National Path to Strength

No Country or Nation can develop or truly be independent without first and foremost building its own domestic endogenous capability and or capacity for Science and Technology Activities for her own socio-economic growth and development.

In 1948, at the inaugural Address to India Parliament at India’s Independence Anniversary Day from Great Britain, the Prime Minister of India, Pandit Neru, stated as follows, * The Progress towards practical realization of Independence and 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 Activities for Development*.

In the same Vein, at Ghana’s Independence Day Address in 1958, the President of Ghana, Dr Kwame Nkruma stated as follows, namely *Without the domestic endogenous capability and or Capacity for Science and Technology Activities for the Socio-Economic Development of Ghana, then Ghana’s Independence is meaningless.

Far away in Europe, a Report of the Secretariat of OECD Ministers Meeting in 1964, stated, namely, * Research and Development (R&D) could be made to bear in the most effective manner to Economic Growth of Europe*

Surprising Nigeria’s Executive Prime Minister, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa at Independence Day Address on October 1, 1960, never mentioned a Word about Science and Technology (S&T) Activities and or how S&T Activities can help to safeguard Nigeria’s Political / Economic Independence. That means that Nigeria a great Nation in Africa had no idea about the Role of Science and Technology Activities in Nations’ Economic Progress.

From the above Observations, it clear that without first and foremost building Ones Nations Technological endogenous capability and or capacity to produce / manufacture modern Technologies of production / services and globally competitive Industrial Goods( Capital, Processed Consumer Items and Industrial Materials) in Nation’ Economy both for domestic Use and for Export to the Global World Market for foreign Revenue then such a Nation will expose itself to the exploitation and subjugation by those Nations with capacity for the Technology, Industrial Goods production. That has been the lot of Nigeria and in fact Africa, South of Sahara which have remained Economically, Industrially and Technologically underdeveloped.

The primary aim and message of this Blog is to alert Nigeria and Africa, South of Sahara to the consequences of their inability to build domestic endogenous capability and or capacity for Technologies and Industrial Goods Production and Manufacture in their respective Economies. Nigeria and African Countries should always remember that Physics is the mother of Technology and that Technology is the Mother of Industrial Economy that process/ manufactures in Industrial Goods. It is also important to know that Technology Innovation itself is no more than upgrading, modification and or improving an existing Technology to become a New Technology. For example, a Petrol Engine Automobile can be changed to an Electricity powered Engine Automobile through the process of Technology Innovation. In the same manner, Research and Development (R&D) is no more than developing a Scientific Knowledge, Inventions and Discoveries resulting from Scientific Research Discipline oriented or Problem oriented into modern Technologies and or Industrial Goods.

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