Former Vice Chancellor Urges FG To Embrace Technology To tackle underdevelopment

Professor of Virology, Oyewale Tomori, has called on the  Federal Government to apply Science and Technology to solve the problem of underdevelopment in the country.

Tomori, a former Vice-Chancellor of Redeemers’ University, Ede in Osun,  made the call at the 12th Convocation Lecture of Bells University of Technology, Ota in Ogun  on Friday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the lecture had as  theme: “Nigeria and COVID-19, Impact on Education, Technology And Human Development.”

“Nigerians must have a new and creative thinking about the role of science and technology in stimulating and advancing national development.

“The nation is  yet  to show enough and genuine commitment to applying science and technology to address the problem of underdevelopment”, Tomori, who is  also the immediate past President of National Academy of Science, said.

The don urged the government to stop paying lip service to science and technology and adequately fund research activities.

He stressed the need for  government and industries to collaborate with scientists to positively impact the daily lives of Nigerians.

Tomori noted that  countries like Malaysia,Singapore,China and South Korea, had moved from underdeveloped status to current advanced stage by applying the appropriate science and technology.

“No nation can take its rightful place or move out of vicious circle of poverty except by utilising the new sources of power available through science and technology,” he said.

According to him, the highly industrialised countries will be reaping huge benefits and money from the current COVID-19 pandemic because the scourge has serious and far-reaching impacts on every aspect of life.

Tomori stressed the need for the country to  invest in research of COVID-19 vaccine so that the nation could also earn more revenue.

In his remarks,Prof.Jeremiah Ojediran, the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, said that the lecture had provided a platform to identify the  problem confronting the nation and also  proffer a solution.

Ojediran said that the lecture was within  the university’s core mandate to apply science and technology to address the human well- being.

The Vice-Chancellor said that the vision of the institution was to discover, disseminate and apply the knowledge of science and engineering for human well-being as well as development of the society.

(NAN)