Ogbonnaya Inaugurates Committee To Fast-Track Economic Recovery Process

The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu has inaugurated the National Consultative Committee for Competitiveness in Raw Material and Products Development to reposition Nigeria for economic recovery.

Mr Edet Etuk, Assistant Chief Information Officer in the ministry in a statement in Abuja on Friday, said Onu inaugurated the committee when he addressed stakeholders in Raw Materials and Products Development recently.

The minister said the effort was to reposition the country on the path of sustainable development.

According to him, such national strategy is a fact-based framework designed to harness the potential of the country’s Research & Development (R&D) institutions in partnership with industries and business.

“This is to fast track and redirect the highway to orderly economic recovery, double digit growth and sustainable development.

“With this strategy, the nation will surely attain global competiveness in industrial production as well as in services by making Made-in-Nigeria products and services gain international recognition,“ he said.

He said that the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan 2017 to 2020 had Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) at the center of its operation to change the economy from resources-based to knowledge-based.

According to him, countries that paid sufficient attention to STI emerge as great nations.

“Such nations have been able to sustain their independence, developed their economy, protect their environment and guarantee their security for the happiness of their citizens, “the minister said.

The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mrs Belema wakama said that “strategic initiatives are necessary to address competiveness issues at all levels.”

The permanent secretary, who was represented by Mr Ekanem Udo, a Director in the ministry said competiveness advantages were the strength a nation possessed that establish its basis for differentiation from competitors.

She said that Nigeria is abundantly blessed with raw materials and products that could form the basis for a viable local content development and national brands using the value chain and cluster development approaches.

The Director-General, Raw Materials Research and Development Council, Dr Hussaini Ibrahim said the National Strategy on Competiveness in Raw Materials and Products Development was meant to boost the economy.

According to him, the strategy envisages that a nation’s competitiveness depends on the capacity of its citizenry and industries to innovate and upgrade its technologies.