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Technology driven
ventures in Nigeria are not properly managed and this has led to the
short lifespan of those organizations, the minister of science and
technology, Mohammed Abubakar, has said.

Mr Abubakar said
since no nation can develop beyond the level it is able to sustain
continuous and purposeful development of science and technology
innovation, there is the need to build critical mass to manage
technology related activities in the country. To bridge this critical
gap, the federal government, through the National Centre for Technology
management (NACETEM), has undertaken to train interested Nigerians in
technology management at post graduate level.

“The challenges are
basically that of sustainable development of science, technology and
innovation, the infrastructure that will support the activities and an
industrial sector that will translate these activities into
exchangeable goods and services,” Mr Abubakar said, at the orientation
ceremony for NACETEM Postgraduate Diploma students in Abuja.

Mr Abubakar, who
was represented by Ochapa Ogenyi, director of Planning, Research and
Policy Analysis in the ministry also said it is not enough to produce
scientists and engineers, the nation must produce experts in turning
science and technology into wealth creating activities at personal and
industrial level.

Willie Siyanbola,
director general of NACETEM, explained that poor management of
technologies in Nigeria has led to loss of assets and jobs and
establishments that depended heavily on technology have often collapsed.

“When you look at
all the various projects of government, especially those that are
technologically driven, for example the Ajaokuta Iron Ore complex, the
various petrochemical projects, our refineries, even the service
industries that are technologically driven like the Nigerian Airways,
the management of such needed to be learnt. We need to train people on
how to manage technology driven ventures,” he said, adding that the
challenge has always been lack of capacity.

Use the knowledge

He said although it
is good to have knowledge of science, but it is infinitely better when
people know how to deploy such knowledge to support government’s
aspiration in the area of development.

About 100 students registered for the post graduate course.

Olumuyiwa Olamade,
director, NACETEM North Central office, said creating a critical mass
of people skilled at initiating and managing change for sustainable
delopment is a step in the right direction.

“We are convinced that the change we seek to create in every office
and on every table in our establishments is exactly the change that
must be sustained to create Nigeria’s equivalent of General Electric,
Toyota or Microsft and to achive Vision 20:2020, the MDGs and other
development agenda of the government,” he said.