Nigeria's new president should prioritise capability retention of the nation's scientists. Getty Pictures
Nigerians voted to elect a brand new president on 25 February and he shall be sworn in on 29 Might 2023. Certainly one of his duties have to be to steer the nation in taking science extra critically. Science ought to be the fulcrum of Nigeria’s improvement.
As a fellow and previous president of the Nigerian Academy of Science, the umbrella physique of Nigeria’s main scientists, I supply the next ideas for Nigeria’s new president:
Enhance funding for scientific analysis
Nigeria has proven a deep neglect of science. Science and know-how are critically underfunded and minimally utilized in nationwide improvement. For instance oil refineries are shut down and Nigeria can’t produce vaccines domestically, having stopped in 1991.
The primary time Nigeria had a Ministry of Science and Expertise was in 1980, 20 years after independence. The primary nationwide science and know-how coverage was produced in 1986, six years later.
Through the first 20 years of the ministry, it had 10 ministers, every with a special agenda and coverage.
Nigeria’s first actual try at funding public analysis was in 2006, when the federal government deliberate to create a US$5 billion endowment fund for science and know-how. However the political will to do that wilted within the face of a scarcity of dedication of funds to execute the proposal. Since then, funding science and analysis in Nigeria has been as erratic and unpredictable because the political adjustments.
An try was made in 2012 to revive the fund with an unbiased board, headed by President Goodluck Jonathan himself. However when he left workplace in 2015 there was nonetheless no fund.
In 2016, the federal authorities introduced a N3 billion (US$6.5 million) Nationwide Analysis Fund. A committee to handle it was solely arrange 17 months later.
Regardless of the promise of the Buhari authorities in 2021 to dedicate 0.5% of GDP to analysis and innovation, the budgetary allocation to the related ministry remained abysmally low at 0.14% of GDP in 2022. This was about the identical stage for the earlier years – 0.13% and 0.14% for 2020 and 2021.
If Nigeria is to learn from science and analysis, and harness know-how and innovation to remodel the financial system and enhance the social well-being of residents, then the nation should cease taking part in lip service to funding science and analysis actions.
The brand new authorities should quickly harness science, know-how and innovation as instruments for nationwide improvement. For instance, the nation may benefit from the event of photo voltaic power to enhance and stabilise the erratic electrical provide, and from genomic research to develop new therapeutics and vaccines for improved well being and elevated animal manufacturing.
Nigeria should improve the budgetary allocation to fund science and analysis yearly from the present 0.14% of GDP to no less than 1% within the subsequent 4 years.
It should additionally increase the scope and funding capability of the Tertiary Schooling Belief Fund to sustainably fund long run interdisciplinary analysis directed at fixing Nigeria’s well being, atmosphere and different developmental challenges.
The brand new president should additionally see to it that the proposal to determine the Nigeria Nationwide Analysis and Improvement Basis is realised earlier than the top of his first yr in workplace. Not a lot has been heard about this proposal these days.
Retain the capability that’s constructed
The brand new president should recognise the necessity to prioritise capability retention over capability constructing. This ought to be by way of creating and sustaining a scientific and analysis atmosphere that allows our extremely skilled workforce to conduct analysis actions productively and with relevance.
Too a lot of Nigeria’s scientists depart the nation due to lack of employment alternatives, socio-cultural points, poor remuneration and non-attainment {of professional} fulfilment. For example, 9 out of 10 medical and dental consultants with lower than 5 years of expertise deliberate to go away Nigeria as at December 2022. Equally, 57,000 nurses left Nigeria between 2017 and 2022 leaving a ratio of 1 nurse to 1,660 sufferers, based mostly on the inhabitants. Software program engineers are leaving too.
The analysis atmosphere will be improved by way of simpler entry to international trade and lowered importation fees for imported analysis tools, provides and reagents. Analysis additionally requires a secure electrical energy provide. Electrical energy manufacturing in Nigeria reached 7,637 GWh in June 2022, for a inhabitants of 219 million. For comparability, South Africa’s electrical energy manufacturing reached 17,536 GWh in December 2022, for a inhabitants of 61 million.
Appoint a chief scientific adviser
As a matter of urgency, the president should appoint a chief scientific adviser charged with coordinating all science and analysis actions for the financial improvement of the nation and social well-being of residents.
At present, science and analysis actions are scattered amongst completely different ministries and parastatals working in silos, finishing up uncoordinated work of little relevance to nationwide improvement. The adviser to the president would help in bringing all these collectively to make sure related focus and to cut back duplication and wastage of sources.
Begin producing vaccines domestically
The brand new president should take into account native vaccine manufacturing as a nationwide well being safety problem. He should guarantee native vaccine manufacturing begins inside the first two years in workplace. It will scale back expensive dependence on foreigners for the nation’s vaccine wants and safeguard nationwide well being safety. At present Nigeria produces no vaccines however a manufacturing plant is scheduled to begin manufacturing in 2024.
Learn extra:
What it is going to take to provide vaccines in Nigeria: cash’s simply step one
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Oyewale Tomori doesn’t work for, seek the advice of, personal shares in or obtain funding from any firm or organisation that might profit from this text, and has disclosed no related affiliations past their tutorial appointment.
