The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, has said poor release of overhead cost is a cause of low research activities in the Agencies under the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology.
A statement issued by Edet Etuk, Assistant Chief Information officer in the ministry, quoted Onu as saying this while defending the Ministry’s 2018 appropriation with the Senate Committee on Science and Technology on Friday in Abuja.
He said that many agencies under the Ministry were research institutions with laboratory equipment.
He called on the Committee to support the new Innovations and policy guidelines that would transform the country from resource-based to knowledge-based economy.
Onu said: “Science and Technology has been recognized as the engine to drive the economic activities in the economic growth plan and also has a lot to do in the security of the nation.
“All the stakeholders are to do everything possible to reposition science and technology to drive the economy in all sectors.
“With industrial policies that will help to diversify the economy in a sustainable manner science and technology remains the key to nation building.”
Earlier, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Science and Technology, Senator Ajayi Borofice, called for speedy process of the budgetary defence.
Borofice said such undertaken was needed to pass the budget through the committee.
The Deputy Chairman Senate Committee on Science and Technology, Senator Yusuf Abukakar, decried the poor release of funds for Science and technological activities.
Abubakar said Science and Technology was to be given its rightful place in the scheme of things.
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