President approves boards of 12 agencies

15 Oct President approves boards of 12 agencies

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of 139 persons into boards of 12 agencies under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI).

The agencies are: Nigerian Natural Medicine Development Agency (NNMDA), Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO), National Center for Technology Management (NACETEM), Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI), Nigerian Institute for Trypanosomaisis Research (NITR).

Also included are: Project Development Institute (PRODA), National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI), National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), Nigerian Institute of Science Laboratory Technology (NISLT), National Research Institute for Chemical Technology (NARICT) and Sheda Science and Technology Complex (SHESTCO), National Institute of Leather Science and Technology (NILEST).

At the inauguration of the governing boards and councils of the 12 agencies and institutes in Abuja, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Ogbonnaya Onu said the appointments were made to enable them make contributions to the development of the country.

He said the Buhari administration was on the path of repositioning and strengthening the ministry to emphasise the desired contribution to national development.

“We are now on the path of repositioning and strengthening the ministry to emphasise our desire to contribute to national development efforts of the administration to lift 100 million people out of poverty within the next decade.

“The ministry is poised to engage the sub-national levels of governance, including states and local governments. Our presence at the state level will provide opportunity to use STI in the supply value-chain in agricultural production, business development of Micro, Small Medium Enterprise (MSMEs) and the academia in a constructive strategic framework.”