It was indeed a celebratory intellectual
harvest and a peep into the future of science and technology as Professor
Aderemi Oluyomi Kuku, world-renowned Professor of Mathematics, and the President
of the African Academy of Sciences, in his foresighted wisdom and knowledge,
prophetically declared, at the Science Nigeria Lectures 2017, that Nigeria will
lead the world in Africa-oriented science and technology development in the
next 100 years. This event (Science Nigeria Lectures 2017), which had the
professor as the guest lecturer, held successfully on Wednesday July 12, 2017
at the Management Science Hall, University of Abuja.
Dignitaries that graced the event
include: chairman of the occasion and the Honourable Minister of Science and
Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, who was represented by Engr. Prof. Okechukwu Ukwuoma,
Director-General/CEO, National Centre for Technology Management; Honourable
Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, represented by Mrs. Emeje Ruth Ufeli
of the Education Support Services in the Federal Ministry of Education;
Regional Director, UNESCO Regional Office in Abuja, Dr. Yao Ydo, represented by
the Regional Science Advisor, UNESCO, Dr. Simone Grego; Executive Secretary,
National Commission for Colleges of Education, represented by the Deputy
Director, Monitoring and Evaluation, Alh. Garba Koko; Director-General and
Chief Executive, Raw Materials Research and Development Council, Dr. H.D.
Ibrahim, represented by Engr. Obassi Ettu; Executive Secretary, Nigerian
Educational Research and Development Council, Professor Ismail Junaidu,
represented by the Director of Research, Dr. M.O. Salau; Professor A.R.T.
Solarin, immediate past Director-General of the National Mathematical Centre,
and former President of the African Mathematical Union, and Professor David
Malgwi, President of the Nigerian Institute of Physics. There were also other
luminaries: Professor E.O. Ajali, Professor R.T. Idowu, Professor F.
Ogunfiditimi, and others.
The Science Nigeria Lectures is
essentially an effort towards not only promoting the works and contributions of
Nigerian scientists, but also in interfacing them with the Nigerian public. The
lecture strives to promote public understanding of science, inculcate the
much-needed scientific culture in the lives of Nigerians, and at the same time,
generate and sustain interest in the sciences in public domain. Through these
lectures, many become aware of the exploits of Nigerian scientists in the
global scientific arena. Again, through these lectures, many young people in
the Nigerian society become not only inspired in pursuing careers sciences, but
also in making enduring contributions in them.
The lecture is also another way of
celebrating Nigerian scientists who have had a minimum of 50 years of outstanding research contributions in the
sciences, and as such, making them stand as role models for generations
following. It is a way in which these distinguished scientists give to science
and the society at large, the benefits of their experience and impressions.
More also, the lecture discusses topical issues in the frontiers of science and
at the same time, chart the way forward. And the 2017 event came with the
theme: Science and Technology in the
Next 100 Years.
The event was organised by Global
Science Development Initiatives, a non-profit organization championing a cause
in science popularisation and education in Africa, in a partnership comprising
of: Office of the Vice Chancellor, University of Abuja; Department of
Technology and Science Education, Federal Ministry of Education; National Board
for Technology Incubation; Raw Materials Research and Development Council;
Technology Awareness Foundation, and African Science & Tech. Digest.
The guest lecturer, Professor Aderemi
Kuku, in his lecture, gave a 42-slide mind-expanding power-point presentation.
He first began by giving an overview of the mathematical sciences vis-à-vis
other areas of science and technology. He also discussed current and future
prospect of some areas of science and technology that have been most prominent
in the last 100 years, before giving his speculations and forecast for the
future. The kernel of Professor Kuku’s speculations and forecast for the next
100 years can be summarized in the following words of his:
· On the mathematical sciences: Professor
Kuku said, “It is envisaged that the
mathematical sciences will continue to grow phenomenally as new mathematics is
created for use in new and emerging technologies. It is also well known that
mathematics discovered in the last 100 years is more than those discovered in
the previous years put together. It is therefore envisaged that the mathematics
to be discovered in the next 100 years will be more than double those created
in the previous ages put together”.
· On the impact of ICT:“It is envisaged that self-driving cars
will become a regular feature of our lives. It is also envisaged that smart
phones of varying sophistication will be available in every corner of the
world. Moreover, ICT-driven smart villages and sustainable cities will permeate
our world of the future. The under-developed countries of tomorrow will be
those left behind by the current ICT and emerging technologies in this age of
globalization. Relatively few countries in the world will belong to this
category”.
· On space science and travel:“In spite of progress made and
anticipated, we do not envisage human settlements on Mars. However, travel and
excursion to space and the moon will be a regular feature of life among the
rich and adventurous. Moreover, new science will emerge from further space
exploration. And there will be many more benefits to all parts of our world
from numerous satellites in weather forecasting, help for agriculture,
improvement of disaster planning, etc”.
· On health and wellbeing: “There will be cure for most known diseases
even though more new diseases will be in the horizon to challenge us all. The
quality of life of most inhabitants of our planet will improve and human beings
even in the so called developing countries of the future will live longer as
prosperity continues to spread in the current age of globalization”.
· On agriculture and food security: “The future will be replete with more
improvement of seeds and crops, better storage facilities for food, improved
mechanized farming (robotic farmers and self-driving tractors) that will rub on
the so-called developing countries, many of which will become developed (like
South Korea and Singapore). As such, hunger and malnutrition will be radically
reduced in the world”.
· On climate change: “This will become more acute in the future
as more and more developing countries become industrialized with
environmentally unfriendly habits. The future is really unpredictable”.
· On renewable energies: “It is not clear that in 100 years’ time,
fossil fuels would entirely be a thing of the past. Nevertheless, with the
renewed efforts of many countries – developed and developing – to invest in
renewable energies (such as solar and wind), the use of fossil fuel will be
drastically reduced”.
· On the future of drinking water: “A lot of research has been done on how to
convert all sorts of polluted water into drinking water and many countries like
Singapore and countries in the gulf areas are taking full advantage of this.
Yet many developing countries face the serious challenge of safe drinking water
for their teeming population. Yes it is possible to solve this problem if the
government in many developing countries would take advantage of such existing
possibilities. It is envisaged that governments in most parts of the world
would increasingly focus on the welfare of their people”.
· On what will be of Africa and Nigeria: “Science and technology achievements were
concentrated in the so-called developing countries until about 700 years ago
when it became dominated by Europe and its cultural associates like USA,
Canada, Australia, New Zeeland, etc. Now it is shifting to South East Asia –
China, Singapore, South Korea, India etc. It will be Africa’s turn within the
next 100 years when Nigeria will have a population of one billion people and
like China, lead the world in Africa-oriented science and technology
development”.
Following the very illuminating
presentation made by the guest lecturer and the debate that followed,
participants in the event made the following resolutions and recommendations:
Events
of this nature (i.e. Science Nigeria Lectures) should be very much encouraged.
- Nigeria
(or Africa) has hardly a critical mass in any of the four areas of science and
technology mentioned by Professor Kuku.
- Nigeria
should step up activities that will encourage young people’s participation in
the different areas of science and technology.
- Nigeria
should also step up activities that will encourage infrastructural development
and better remuneration in the science and technology sector.
- Africa
is the continent of the future, and that Professor Kuku’s speculation that
Nigeria will, within the next 100 years, lead the world in an Africa-oriented
science and technology development is correct based on the fact that we have
the brains and a swelling population as an advantage.
- Nigeria
has the enormous market that will attract and drive any meaningful
technological development.
- Graduate
students and researchers should look into some of the points raised by the
guest lecturer as they are not only major research problems, but new research
directions.
CHIGOZIE
UBANI
Coordinator,
Science Nigeria Lectures
And
Chairman, Global Science Development Initiatives
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