A Professor of Sci
    ence, Computer and Environmental Education, Peter A. Okebukola, has identified challenges to taking full advantage of science and technology in Nigeria.
Making the identification  in Port Harcourt recently in an interview with newsmen, Professor Okebukola, noted that several factors stand in the way of Nigeria taking full advantage of science and technology for development.
These factors, he said, include: finding inadequacies and mismanagement; human capacity deficit, reduced private sector support; brain-drain and lack of well- developed iron and steel industry.
While noting that a 2010 survey and public opinion adduced corruption and challenges of the power sector as causes, he stated that “the enterprise of science and technology is capital intensive.
“The cost of the tools of investigation in laboratories and workshops to keep paste with the contemporary and next-generation phases is high,” he said.
Citing the cost of some equipment, Professor Okebukola said, “an atomic absorption spectrophotometer, which used to cost N7 million three months ago, is now about N10, million, no thanks to the N220 to the U.S. dollar exchange rate.”
In the same vein, he continued, “ a 250mg of a salt of mercury and silver which is a common consumable in the chemistry laboratory sells for N250,000, while setting up a state –of –the art research laboratory costs about N1.8 billion. This is about half of the annual budget of RSUST.
“Given this finding outlay, engaging in meaningful science and technology is not for the lean pocketed. For a country wishing to harness the power of science and technology for development, it should put its money where its mouth is, “ he said.
He lamented that the lip service pays to science and technology is legendary, saying that over the past 20 years, investment in science and technology has “been unbefitting of a country that desires rapid development through science and technology.