The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Dr Olorunnimbe Mamora has disagreed with proponents of a bill seeking to establish National Innovation Agency insisting its not realistic in our clime
His opposition to the bill came as ministry’s position at a public hearing organised by Senate Committee on Science and Technology held at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja.
The Bill was sponsored by Sen. Uche Ekwunife (PDP-Anambra).
Mamora in his submission said that though such agencies existed in other climes it was important to look at the reality of Nigeria’s situation.
According to him, even though the bill is well intentioned, “we must look at the reality in terms of the capacity and ability to fund those agencies.
“One of the fundamental challenges we have is funding. The reality of the situation is that we will never have adequate funding for Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
“What we should do is a kind of priotisation and to seek to strengthen and upgrade the existing agencies for the Act to accommodate the identified gaps in the system as opposed to starting something afresh .
“The position of the ministry is that whatever gaps there seems to exist in the existing Act under which the relevant agencies and ministry operate, these gaps can be filled through a process of amendment to the existing Act as opposed to coming with a fresh agency.”
He observed that calls for adoption of Steve Oronsaye’s report which recommended the abolition and merger of government agencies and parastatals was due to the proliferation of agencies
“The report is with a view to streamline and reduce agencies so that we don’t have duplication of functions and roles which at the end of the day will not be at the interest of our country.”
Sponsor of the bill who is also the Chairperson of the Committee, Sen. Uche Ekwunife said that investment in science, technology and innovation was the surest way to better the nation’s economic fortunes.
Ekwunife described science, technology and innovation as the engine room of economic growth and development of the 21st Century and Nigeria could not be left behind.
She further said that the African Capacity Report 2017 identified science, technology and innovation as strategic priorities as well as the fastest way to socio-economic transformation.
“While according to the Report of Nigeria Science, Technology and Innovation Policy, the Objective is to build a strong science and technology capacity needed to evolve a smart sustainable economy.”
Reacting to the rejection by the minister, Ekwunife said that “we are used to MDAs opposing bills of this nature.
“We are talking about workable agency; an agency that can assist this country moving away from being a consumption country to a production country.
“We are not sacrosanct in everything we have said here. We still have to go back and get the input from the public, experts and host communities to come up with a workable document.
“The Senate is looking at results that can add value to our country. We are not creating what we have in the system; we want to strengthen an agency that will be all encompassing.”