Travails of Science, Technology and Industrialization

The Continuing Economic underdevelopment Crises and Recurring Economic Recessions, bedeviling Nigeria in Science, Technology and Industrialization Activities in Nigeria, over the years, stem from the fact that Nigeria which has been an Independent Nation since 1960 and which has well over 120 Universities, each with Faculties of Science, Engineering and Technology, cannot produce modern Technologies of production and services in her Economy and has to continue on end to depend almost totally on imported Technologies and related industrial goods inputs for sustaining her Industrial Economy in Nigeria. For avoidance of doubt Technologies here refer to Equipment including Power Equipment, Oil Drilling Equipment, Machines including Automobiles, Air craft Engines, Railway Transport Engines, etc. Measuring and Control Instruments, including fast Computers, Engineering Tools including Hand and Machine Tools, Nuts and Bolts, etc. among others. In addition to these Capital goods (Technologies), there are also problems of processing/ manufacture of consumer goods Items (processed Food Items) and Industrial Materials such as Organic, Inorganic and Special Chemicals including Fertilizers and Explosives.  All these Technologies of production and services are the Tools and Industrial Goods which are mostly produced in any Economy by R&D Institutions, Technology Development Agencies and Industrial Enterprises, in particular, Technology Alert small and medium Enterprises (SMES). These are the Issues which make Nigeria’s Economy totally irrelevant and or uncompetitive in the global competitive World Industrial Goods (Capital. Consumer items and industrial materials) Market. Sadly it seems nobody in Nigeria is worried or asking Questions.   

Science and Technology Activities (Education and Research) are seen in Nigeria as an Exercise for Knowledge and Certificate acquisition and for prestige, but it is well-known since the 18^th and 19^th Industrial Production / Manufacture Revolutions in Europe, that it is Science and Technology activities that gave rise to an Industrial Economy that introduced Goods different from Natural Agricultural / Mineral Commodities of the Traditional Economy of human heritage of Hoes and Cutlasses driven by human Energy, which increased the Scope and Complexity of World Economy starting from Europe in 18^th Century AD. It is also well known that Education and Scientific Research pursuits could lead directly and or indirectly in any Economy to a new knowledge of the Universe and the Nature itself. That is why Archimedes of Ancient Science of Greece of Antiquity, recognized that knowledge of Nature offers mankind the Power to control Nature when he wrote “Give me a Lever and I shall move the World”.

Stevan Dedijer, in his “Science Research Policy from Romance to Realty,” well captured by Maurice Gold Smith and Alan May in Pelican Books, London, England in 1966, had the following Statements credited to the World Statesmen  on what Science and Technology Activities can do in the Economy of Nations, namely,

1. “Education and Research in Science and Technology are responsible for a significant part of Economic Growth”: by Tage Erlander, Prime Minister of Sweden, 1964,
2. “Under the present Conditions, the development of Science is one of the factors decisive for our Economic Growth”, by Aleksey Kosygin , Prime Minister of Soviet Union, 1964,
3. “Scientific Research and Technology Development seem to be an important factor in Economic Growth”, by The French Government in its Scientific Research Program in the Fourth Economic Development Plan, 1961,
4. “Research and Development (R&D) Activities could be made to bear in the most effective manner to Economic Growth”, a Report of the Secretariat of OECD Ministers Meeting , 1964,
5. “It cannot be too heavily emphasized that Education, Scientific Research and Economic Pursuits far  from bringing in Conflicts add force to each other”, by Dr. Hillary, Minister of Education of the Irish Republic, 1961,
6. “The Progress towards practical Realization of a Welfare State differs widely from Country to Country in direct relation to the extent of industrialization and to the effort and resources applied to Science and Technology for Development”,  by Pandit Nehru  of India, India Parliament Scientific Policy Resolution, New Delhi  1958,
7. “Without the domestic Capacity for Science and Technology Activities for Socio-Economic Development, then Ghana’s Independence is meaningless”,  by Dr Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana at Ghana’s Independence Day Speech, in 1958,
8.   Nigeria” Prime Minister, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa at Nigeria’s Independence Day Speech on October 1, 1960, never mentioned a Word about Science and Technology (S&T) Activities or how S&T can help to safeguard Nigeria’s Political /Economic Independence. The only thing he said however after thanking the Queen of England for granting Nigeria Independence is a request for Military Support Alliance Treaty for British protection of Nigeria in the event of any foreign attack.  A Military Alliance, which Nigerian Youths vehemently protested and opposed and was dropped in 1961.

During the British Colonial Rule of Nigeria and after Independence up to at least 1970, Nigerians were brought to believe that Science and Technology Activities mainly consist of Science Education and generalized Scientific Research, basic and problem oriented Research for Scientific knowledge acquisition where Science here refers to Physical Sciences, Biological Sciences, Agricultural Sciences, Engineering Sciences and Medical Sciences, respectively. There were no Research and Development (R&D Activities nor Technology Development activities nor Technology Innovations activities and nor related Industrial Goods production activities in Nigeria’s Economy.

     A Word on Nigeria’s Science and Technology (S&T) manpower training Infrastructure:

In most highly industrialized Nations of the World as well as the fast industrializing and fast growing Nations, the following S&T Manpower training Infrastructure is in place, namely for every University training Manpower for S&T knowledge acquisition, there are at least four (4) Polytechnics / Colleges of Technology training Manpower power at the middle level in the technical / professional skills of Technology production and manufacture of Industrial Goods and at least thirty (30) Technical Colleges training manpower at lower level in technical /professional skills of  Technologies production and manufacture of Industrial Goods. Such an S&T Manpower training Structure does not exist in Nigeria at least up to 2018.  What you have is an inverted Pyramid of S&T development Infrastructure, the base of the Pyramid being the Universities. This explains why Nigeria has no domestic endogenous capability and or capacity to produce / manufacture / export from her Economy any modern Technologies / Industrial Goods in the face of Nigeria’s over 150 Universities, each with the Faculties of Science, Engineering and Technology.        

Consequently and in the light of the above Observations, all the Technologies of Production and Services and the Industrial goods (capital, consumer items and industrial materials, respectively) in Nigeria’s Economy are mostly foreign sourced. This in effect says that Nigeria operates only a Science Policy (Knowledge Acquisition) and practically no critical Technology Development / related Industrial Development Policy in Nigeria’s Economy. For avoidance of doubt, Technology Development Policy deals with Technologies development and production including Technology Innovation activities in order to produce new Technologies of production and services in the Economy, as well as the related Industrial Goods (capital, consumer items and industrial materials) in Nigeria’s economy for domestic use and for export to the global World Market.  That is why Nigeria is a highly courted Market for Industrial Europe, North America and Asia including China, Japan, India and South Korea.

What is happening in Nigeria’s Economy therefore is no more than the implementation of Lord Fredrick Lugard  Dual Mandate Policy of development in Nigeria, which is well-articulated in Lugards  Book, titled “The Dual Mandate of Britain in Tropical Africa”, 4^th Edition 1929. The Dual Mandate stated clearly that Britain is in Africa for two main Objectives, namely (1) to get and secure the primary raw Agricultural and Mineral Commodities which Nigeria has in abundance and which Britain needs for the industrialization of Britain and (2) to secure Nigeria as a large market of British produced Technologies and Industrial Goods. This is what Lugard, the first Governor General of Nigeria, 1914-1918, called Mutual Agreement and Balance in Trade between Britain and Nigeria. All these mean is that Nigeria should not be allowed to produce / manufacture globally competitive Technologies and Industrial Goods in Nigeria’s Economy but should continue to produce and export, primary Commodities such as Cotton, Cocoa, raw large diameter Timber Wood, Palm Oil / Palm Kernels. Raw Hides and Skins among others, until Crude Petroleum Oil was produced in 1958 to add to the List.  That is why the only University College Ibadan established by the British Colonial Government in 1948 did not offer any Engineering nor Technology development Course, nor Professional Economic Courses throughout 1948-1980 but offered profusely Courses in Latin, in Greek , in Classics, in English Language and Literature, in European History, and in Divinity, to produce Nigeria’s Colonial oriented Administrators for Nigeria before and immediately after Independence  and which also explains why till date Nigeria cannot produce/ manufacture any modicum of globally competitive modern Technologies and Industrial Goods both for domestic use and for export to the global Market and have to import them in the face of her over 150 Universities each with Faculties of Science , Engineering and Technology and when the Funds to import them are not available to import them the Economy goes into Recession and nobody seems to be asking  Questions about what is going on in Nigeria’s Economy? Why is Nigeria not operating a globally competitive Industrial Economy and why is Nigeria so poor in the midst of plenty of Resources, human and material, in Nigeria?

In July 1960, when I was a Senior Undergraduate Student on Nigeria’s Government Scholarship in the Honors Degree Physics Department of the University of Glasgow in Scotland of UK of Great Britain, established in 1451 long before the 18^th Century Industrial Revolution, I had the opportunity and great privilege of attending the World Conference on the possible Status of what Science, Technology and Industrial Activities should be in the Decade, 1961-1970. That World Conference which was attended by who is who in Science and Technology in the World was organized by the British Association for the Advancement of Technology for Development and took place in Norwich, South East England. I found myself the only Black Face in the Conference. Two  Leading World renowned  Participants, namely Professor K.H. Berkurts a distinguished well known Nuclear Physicist a German American and Participant at Hiroshima Japan Bombing and another Participant a Minister of Machine Tools of the Peoples Republic of China, who was a Professor of Mechanical Engineering  and Specialist in Power Equipment. These two great men seemed to take pity on me and had the following Dialogue with me, namely (1) where do you come from?    Answer, Nigeria,    (2) Where is Nigeria?  Answer, Africa, West Africa (3) what is your field of Study? Answer Physics, Research Nuclear Physics (4) Does Nigeria have a Nuclear Power Project? Answer No, Nigeria is still a British Colony. (5) What are you going to do with Nuclear Physics in Nigeria? Answer, I will teach Physics in the existing University College Ibadan (UCI) or in the proposed second Nigeria University, the UNN. (5) What will your Students do when they graduate? Answer, they too will teach Physics either in Secondary Schools or the Universities or provide Scientific services in the Geological Surveys or Minerals Survey Services, It is at this point that the Chinese Minister of Machine Tools mercifully reminded me that Physics in the Mother of Technology, which itself is the Mother of Industrial Economy, completely different from the Traditional Economy of Hoes and Cutlasses powered by human energy of production and Services in the Economy of human heritage. I took the hint, and got the message that what I should teach my Students and equip them with is the capability and or capacity to use the Knowledge of Physics to produce modern Technologies of production and services in Nigeria’s Economy so that Nigeria can produce Industrial Goods as opposed to Agricultural and Mineral Commodities in order to address poverty, joblessness and economic under-development. That was what kept me thinking, namely what kind of Science and Technology Activities are taking place in Nigeria and from then I became passionate about Technology development / production capacity building in Nigeria.

This chance Meeting, in July 1960, at Norwich, South East, England, of Great Professor K.H. Berkurts the Nuclear Technology Giant, who later became the first Head of the Kern (Nuclear) Reactor in Karlsruhe, West Germany, gave me the opportunity to come and carryout Nuclear Physics Research on the fast Neutrons in Plutonium Production in Karlsruhe, Western Germany, July to September 1962. It is this wonderful experience that informed me that Physical Scientists, Engineers (in particular Mechanical and Electrical Engineers) and Technologists will be jobless, unemployable, under-employed or under used in Nigeria, in the absence of a globally competitive Industrial Economy, capable of producing modern Technologies and manufacturing industrial goods (capital, consumer items and industrial materials), respectively in the economy, both for domestic use and for export to global World Market. It is sad that Nigeria, as of today 2019, with over 120 Universities each with Faculties of Science, Engineering and Technology, is not yet a globally competitive industrial Economy. All my passionate Books and Writings, since the end of the Civil War of 1967-1970, whether the Book is (1) “Scientific and Technological Innovations in Biafra: The Ogbunigwe Fame, 1967-1970, Second Edition 2017”, or (2) “Technology and Wealth of Nations” respectively, and still inexplicably, nobody cares to read or seems to be asking Questions on why and what to do to change the Industrial Economic Situation in Nigeria.. It is this that led to my frequent passionate Writings or Calls on Nigeria’s Stakeholders in Science, Technology and Economy to establish a sustainable Industrial Economy, capable of producing and manufacturing modern Technologies of production and services, and globally competitive industrial Goods in Nigeria’s Economy, both for Domestic Use and for Export to the global World Market. However when the Civil War of Nigeria- Biafra of 1967-1970 broke out and Biafra was blockaded by Air, Sea and Land and had nowhere to go to import Technologies including Weapon Technologies, then my Colleagues (Scientists, Engineers and Technologists) were forced by the prevailing circumstances to learn the hard way and to build the domestic capacity for Technologies including Weapon Technologies production in the now defunct State of Biafra , where I served as Head of R&D Planning Division / Coordinator of the Technological Services of the Technological Aspects of the Industrial War Machine that operated in the now defunct State of Biafra, 1967-1970.  

The Question really is, has Nigeria learned any Lesson from the above Civil War and the related Biafra Experience in Technology and Industrial Goods production?

Felix N.C. Oragwu, FSAN, MInstP (IOP) London

Former Senior Academic in Physics, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, (UNN), from 1960s,
Head of Research and Development (R&D)  Planning Division / Coordinator of  Technological Services of the Industrial War Machine that operated in the defunct State of Biafra, 1967-1970.
Retired Senior Director in Charge of the Department of Science and Technology (S&T) Policy, Planning and Development of the Federal Government Ministry of Science and Technology (FMST) 1979-1987
Former Technology Development Consultant to UNECA, UNDP and UNIDO