Consistent long-term investment in science and technology is needed to rescue Nigeria from its socio-economic woes, Oyewale Tomori, a member of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) technical advisory group on COVID-19 vaccine composition, has submitted.
Tomori, a professor of virology, argued that the aftermath of refusing to invest in science and technology was the growing population of over 11 million out-of-school children, dilapidated infrastructure, and Nigeria’s tag as ‘poverty capital of the world.’
According to him, the country’s 23-year democracy has been full of investment in corruption and immorality, arguing that “science cannot thrive under poor governance.”
Speaking on the topic ‘science, scientist and society’ at the 79th interdisciplinary research discourse of the Postgraduate College, University of Ibadan, organised Jonathan Babalola, the provost, Tomori said while other countries were enjoying returns on investment, Nigeria was reaping returns on ‘iniquity and immorality’ which makes the country to depend on loans to pay salaries of workers amid its fast-growing population of poor people.
“While other countries are getting results on their investment, we are wallowing in our own returns on iniquity and immorality. That is why we have 10.5 million of our children out of school and 4.5 million under-vaccinated.
We are the poverty capital of the world. We are investing in corruption and disdaining science and technology. We depend on IMF loans and the World Bank to pay workers’ salaries, and import food which we should be producing.”
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He noted that apart from failing to invest in science and technology, Nigeria also failed to provide the needed conducive environment for science to thrive.
“A recent study shows that the US government between 1988 and 2010 invested $3.8 billion and it is already generating $796 billion. This is what is called return on investment.”
He argued that economic progress was a direct result of advancement in science and technology because everything we use in our communication, transportation, housing, and clothing is product of investment in science and technology.
Describing science as the engine for human posterity, the professor called on the Nigerian government to invest in long-term research in science and technology.
“Many governments in Africa want rapid results. We don’t invest in it consistently and now that the US and UK are reaping from long-term investment, we have become beggars for vaccines and other things because we will not invest as they are doing.
Also speaking, the vice-chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Kayode Odebowale, stated that society helps to determine which research should be encouraged or discouraged and how its resources are deployed to fund scientific research.
He stated that it was imperative that the gown and town form a synergy and foster a fruitful relationship for the positive transformation of Nigeria.
