Africa to harness resources towards sustainable economic development- Onu

The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu says Africa continent is ready to harness its material and human resources to ensure sustainable economic development.

Onu made this known in Abuja on Monday when the delegation of African Union Scientific Technical and Research Commission with Impart on Africa, paid him a visit.

He noted that placing enormous attention on science and technology would assist the continent to realise the feat.

“Africa is poised to utilise science and technology to shift focus from negative reports that have been associated with the continent for so long as the face of hunger, poverty, illiteracy, and disease.

“Africa is the second largest continent in the world, and 80 per cent of industries in the world are dependent on Africa for their raw materials.

“The continent is endowed with the longest river with lots of water resources and fertile land to cultivate and develop its economies,“ he said.

The minister said that the effort would make the youths embarking on illegal migration to stop doing so.

He said that Egypt ruled the world because of science and technology and doubled as a base for knowledge for the world to visit and emulate.

Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Dr Adams Otakwu, informed the minister of the union’s efforts in encouraging science and technology through community-based projects to develop the continent.

He said that the in view of this, the commission was planning an African Development Summit to hold in Nigeria from Oct. 9 to Oct. 10.

The theme is: “Enhancing Science and Technology Development in Africa, the Role of African Union Agenda 2063 and 2024 Toward Achieving Socio-Economic Growth Through Community Based and Inclusive Innovations’’.

Otakwu urged the ministry to partner the union to support the summit, adding that science and technology was the key to Africa’s prosperity.