prospecting which is governed by the Petroleum Profit Tax should not be part of the pioneer industries list which is really industries governed by the Companies Income Tax Act.

    “It was also accepted that given the success we have achieved in cement which are now net exporters, maybe that is an industry which we could say that we are now where we want to be in terms of maturity even though there is still a lot of scope for the application and the use of cement and you know that will continue. We already have critical mass in cement.

    “The scheme will ensure that will not deprive us of revenue. It is an incentive to make people enter your market, new enter industries, invest more for people who are already here. It will increase our tax base over time,” he stated.

     

  • Nigeria, Iran seek partnership in technology

    Nigeria, Iran seek partnership in technology

    The Nigerian Government and its Iranian counterpart on Thursday expressed their willingness to strengthen partnership in technology.

    The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, and the Iranian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Morteza Zarchi, made the commitment when Zarchi paid a courtesy visit to minister in Abuja.

    Onu expressed Nigeria’s desire to consolidate relationship with Iran, especially in the area of technology.

    According to him, both countries have had warm relationship, noting that there is need for the relationship to grow from strength to strength.

    “I must commend you for the good work you have done to promote good relationship between Iran and Nigerian.

    “I also commend Iran for her commitment in using science and technology for nation building.

    “At one of the conferences I attended representing my country in Pakistan, your minister of science and technology told us that Iran as of last year, was investing 1.2 per cent of your GDP in science and technology.

    “ There is that decision to even boost allocation of more resources to science and technology because you understand and appreciate the importance and relevance of science and technology to nation building.’’

    Onu said that Nigeria was also working hard in using science, technology and innovation‎ as tools for nation building.

    The minister said that science and technology would help Nigeria to use its resources more efficiently to create jobs.

    He told the ambassador that Nigeria would be happy to cooperate with Iran.

    Zarchi stressed that Nigeria and Iran were exploring sources of revenue by diversifying their economies to technology and agriculture.

    He said that Iranian investors were interested in partnering with Nigeria in the science sector.

  • FG approves payment of N701bn assurance system to boost electricity supply

    FG approves payment of N701bn assurance system to boost electricity supply

    The Federal Government has approved the payment of assurance system of N701 billion to break the liquidity of the entire electricity value chain in the country, the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has said.

    Osinbajo made the fact known at a roundtable on Nigerian Renewable Energy in Abuja on Tuesday, adding that part of the amount which was approved by the Federal Executive Council had been released.

    He said the second payment of the assurance system would soon be made to further boost electricity supply.

    “We have mentioned several of the plans, the power sector plans and so many of those initiatives.

    “The latest is to break the gridlock in the liquidity of the entire electricity value chain and so our payment assurance system of over N701 billion has been approved by the Federal Executive Council and in fact the first payment has been made. We are onto make up the second payment.

    “We hope that we free up that value chain which has created several problems of its own and we hope that this injection will help.

    “We are also looking at several other reforms in the sector hoping that the market can become self-sustaining, independent and run on its own and free up all of the private sector energy that is waiting to come into the market,’’ he added.

    Osinbajo noted that, as a multi-stakeholder platform, the Nigerian Renewable Energy Roundtable should champion the new vision for renewable energy and ensure that they could translate theory to practice for the greater good of the people.

    In his remarks, the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, said the ministry had been resolute in pursuing alternative energy sources.

    According to him, focus on renewable energy will benefit the rural areas and help to create jobs as stated in the government’s Economic Recovery Growth Plan.

    He said that diversification could only be successful in an environment of renewable energy system.

    Majority of Nigerians lack access to electricity and where it is available supply is irregular.

    The interest in renewal energy is expected to accelerate  electricity generation and supply to the populace.

     

  • Schools to teach Maths, Science subjects in indigenous languages, says Minister

    Schools to teach Maths, Science subjects in indigenous languages, says Minister

    The Federal Government says primary and secondary schools in the country will soon start teaching Mathematics and Science subjects in indigenous languages.

    The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu said this at the inauguration of inter-ministerial committee in teaching of Mathematics and Science subjects in Local languages in Abuja on Wednesday.

    The inter-ministerial committee involved Federal Ministry of Science and Technology and Ministry of Education.

    He said the inter-ministerial committee would help to develop the capacity of the local languages to serve as effective tools for teaching mathematics and science subjects.

    According to him, the project will help Nigerian students to understand mathematics and science subjects better.

    He said the project would also promote the application of science and technology for national development.

    The minister expressed concern of the government over the low interest in mathematics and the science subjects by students.

    Onu said various countries like India, China adopted a related strategy by teaching mathematics and the science subjects in their indigenous languages at the primary school level.

    He added that those countries were making advancement in science and technology.

    “For us to build the country of our dreams, for us to make Nigeria a truly great nation, a nation that is able to feed and house its citizens, a nation with a stable currency, we must embrace science and technology.

    “ Nigeria will remain dependent nation if the citizens did not embrace science and technology, because no nation can become great without science and technology.

    “If Nigeria is to be great then, Nigerians must embrace science and technology.

    “The socio-economic challenges we are facing in the country is as a result of inadequate application of science and technology,“ he said.

    Onu said that graduates were no longer able to get jobs after their studies because the nation imports everything it needed.

    Earlier, Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, said using mother tongue to teach Science and mathematics would certainly help and ensure better understanding of the of the subjects.

    Adamu, who was represented by Dr Useni Adamu, Director overseeing the office of the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, said that the project would facilitate a major breakthrough in the area of Science and Technology.

  • Buhari holistically transforming Nigeria – Minister

    Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu, says President Muhammadu Buhari is holistically transforming Nigeria.
    The minister told journalists in Zaria, Kaduna State that Nigeria has so many things to be happy about since the coming to power of the Buhari administration.
    The News Agency of Nigeria [NAN] reports that the minister was in Zaria to inaugurate a chemical laboratory at the National Research Institute for Chemical Technology (NARICT) and a plant for the production of high grade precipitated calcium carbonate and caustic soda.
    “We have so many things to be happy with and to say yes that our country is on the move again.
    “Yes, of course, we are on the move, we really want to transform Nigeria and we are very hopeful that by the grace of God we will transform our country,” Onu said.
    He, however, tasked Nigerians on collective efforts towards the transformation drive.
    “The problem of transforming the economy is something that will involve all Nigerians, so we need to work together.
    “It is not just the research institutes that will do it alone, we need the industries too.
    “Here we have the industry coming to assist research and developmental works of the nation, knowing that in the end, they will be the primary beneficiaries.
    “The output will be of great interest and benefit to the nation’s industrialisation programme and all Nigerians,” he noted.
    Also in an interview, the NARICT Acting Director-General, Prof. Mohammed Yakubu said the projects inaugurated by the minister would add value to the quest for Nigeria’s industrialisation.
    He appreciated the support of NOTAP, PZ and RMRDC for their contributions to the success of the research projects.
    “Hardly is there any serious research and development institution in Nigeria that does not owe its success story to the intervention of RMRDC.
    “We in NARICT are proud to continue to enjoy their patronage for a long time. We collaborated with them to develop a plant for multi-metric salts production facility.
    “With this facility, we are sure we will be able to supplement reagent grade and industrial grade metric salts needed in this country,” the D-G said.
    He disclosed that the institute was also collaborating with RMRDC in Kenaf fibre processing technology, indigo dye extraction technology and adaptable dye machine fabrication technology among others.

  • FG tasks diaspora on national development

    The Federal Government has tasked Nigerians in the diaspora on the need to assist the country attain economic and technological development.

    Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, said at the ministry’s Investment Forum in New York, organized for Nigerians, that the diaspora had a lot to contribute to the country.

    “Our visit to New York is to get our people in the Diaspora to think home, just imagine what other nations diaspora have been able to achieve for them.

    “If we look at India, there is no way India would have attained the level of development that it have attained today; India is orbiting Mars.

    “India is a space power, India is a nuclear power. India could never have achieved this level without the contributions of her citizens in the Diaspora; the same way China.

    “So we believe that Nigerians in the diaspora, through NIDO (Nigerians In Diaspora Organization) United States, NIDO Worldwide, should be in a position to help our nation.

    “To move from the position we are today to the position where we can be the truly great nation that nature has destined us to be.

    “And what that means is that we are now, that we’ve come to our Nigerians in the diaspora, to now look at the researches that we have already conducted in the country.

    “These researches, we’ve taken all the risks that you need to take if you were to do it yourself.”

    Onu disclosed that the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO) has about 250 products that they have taken up to commercialization level.

    “If we had enough venture capital, there would be people who would come, chasing after these products because that is the easiest way to make money.

    “But we would prefer to hand over this research not even as a partner; you enter into an agreement whereby there would be some fees – the normal license fees.

    “If it is a Nigerian company, we would be very happy to do so because this company will come, establish the facility in Nigeria and be in a position to now hire Nigerians.

    “It will also be in a position to help grow our Gross Domestic Product for the whole country and then you as a Nigerian, you will be making money and you pay more tax to government.”

    Onu said the task of developing Nigeria had now become an urgent one, particularly with science and technology at the livewire of the development.

    He promised to protect the intellectual property so that no other person would come to lay claim to ownership.

    Some diaspora Nigerians commended the ministry and its agencies for their research breakthroughs and called for transparency and removal of bottlenecks in government businesses to aid investment.

     

  • Young inventors urge FG to commercialise students’ inventions

    Mr Ihere-serg Mascot, an old student of Apostles College, Ebonyi state, has called on the Federal Government to look inward and commercialise inventions made by students to promote the country’s technological advancement. Mascot, who built solar powered vehicle, made this appeal during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on
    Wednesday. He said the inventions were viable and could generate employment for the masses only if government and private investors would key into the efforts of the young inventors.

    “This solar powered vehicle can serve four people at a time just like Keke Napep. The good thing about it is that it does not use petrol. Just park the car under the sun and it is activated to serve you. “Government’s assistance will make the car look better, and then you will find that even more students will be encouraged to be more creative and productive. “Nigerian youths can be manufacturers of cars if our government have faith in us and invest in the things we build; our teachers are some of the best in the world. They only need facilities to be on ground.’’

    He appealed to the Federal Government to encourage youths by funding the commercialisation of more of their inventions.

    Emeka Ugwueze, another young inventor, invented a dual purpose waste management biodegradable machine. Its waste recycling fuel can also mould interlocking blocks. Nelson, an old student of the Community Secondary School, Umuokpu Awka, Anambra, said the science projects they were involved in school had helped him. “The name I gave my invention is Change. The project took me about six months to put together, and it is a project that is environment-friendly.

    “With the machine, plastic waste products in the environment can be converted to a better use; it is a machine that turns waste to wealth. “It can be used to convert pure water sachets that litter the environment into
    bio-fuel that can be used to run our generators. “Also, it can be used to manufacture environment-friendly interlocking blocks that do not only beautify the environment, but also absolves plastic waste in our surroundings.’’ Ugwueze said he was able to produce the machine by collecting things in the environment that everyone thought were waste products and converted them to useful products.  He called on the government to invest in the invention in order to promote
    creativity and self-reliance among youths to bring about wealth creation. “If we can produce such a machine with the encouragement and input of our teachers and parents, we can do greater things if government would put money and the resources available to it. “I appeal to the government to help me add value to this machine by making resources available, so that it can be more refined and available to people’’, Ugwueze said.

    Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, Minister of Science and Technology, said recently that the Federal Government was determined to encourage the application of technology as a veritable tool for national development.

    “We need to strengthen the acquisition and application of technology as an important instrument for national development.

    “Indeed, we need to place greater emphasis on science, engineering, technology and innovation,
    to enable us achieve self-reliance, national pride and global recognition’’, Onu said.

    The youths, therefore, called on the government to put words into action so that their potentials
    would be harnessed toward the achievement of a socio-economic development of the country.

  • Worried Minister says Indians are buying over MTN Nigeria

    Worried Minister says Indians are buying over MTN Nigeria

    Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu has expressed sadness over the state of the economy noting that Indians are gradually buying over MTN Nigeria.
    According to Onu, not less than 75 percent ownership of MTN has been acquired by Indians.
    The minister disclosed this in Abuja at the weekend during the inaugural press conference of the Computer-Based Test, (CBT) Centre Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria, (CPAN) with the theme: the impact of ICT in CBT system of examination.
    Government, Onu said, does not want foreigners to take away technological opportunities meant for Nigerians.
    Represented by the Assistant Director, Information Communication and Technology, (ICT) at the Ministry of Science and Technology, Mr. Adeyemi Adebayo, the minister said: “Indians are gradually buying over MTN in Nigeria now and one of the bad things about this development is that Indians now have the capacity to administer what MTN does by Physically employing Nigerians.
    “They want the capacity to do that from their country and if we in Nigeria allow all these opportunities to go it will not speak well.
    “Indians have now taking over not less than 75 percent of MTN and the control of MTN is not from Indian not even from Nigeria and if your association is not taken over this CBT may be Indians will come and take over CBT.
    “You people are doing a great work. Government does not want people from other countries to come and take away our technology. I believe that if we have associations like CPAN, they can regroup from the telecom companies they can take back what Indians have taking away from Nigeria.
    “MTN Nigeria is actually a Nigerian company, they came from South Africa but who are the people doing the work, are they not Nigerians?”
    Onu said Nigeria has not adequately exploited the potentials of the Information Communication and Technology, (ICT) hence weakening the economy.
    Onu said the country’s productivity capacity to compete with the world has also been weakened.
    The repercussion according to the minister, is that Nigeria may not have international competitive products in the world.

  • Nigerian astronaut will be in space by 2030 – Onu

    Nigerian astronaut will be in space by 2030 – Onu

    The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, on Thursday in Abuja, said a Nigerian astronaut would land in space on or before 2030.

    Onu made the assertion when the management team of the Defence Space Agency, led by the Director-General, Air Vice Marshal Victor Udoh, visited him.

    The minister said the Federal Government was putting all the structures on ground to ensure that Nigerian astronauts landed in space on or before 2030.

    “The space programme is very important for a country like Nigeria.

    “The ministry will work very hard in the years ahead to strengthen all the structures of the agencies that will help us to ensure that the nation plays a role in the space’’, he said.

    He said the ministry would intensify efforts to ensure that all the arrangements needed were provided.

    According to him, the space “is a major asset which nations like Nigeria must also be involved in for the purposes of protecting national interest.”

    Onu assured the team that the ministry would support and work with the agency in the best interest of the nation.

    Earlier, the Director-General said the agency would like to collaborate with the ministry in order to be more efficient and effective.

    He said working with the ministry would fast-track accomplishments of the agency’s stated objectives.