Confab: Delegates want application technology in national development

Delegates at the National Conference on Tuesday stressed the need for the application of industrialisation, science and technology in the Nigerian development process.
They made the observation at plenary while deliberating on President Godluck Jonathan’s inaugural speech on March 17.
Prof. Anya O. Anya, a Federal Government delegate, said it was unfortunate that the development process of the country was built on wrong footing.
Anya noted that the countries that Nigeria was ahead of in terms of development had now surpassed her.
The constitutional lawyer, however, attributed this to failed education and value system as well as the failure of the country to embrace science and technology for development.
He said: “Our education system has not produced the kind of people that can add value and at the end of the day economy runs on the productivity and production of its citizens.
“We have also failed to employ science and technology into the development process. The result is that we have not created innovative means that we need to develop this country.
“Indeed when people say we are in the same footing in 1964 with the countries of Asia, it is not actually true.
“The truth is that we were ahead of Malaysia, Korea, and Indonesia but now they are ahead of us because we did not face the reality.”
Anya, however, called for right rewards and punishment that would promote good values for development in the country.
Issa Aremu, a delegate representing Nigeria Labour Congress, said Nigeria must strive to be one of the richest nations in the world through industrialization.
Aremu said: “According to the National Bureau of Statistics, as many as 112 million Nigerians live in relative poverty.
“I think that is four times the population of Uganda.
“I think it is important today that before we rise from this conference that we must create job and we can only do this through re-industrialisation.
“Okada riding and selling of recharge cards are not sustainable jobs.
“What we need are sustainable jobs.”
Aremu stressed the need for the country to revive her industries to create jobs for the unemployed youth in the country.
He added: “There used to be a textile mill in Kaduna.
“Though it is in existence but not in full capacity.
“It used to be the biggest textile mill in West Africa, employing 3,000 direct jobs and there are others like that.
“We need to revive them to create job.”
Chief Onikepo Akande said her concern was for the country to attain rapid development and national prosperity.
Akande said one of the major problems of Nigeria was unemployment, citing the death of Nigerian youths in the recent immigration recruitment.
She said: “There are many unemployed youth in our country.
“I am a Bank Director and I receive so many applications, CVs every day.
“I will suggest that entrepreneurship should be encouraged and there shall be acquisition centres to train people.
“Also, industrialization and infrastructural facilities.
“Industrialization is the key to economic development, employment generation and poverty alleviation.”
Akande noted that the issue of insurgency was a new dimension to national challenge which need to be creatively dealt with.
She said nothing more would happen in an economy where security of life cannot be guaranteed.
She said: “This is a land mark judgment that will make us stronger as a nation.
“Let us do our best at the national conference so that history will consider us.”