For Nigeria’s vision 2020 agenda not to be a mirage, attention must be shifted to technological advancement, a model which has been hugely successful in developed countries.
The Coordinator, National Junior Engineer Technicians Scientists (JETS), Mrs Grace Jakko, made the remark on Wednesday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
NAN reports that the 20th edition of JETS Competition got underway on Tuesday in one of the oldest schools in Lagos- CMS Grammar School, Bariga, where students across the country displayed their talents.
The theme of the competition is “Enhancing Food Security through Science and Technology Application’’.
The participants from primary and secondary schools across the country are expected to come up with local inventions that could help solve some societal engineering and scientific problems under the supervision of their teachers.
This year’s edition recorded a huge success as students developed inventions that could stand the test of time.
All the 36 states including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) had stands to display the ingenuity of the junior engineers.
Jakko said that the technology sector was the only arena in which National wealth could be sustained.
“For Nigeria to achieve her vision of being among the top 20 economies in the world, due attention must be given to technological development. Without this, the vision will be a mirage.
“Nigeria is working toward being among the top 20 economies in the world.
“So, we should work on this very fast to teach our children to move into science-related courses.
“Already, we are in 2017. That means we have only three years to come but we are still here.
“We need to move faster than we are now.
“We should ensure that we tap into the high-tech activities going round the world now. Other countries have done that and they have benefitted immensely,’’ she said.
Jakko said that the awareness for technological advancement should start from the primary to post-primary schools to arouse the minds of the young ones to the science world.
“Although we have been having marginal increase in the enrolment of students into science-related courses.
“According to the data from Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB); it is not enough.
“We are also neither expecting an astronomical increase in the enrolment but we want a situation where we will have a percentage of 60 per cent science students and 40 per cent arts.
“The ideal thing is that we should have 60 per cent of our students in science and technology-related courses while 40 per cent should be in arts.
“Parents should also support their children to study science-related courses right from primary to secondary schools, as it will be helpful in nation-building and national prosperity,’’ she said.
