The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, on Thursday said no fewer than 4.4 million jobs will be created if Nigerians reduce their dependence on imported items.
“Nigeria stands to save N3.6trillion if they reduce importation of goods and services for three years. About 4.4 million jobs will be created,” Onu said in Port Harcourt at the 32nd University of Port Harcourt convocation lecture.
The theme of the lecture was “Science and Technology as a Driver of Economic Recovery and Growth Plan of a Nation”.
The Minister said, “All efforts made in the past to industrialise the nation has not yielded any result. I believe that if we are able to revamp the leather and textile industry it will go a long way to grow the economy.
“I am convinced that no nation has ever, and will ever become truly great without effectively utilizing science and technology. This is because the economic development of any nation dependson the effective and efficient utilization of its natural resources so as to take care of her peoples’ basic needs.
“In other to achieve this, the citizens must understand the laws of nature and are able to put them into practice by devising appropriate tools. Hence acquiring science and technology with continuous innovation should be vigorously pursued by any nation particularly in its institutions of higher learning,” he said.
Speaking earlier, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, Professor Ndowa Lale, said the Minister of Science and Technology was invited to deliver the convocation lecture because of his vast experience and closeness to the university.
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