One of the major traits and pass time of political office holders in Nigeria is their penchant to blow trumpets when they perform what ordinarily fits into their daily routines and normal job schedules. By so doing, they assume though wrongly that the messages of their performance, accomplishments or developmental strides if any have been passed to the public. Conversely, Nigerians are smart enough to decipher who is performing or not. To the discerning minds, the effort is one in futility as actions speak louder than words. At most the vuvuzela blown for validation of strides lines the pockets of a few individuals who advance such publicity stunts. A politician does not need to stand on the podium for commendation or commission social media platforms to churn out stories when the people are wise to distinguish truth from propaganda and falsehood. Chief Uche Nnaji, minister of innovation, science and technology is one of the senior government officials in this adminisration who allows his good work to speak for him without necessarily engaging in local PR despite efforts to ridicule him. Sworn in on 16th August, 2023 as the substantive minister of innovation, science and technology, Chief Nnaji who was the governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Enugu State in 2023 is an astute politician and a philanthropist.
An unassuming gentleman who has taken the wise cloak of his predecessor late Chief Ogbonnaya Onu and consolidating on the former’s giant strides in the ministry; Nnaji does not give in to frivolous lousiness as science and technology is serious business not comedy. He is one of the men who sees politics as service to the people which does not require any canny image laundry before it becomes evident who does his work better and accordingly. His commitment to repositioning the ministry has yielded fruitful in unheard results of major accomplishments anchored on the following thematic areas: First, the implementation of the Renewed Hope Solarisation Project aimed at providing clean energy and sustainability of the green environment. This included access to renewable energy by all 774 local government areas through the Sustainable Energy Access Programme (SEAP). Currently, many local government councils are already beneficiaries. The project has deployed 2MW solar hybrid systems to benefiting 37 federal universities and teaching hospitals respectively. It project inspires quality healthcare delivery in the country and improves academic performance by offering reliable and eco-friendly electricity to the institutions. Hexagonal Domestic Charcoal Stove has developed a novel clean cooking innovation for improved thermal efficacy, reduced energy costs, and promotion of sustainable practices by aiding households in energy cost reduction, health improvement, and sustainable cooking practices.
Second, the Project NOVA initiative intended for human capital development of teeming Nigerian youths. NOVA has trained 25,000 youths annually in high tech skills. Another impressive initiative is the Youth Space Skill Programme & Barefoot Renewable Energy College Kogi state which equipped youths with scientific, engineering, and entrepreneurial skills grow human capacity in renewable energy technologies and resource management. Third, research, development and innovation is driven by Science and Innovation Fund established to ensure consistent financing for research, infrastructure, and technology commercialization. The Global Cleantech Innovation Programme (GCIP) is an idea which positioned Nigeria among Africa’s top cleantech innovation hubs through the successful implementation of the UNIDO-led programme. “Three Nigerian Startups according to reports were awarded the sum of $32,500, for their innovative solutions in tackling climate-related challenges at the second cohort of the Global Cleantech Innovation Programme (GCIP) in Lagos.”
The Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Laboratory was equipped with a brand new state of the art laboratory to enhance materials engineering capabilities. Fourth, policy and strategic alignment captured a 30% local value-addition requirement in science technology manufacturing. The ministry introduced this policy to encourage raw material exports in boosting local content and industry-wide support. This effort is in collaboration with African Development Bank on a 10-year raw materials roadmap to drive innovation-led economic growth. The Unified National Space Program falls under this purview to foster synergy among space agencies (NASRDA, NigComSat, Defense Space Administration) for a unified and strategic approach to space technology.
In a recent Press Statement issued on the activities of the ministry by Dr. Robert Ngwu, Special Assistant to the minister, he gave a more detailed breakdown of the ministerial giant strides as can be seen below. “The ministry secured a 7.9 billion euros foreign direct investment for ‘Project Green. It is Africa’s largest green methanol and hydrogen complex. The ministry has also led the establishment of Africa’s first insulin manufacturing facility in Nigeria and the inauguration of Nigeria’s first AI-powered hospital monitoring system; enabling the first Chinese-backed smart hospital. It jointly led major Commonwealth initiatives in Artificial Intelligence, climate-smart agriculture, and indigenous resilience; driving the approval of four new satellites, strengthening national security, agriculture, and broadband infrastructure.”
“Others are launching of the National Energy Policy (NEP) and National Energy Master Plan (NEMP). Both provide integrated policy framework for sustainable energy development and converting strategy into actionable projects across the energy sector. One other vital element was the establishment of 10MW Solar PV Module Production Assembly Plant at Enugu Research Centre which localizes solar PV production, boosts renewable energy access and contributes to GDP growth. There is also the development of a Pilot Integrated Modular Refinery at Bauchi Research Centre which supports local production of refined petroleum products and reduces import dependency. The list included the unveiling of Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) – in partnership with UNEP and SON, establish efficiency benchmarks for air conditioners to support climate targets.”
“There is also the development of Automated Leather Glazing Machine to boost Nigeria’s leather processing capacity through indigenous innovation and mechanisation. Onion Powder Processing Plant has been established in Sokoto to meet national onion powder demand, in partnership with industry and development banks. Local POP (Plaster of Paris) was developed and a plant commissioned using Nigeria’s gypsum resources to reduce import dependency in housing construction and healthcare. The established local soap noodles production plant aims to reduce importation and supports Nigeria’s soap manufacturing industry by tapping into the abundant local palm oil resources in the country. The ministry has built first Artemisinin Extraction Plant for producing the API used in anti-malarial drugs from domesticated Artemisia annua. It has undergone field-test and approved. Mr. President and council has made approvals for NigeriaSat-3, 4, 5 and NigeriaSAR-1 – marking Nigeria’s most ambitious satellite programme yet for revenue monitoring, agriculture, and security.” Silence is more often than not golden. The fact that the minister has allowed his good works to bear testimonies for him without undue PR or commissioning of social media urchins does not in any way obliterate his major and visible accomplishments.
Sunday Onyemaechi Eze, is a lecturer, Department of Mass Communication and Head, Internationalisation and Partnership, Coal City University, Enugu
