RMRDC EMERGES CO-HOST
FOR EXPERTS FORUM ON AFRICA’S TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT AT MINNA
Faced with the challenge of
promoting Africa’s technological development through cooperative
exchange of high-level African experts and expertise within the
African sub-region, the Directorate of Technical Development in
Africa (DCTA), has sought the support of the Raw Materials Research
and Development Council, and other key stake holders, including the
United Nations Educational, Scientific & cultural Organization
(UNESCO) for the hosting of an Expert Forum for the Technological
Development.
The three-day seminar which comes
up at the Federal University of Technology Minna, Niger State, from
24th to 26th January, 2006, is poised to break
down the barriers posed by fragmented, weak, and artificially
demarcated nation states, and the continuing brain drain of highly
qualified professionals by exploring and exploiting the benefits of
cooperation and integration within the continent.
The forum with the theme, “A
Framework for promoting Technological Development of Africa through
Cooperation”, will strive to promote the importance of science
technology and skilled manpower to industrial and economic
development through the delivery of highly technical papers by
notable experts from both the private and public sectors of the
economy.
The seminar is also expected to
consider issues on extent of the participating organization’s
respective existing Experts’ databanks, shared databank update
existing directories and streamlining, harmonizing and
categorization of existing databanks for effective utilization and
reference, developing a framework for continually improving, and
expanding and publicizing the resultant databank for worldwide
participation by African experts in Africa and the Diaspora.
Other objectives include
brainstorming and sharing experiences on innovations and inventions
within the West African Sub-region, identifying challenges
militating against development and commercialization of innovations
and inventions in West Africa, promoting networking among innovators
and inventors and creating a platform for interaction between
Research Institutes, Universities and Industries, providing a sub
regional strategic database framework for the adoption, promotion
and utilization of indigenous technological innovations and
inventions, among others.
The Industrial Training Fund (ITF),
United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization
(UNESCO), Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON), National
Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI), Federal University of
Technology (FUT), Minna, and Small & Medium Enterprises Agency of
Nigeria (SMEDAN) are all stakeholders in the forum which will be
chaired by the Secretary- General, ECOWAS Parliament, Hajia
Halima Ahmed. The Minister of Science of Science and Technology,
Prof. Turner Isoun, will be Special Guest of Honour.
Chucks Ngaha
