NAN-H-72
NAS
By Chiazo Ogbolu
Lagos, Jan. 15, 2018 (NAN) Prof. Mosto Onuoha, the President, Nigeria Academy of Science (NAS) says passing the NAS Bill will go a long way in giving the academy the much needed recognition.
Onuoha told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the passing of the bill would help government to get evidence based scientific advice and be globally recognised.
According to him, it will give the academy the leverage to work out more scientific findings that will benefit the country.
“There is no academy that is not chartered by any government but here we are working like an NGO with no government involvement at all.
“It is not that government must do all that the academy says but a science academy is a globally recognised organ government that can be depended upon to provide evidence based scientific advice.
“The passage of the bill will place the academy where government recognises its functions in the science industry as well,” Onuoha said.
The NAS president said the academy had played very important part in the past with regard to science and energy policy, which was drawn up by the academy.
He said that in the year 2018, the academy would organise series of forum and meetings targeted at specific topics, problems such as water, sanitation and others that affect communities in the country.
Onuoha said that academy would engage in deliberate programmes that would encourage and attract students to delve into sciences at an early stage in schools.
“There is need for Nigerians to benefit from the gains of science and technology. We cannot let things that are working elsewhere not work for us.
“We need to reinvent the wheel, but the problem is that the academy is financially incapacitated as most support come from the outside the country,” he said.
Onuoha lamented on the way the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) projects were conducted in the country.
“The idea of university people starting their PhD projects from their pockets is not good enough.
“We do not have a centralised agency, these professors stay here in the country and apply for grants from U.S. research institutes and those that are good will get it.
“In the country, we do not have an agency that is effective because the law has not empowered them to work well.
“There should be a National Research Council in our science policy.
“But if this exist, it will enable anyone in the university to have a place where one can apply, get grants and be able to compete with others,” he said.
NAN reports that the NAS Bill, which was passed in July 2017 by the National Assembly, is now awaiting the president’s approval. (NAN)
CAN/ERO/GY
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Edited by Emmanuel Okara/Grace Yussuf