Minister Advocates Improved School Safety Through Science, Technology

The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, has called for increased partnership in harnessing science and technology to improve the safety of children in schools.
The minister made the call when Amb. Emenike Eme, the National Coordinator, Partnership Action for Safe Schooling (PASS), paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja, recently.
Onu said that the priority of the Buhari-led administration was to ensure that children had all the necessary protection needed for their safety.
According to him, the importance of children, being the most vulnerable, cannot be over-emphasised, hence the need for their protection, security and provision of their needs.
The minister assured the Environmental Safety Corps of the ministry’s partnership in support and in the development of children.
He further said that Nigerian scientists were working hard through their researches to make drugs from herbs and plants that could cure ravaging diseases.
He added that deforestation was very dangerous, emphasising that the cutting down of trees without replacement could be harmful to economic development.
“We are in working with the Ministries of Agriculture and Environment towards finding a lasting solution to deforestation in Nigeria,” Onu said.
Meanwhile, Eme had earlier said that the purpose of his visit was to seek partnership in harnessing the enormous wealth of science and technology, particularly towards improving school safety.
Eme expressed concern at the increased rate of  insecurity around the school across the country which he said could be detrimental to the educational sector.
He pledged his support, especially in the area of effective policy formulation and implementation in line with its mandate.
“I will ensure that both human and material resources are mobilised to realise NASRDA’s basic objectives for the overall benefit of Nigerians.”
The Director-General of NASRDA, Dr Halilu Shaba, made a presentation on the current status of Nigeria Sat-2 which, he said, needed to be replaced because it had outlived its designed lifespan.
Shaba, however, said the satellite was still functioning effectively and supplying relevant data.
He updated the meeting on the progress made on building and plans to launch two very important satellites, the Synthetic Aperture Radar, Nigeria SAR -1 and Nigeria Sat-3, an optical earth observation satellite.
According to him, the satellites will go a long way in providing relevant data on mapping and geospatial information for decision makers in addressing issues of urgent national importance like security and economy growth.
Shaba also appealed for intensified funding of the agency’s activities in order to actualise its set objectives for the technological advancement of the country.