Speaking at the opening session of a two-day workshop for
ECOWAS Network of Science Journalists in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)
Abuja at the weekend, enjoining African media practitioners to be innovative in
reporting Science and Technology for Sustainable Development.
Bindir in his position for agenda 1777, noted that it would
serve as a development paradigm for the continent and nation particularly.
According to him, the one (1) in the Agenda 1777 canvasses
for oneness and togetherness for the
promotion of unity among African countries, citing Nigeria for an instance.
“We must understand that Nigeria is one and we must do away
with tribalism, religious bigotry, geo-political zones and political leanings,”
he declared.
Dr. Bindir explained that it’s high time for Nigerians to
believe that in the next seven (7) years, this country should be able to
establish seven (7) multinational companies that would give the world seven (7)
international products.
He also advocated for special curricula to be introduced in
the education system to build the kind of scientists Africa needs in 21st
century.
He also said that reporting Science and Technology must be
innovative, otherwise reporters would see more problems than solutions based on
innovation, stressing that science journalists have to be strategic in
reporting Science and Technology.
Additionally, the NOTAP Director-General said that Nigeria
needs a baseline data to improve scientific and innovative development of the
country, which has the potential of spreading across the countries in the
sub-region.
Bindir pointed out that Science and Technology, should not
be reported as ‘S & T’ but based on jobs and entrepreneurs for political
buy-in.
Also speaking, the Director, Information Communication,
Science and Technology Division (ISTD), Economic Commission for Africa (ECA),
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Mrs. Aida Opoku-Mensah, decried the fact that Africa is
the only region yet to explore the great potentials of using science and
technology as an engine of growth and development.
Opoku-Mensah, who was represented by the Regional Advisor,
ISTD at ECA, Mr. Thierry Amoussougbo, noted that media needs to do a buy-in
into the scientific developments to make the information relevant and access to
the people of the continent.
She noted that technology and innovation have served as the
foundations of social and economic well-being since the beginning of human
civilization, with the birth of modern science in Europe in the seventeenth
century, science, technology and innovation (STI).
These, she said, have emerged as essential for creating
wealth and improving the quality of life of people and for the advancement of
human society.
According to her, the importance of science, technology,
innovation and knowledge for development cannot be understated.
“There centrality for the nations socio-economic development
is undeniable,” she said, adding that African countries with STI capabilities
have the capacity to develop and countries without STI capability do not.
“Indeed, Africa is the only region yet to fully exploit the
great potentials of using science and technology as an engine of growth and
development,” she said.
The scale of challenge facing Africa, she said in the area
of science and technology is huge with some related to low investment in
research and development, inadequate regulatory regimes, poor infrastructural
base and a lack of access to helpful scientific ideas.
She pointed out that an estimated that Africa has 83
engineers for every one million people, the developed world as 1000 engineers
per one million people.
Equally speaking, the Director and country representative,
UNESCO, Dr. Joseph Ngu, said science journalists should stimulate public
interest and debate on areas where science and technology could impact on
social and economic well-being of the society.
He also charged media practitioners to look beyond the
superficial to report o the real impact science and technology has on the
people, adding that Africa’s development has been on the front burners of
international conferences for decades and many development approaches have been
prescribed and administered by experts in various fields of human endeavour.
Participants, he said, seek to support the vision of
scientifically led development in Africa, but this could be achieved by
intervening in aspect of communication of science to the stakeholders and also
the role of science and technology for attaining peace, poverty eradication,
sustainable development and promoting a dialogue among different cultures and
knowledge systems in Africa.
He pointed out that the systematic application of scientific
and technological (S&T) knowledge has been a major factor in the rapid and
sustainable economic development of many developed countries, adding that the
central role of S & T has therefore been stressed in many international,
regional and national sustainable development action plans, such as the
Africa’s Science and Technology Consolidated Plan for Action (CPA), the United
Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Nigeria’s National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy
(NEEDS).
ITRealms Online recalls that the workshop was sponsored by
the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO),
the Department of Human Resource Science and Technology (HRST) of the African
Union Commission, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in
collaboration with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), will
organize a science communication training workshop from 17-19 October 2011 in
Abuja, Nigeria.
Remmy Nweke:
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