Dr Adeleke Mamora, Minister of Science Technology and Innovation (STI) on Monday said that the ministry had developed anti-sickle cell and anti-venom vaccines, among other inventions that had received international recognition.
Mamora said this when he presented the score card of the ministry from 2015 to 2023 of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration organised by the Ministry of Information and Culture.
The Minister said there were 17 agencies under the ministry that continuously implement the policies of the ministry.
He said that part of the achievements of the ministry encompassed medicare and health, food security, boosting research and development (R&D)education, capacity building, support of energy and power development, among others.
“In response to COVID-19 pandemic, the ministry embarked on non-pharmacuetical products’ development of environmental disinfectant spray tunnels, sanitisers, solar powered smart hand washing machines and Personal Protective Equipment.
“The Ministry also achieved the use of local herbs for the production of drugs for sickle cell because Nigeria has a high number of people with sickle cell anaemia.
“There is also the development of anti-venom vaccine, an antipenic that reduces fat in the body.
“The Ministry through Raw Materials Research and Development Council’s programme on development of the diary sector, introduced the technology of increasing daily milk yield of our cows from 1-1.5 litres of milk per cow to over 15 litres per cow in a day,” he said.
The minister also said that there was the development of Global Positioning System(GPS) to help give early warnings for disaster management.
He also said “the National Space Research and Development Agency is working to establish a Space Museum and Planetarium that is expected to realise about N30 billion, boost tourism activities, provide 5000 direct jobs, 20000 indirect jobs and improve teaching of STI.”
Other achievements, he also listed included 7.5 Megawatts electricity generation plant in the FCT, production of footwear for security personnel and championing partnerships that would translate to national development.
According to him, the STI ministry is working to enhance global competitiveness ranking of the nation through ensuring that Executive Order No 5 which is on promoting indigenous content is implemented.
Mamora appreciated Buhari for ensuring that the STI’s budgetary allocation was increased over the period of his administration to ensure improved R&D.
“STI is an expensive venture and every product have its value, your development is a function of the degree of R&D deployed in the system.
“Our future is full of optimism as long as we keep faith and leverage on the enormous power of STI coupled with demand-driven R&D programmes and project.
“The fourth industrial revolution will register Nigeria’s presence and effective participation if we sustain and escalate current commitment and interest in research and innovation as principal push factors for technological advancement.
“We need courage, discipline and focus on fundamental principles of the culture of result-based management logical framework where all policy implementation efforts will produce outcomes,” Mamora said.
He further said that Buhari’s administration saw that 0.5 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product be allocated to fund STI, while Tertiary Education Fund(TETFUND)funded research institutions, universities’ R&D.
Mamora commended his predecessor, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu and his counterpart, Mr Abdullahi Mohammed, for laying the foundation for the seamless development in the ministry.