It wouldn’t be mistaken for anyone who knows Nigeria too well to boldly assert that the country is being taken aback by her leaders as regards science and technology as well as allied matters.

As a tech expert, I’ve personally been bedevilled by the lingering soured and pathetic physiognomy of Nigeria’s science industry or tech sector. The situation has unendingly been so pitiable that any discerning mind is required to ascertain where exactly Nigerians as a people have gone wrong.

Little wonder, on assumption of duty in 2015, the current Nigeria’s Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu was apparently piqued by the lamentable situation, hence consequently pledged that the country would soon start manufacturing some technologically-oriented goods locally.

In view of the quest, in the first quarter of 2016, Dr. Onu who is a graduate of Chemical Engineering disclosed that Nigeria would start producing its own pencil in the year 2018. Based on his perception, local production of such a product was long overdue.

The said boss expressed hope that the plan, if duly implemented, would have a “meaningful impact” on the economy because the wide aim of the ministry was to “commercialize developed ideas and research findings to principal levels”.

He further boasted that Nigerians would be amazed at the multiplier effects, which according to him, would include the creation of at least 400,000 jobs. This avowal, which seemed candid, was indeed an ‘immune’ booster for the concerned and well-meaning Nigerians.

When asked the reason his ministry had chosen to begin with such a ‘minor’ device, Dr. Onu proudly responded “Yes, I have heard questions on why pencils? We chose pencils to symbolize the problems that we have and our commitment to local production”.

The science minister went ahead to stress that his ministry had already urged the Projects Development Agency (PRODA) to ensure Nigeria starts producing the device in question “in two years time” by embarking on the required holistic research.

One may then begin to wonder why at this point, five years down the line, nothing has absolutely been heard about the proposed pencil production. The teeming Nigerians have since then put their ears down to receive the awaited ‘good news’.

It’s appalling that after sixty-six months of tendering such frantic promise, the ministry in question is presently mute over the purported quest. Could it be that the required raw-materials were nowhere to be found across the federation, or the needed manpower has been missing?

Lest I forget, it’s imperative for us to take into cognizance the materials needed towards setting up the pencil production industry. To manufacture a pencil, items such as wood, graphite, paint, possibly rubber and aluminium in some cases, are required. Aside from rubber that’s mainly found in the Southern part of Nigeria, wood, graphite and aluminium could be obtained from virtually all the parts of the country.

It’s noteworthy that Nigeria abounds with these items. What else needs to be done than to harness them? The government ought to create the enabling environment and ensure that the necessary taxes surrounding the awaited industry are reduced to the barest minimum toward encouraging the prospective investors?

The government might have the plan to establish and manage such an anticipated industry by itself. But the day-to-day management of such firms doesn’t necessarily need to be carried out by the government. What it rather needs to do is to create the rudimentary platform on which the prospective private investors would thrive.

It’s apparent that the prime bane of Nigeria’s democratic system is lack of political will. Sometimes, a certain government might be made up of sound and exemplary brains but once the political will is missing, it would certainly appear as if there’s no available knowledge and experience to perform or put the thoughts into plans, let alone actions.

But if the needed political will is available, even in the absence of sound brains within the system, the government will definitely extend the hand of fellowship to the cognoscenti. In a nutshell, if one has a lofty idea or goal but there’s no will or zeal to drive it, such a conceived plan would arguably die on arrival.

It’s very saddening that a government would promise to carry out a particular initiative but in the long run, would pretend as if nothing was actually said in the first place. Funnily enough, in some cases, the government may even deny that it ever tendered such a pledge when confronted by the citizenry.

When most Nigerians were bitter that among all the products in the world, it was a ‘mere’ pencil that Dr. Onu’s ministry decided to give an attention, my joy knew no bounds because as a tech professional, I was aware such a step would go a long way in conscientizing and awakening the country’s science and technology sector. But at the moment, it seems every hope is lost.

Brain drain has caused untold harm to Nigeria’s economy. It’s worthy of note that such an endless phenomenon usually takes place as a result of the government’s inability to utilize the available patents cum talents domiciled in the country.

In his speech, Dr. Onu also disclosed that the Federal Institute of Industrial Research (FIIR) had developed “more than 250 research studies up to the point of commercialization”. Furthermore, he stated “and in incubation, we have an agency in charge that has done up to 1000 products”.

This revelation indicates that we invariably find it very difficult to strive beyond ‘research studies’ and ‘incubation’ stage. It’s even mind-boggling that the research work itself isn’t aptly funded by the concerned authorities.

It’s, therefore, high time Dr. Onu and his team implemented the pencil production policy before they unleash the wrath of technology upon themselves. They ought to make the country’s progenitors proud of their existence.

Nigeria needs to start walking the talk in respect of tech-driven issues if she’s truly ready to climb the digital mountain. 

It is one of the finest in the nation and I am honoured to keynote this year’s Covenant  University CU-ICE conference. The theme is Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Development Goals. To Vice Chancellor Prof Abiodun Adebayo and Chancellor Bishop Dr David Oyedepo, thank you.

The Nigerian economy has made progress as the impact of COVID-19 wanes and the outlook of the oil market appears brighter. Thus, the World Bank Group has reviewed its 2021 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) projection for Nigeria, raising it to 2.4 per cent, adjusting the 1. 8 per cent it earlier projected.

In the report it captioned: “Africa’s Pulse: Climate Change Adaptation and Economic Transformation in Sub-Saharan Africa,” the multilateral institution commended the growth recorded by Sub-Saharan Africa. It said the region was set to emerge from the 2020 recession sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic with growth expected to expand by 3.3 per cent in 2021.

Though the World Bank acknowledged in the twice-yearly economic update, a brighter look for Sub-Saharan Africa, it also noted that current speeds of economic recovery in the region was varied, with the three largest economies–Angola, Nigeria, and South Africa, expected to grow by 0.4 per cent, 2.4 per cent and 4.6 percent respectively.

Excluding South Africa and Nigeria, the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa was rebounding faster at a growth rate of 3.6 per cent in 2021, with non-resource-rich countries like Côte d’Ivoire and Kenya expected to recover strongly at 6.2 and 5.0 per cent, respectively, the report said.

The Washington-based financial institution also noted that due to prudent monetary and fiscal policies, the region’s fiscal deficit, at 5.4 percent of GDP in 2021, was expected to narrow to 4.5 per cent of GDP in 2022 and 3 percent of GDP in 2023

According to its report, the rebound in the region was being fueled by elevated commodity prices, a relaxation of stringent pandemic measures, and recovery in global trade, but remains vulnerable given the low rates of vaccination on the continent, protracted economic damage, and a slow pace of recovery.

It explained that the growth for 2022 and 2023, would also remain just below four per cent, continuing to lag the recovery in advanced economies and emerging markets, and reflecting subdued investment in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The Chief Economist for Africa at the World Bank, Albert Zeufack said the success of vaccine deployment will accelerate growth in the region.

“Fair and broad access to effective and safe COVID 19 vaccines is key to saving lives and strengthening Africa’s economic recovery,” he said. “Faster vaccine deployment would accelerate the region’s growth to 5.1 per cent in 2022 and 5.4 per cent in 2023—as more containment measures are lifted, boosting consumption and investment.”

The report pointed to developments that it dubbed “a positive trend,” which was that African countries have seized the opportunity of the crisis to foster structural and macroeconomic reforms, adding that several countries had embarked on difficult but necessary structural reforms, including the unification of exchange rates in Sudan, fuel subsidy reform in Nigeria, and the opening of the telecommunications sector to the private sector in Ethiopia.

“However fiscal discipline, combined with limited fiscal space, has prevented African countries from injecting the level of resources required to launch a vigorous policy response to COVID-19.

“Apart from mounting fiscal pressures and rising debt levels as they implement measures for a sustainable and inclusive economic recovery, Sub-Saharan African countries are also faced with worsening impacts of climate change,” the World Bank report said.

While the progress made so far was commended, the World Bank advised the countries to build on reform measures to tackle carbon emission. It said they should also harness this opportunity to make sustainable, resilient transitions toward low-carbon economies that can provide long-term benefits in the form of reduced environmental hazards as well as new economic development openings.

The report highlighted Africa’s unique context of low baseline development, pre-existing climate vulnerabilities, limited energy access, and high reliance on climate-sensitive sectors— as posing challenges but also providing opportunities to transform the economy and create jobs. It pointed out that private firms and governments in Africa were providing training for jobs in solar energy (Togo and South Africa).

Investments in climate-smart infrastructure could help cities create jobs, adding that de-carbonization was an opportunity to foster manufacturing activity in the region, including the production of components of the Internet of Things, value-addition to minerals that will power the green economy, and insertion into regional value chains, the report say.

With the increase in the number of solar-energy startups, supplying rural Africa with affordable electricity, clean energy economy is expected to increase in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2025.