Nigeria's top academy to cooperate with gov't on future

Nigerian Academy of Science (NAS) said on Tuesday that the institute had determined to articulate a road map on the contribution of science to the country's future development.

Akin Adubifa, NAS executive director, said that the institute had made out a plan that would be "an evidence-based policy" towards the country's quest for technological transformation.

He added that NAS had the depth and expert knowledge for the initiative, noting that NAS was among the three African academies selected by the U.S. Academy of Science to spring development initiatives across Africa.

"People used to neglect that the academy is a reservoir of knowledge where they can obtain evidence-based solutions on any area of nation building," he said.

He said the academy's position on the need to develop a blueprint for the government was reinforced when Alhaji Umaru Yar'Adua, himself a scientist, was elected president.

"In other parts of the world, the Academy of Science serves as a think tank that supplies government with unbiased, evidence- based factual advice that engender development," he said.

The executive secretary noted that the absence of a viable partnership between government and the academy had impacted negatively on the role science and technology could play in the development of Nigeria.

Source: Xinhua