The Cross River State Government has assured of its readiness to collaborate with the federal government and UNESCO to domesticate the national policy on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) in the State. The State Commissioner for Science and Technology, Dr. Justin Beshel gave the assurances during a two-day National Expert Workshop on the Implementation of Nigeria’s 2022 Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy and National Reporting of 2021 UNESCO Recommendation on Open Sciences.
Beshel said who said the workshop, organized by UNESCO in collaboration with the Federal Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology and the ECOWAS Commission in Abuja was timely reiterated that the state’s commitment to entrenching STI in the government systems.
According to him, “Open Science is all about collaboration, making data available, making sure that research, innovation is readily available for the grassroots and communities to see how they can make use of it to grow.
“Science is applied in agriculture, science is applied in engineering, science is applied in health, there is no place where science is not applied. And so, as Cross Riverians, we are open, we are ready to partner with UNESCO to ensure that this policy is domesticated in our state.
“We look forward to more collaborations in areas that other states are already well grounded more than Cross River. And especially because last time, by the special grace of God, we showcased some innovations, we showcased our local content and we are rated as the best in Nigeria. We wouldn’t want to go back, we wouldn’t want to go back. So we are open. UNESCO, thank God you are here. And other colleagues from other states, please, Cross River State is open to partner with you.”
Speaking earlier, Dr. Abdurrahman Diallo, Head of Operations at UNESCO said that Nigeria’s 2022 policy will only deliver its objectives with a well-designed and articulated implementation plan, noting that it must align with current developmental realities, particularly the renewed HOPE agenda of the present administration and the country’s development plans.
Diallo who commended Nigeria for adopting UNESCO’s open science initiative through its reviewed STI policy in 2022, emphasized the importance of collaboration among all stakeholders to ensure successful implementation.
He said that “We can observe that Nigeria recognizes the importance of STI in driving development, which is evident in the effort the country has made to have a rich science and technology innovation ecosystem through the STI policy, which was reviewed in 2022. That policy, amongst others, recognizes open science as a viable strategy for science to achieve greater impacts, as articulated on the 2021 UNESCO recommendation on open science.
“The mission of the experts during this workshop is therefore very clear. The objective is to ensure that the country has a workable implementation plan for the 2022 STI policy, as well as to strategize on tracking and reporting the progress Nigeria has made in the implementation of the open science recommendation, which is the first instrumental standard setting on open science.”
Th event which we attend by the Honourable Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Godfrey Nnaji, had top policy makers and experts in the field from across the country in attendance.
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