Federal Ministry of Science and Technology and National Universities Commission (NUC) yesterday inaugurated a committee to work out the modalities for cooperation in research.
Prof. Julius Okojie, NUC’s executive secretary, said that researches were conducted by the parastatals under the ministry hence the need for collaboration between the ministry and NUC.
OKojie said that the ministry’s permanent secretary had earlier visited NUC to discuss areas of linkage and cooperation between it and the commission.
He listed the terms of reference of the committee were to work out a blueprint for collaboration between the NUC and research institutes of the ministry.
“To fashion out a National Research and Development Agenda; to develop modalities for commercialization of Research and Development results from the tertiary institutions and agencies of the ministry.
“To device mechanisms for monitoring the implementation of Memoranda of Understanding signed between the agencies of the ministry and tertiary institutions.
“To devise ways of publicising research and development results from both the tertiary institutions and agencies of the ministry and to make any other recommendation from time to time in line with the objectives of the collaboration between NUC and agencies of the ministry.’’
In his remark, Dr Abdul Bulama, minister of Science and Technology, said that the ministry was the nucleus of global development and that Nigeria could not afford to lag behind.
He said that no meaningful development would be achieved without collaboration by relevant agencies and ministries.
“Science and Technology is a global culture and we must be a part of it; there is need to establish linkages between research institutes and industries,’’ Bulama said.
The five-man NUC team in the committee was led by Prof. Chiedu Mafiana, deputy executive secretary, while the ministry’s seven-man team was led by Prof. Thomas Asuquo, Director-General, Sheda Science and Technology Complex.