How the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology (FMST) was established

In 1958, the first President of Ghana, Dr Kwame Nkruma, at his Inaugural Address, at Ghana’s Independence Day, publicly announced that *without the domestic capacity, for the production, of Technologies, and the manufacture of globally competitive Industrial Goods in Ghana’s Economy, then the Independence of Ghana is meaningless*. The first thing Ghana Government did after this Presidential Proclamation was, to establish Ghana’s Science and Technology Council for the Technology and Industrialization of Ghana. On October 1,1960, at the Inaugural Independence Address of Nigeria’s Independence from British Colonial Rule, the Nigeria’s Executive Prime Minister, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa, did not mention a Word, about the Role of Science and Technology Activities in Nigeria’s Economy nor what Science and Technology can do to safeguard Nigeria’s Independence. Far away in India in 1948 Pandit Neru, the Prime Minister of India at his Inaugural Independence Address to India National Parliament stated as follows, namely *the Progress towards practical realization of Independence and a Welfare State differs vividly from country to country in direct relation to the Effort and Resources applied to the Science and Technology Activities for Development*

What really is the Make-up Science and Technology (S&T) Activities for Development? The S&T Activities for Development of Nations, consists of the following, namely,

• Science and Technology Education to acquire Scientific knowledge,
•  Scientific and Technological Research to acquire Scientific knowledge,
• Technology Development, Production and Manufacture,
• Technology Innovation, that is modification, upgrading of existing Technologies to become a new or improved Technology to perform new Functions, for instance the new 5G Technology is a modification or upgrading of 4G Technology to perform new Functions, and
• The Associated professional Consulting and Technological Services in the Economy.

The Question which arises in the case of Nigeria, is, Are the above Activities really taking place in Nigeria by Nigerians?,  Is Nigeria now producing and exporting Technologies and globally competitive Industrial Goods to the global World Market, to earn Foreign Currency, as India is now doing?

On Record, Nigeria has well over 100 Universities, each with Faculties of Science, Engineering and Technology, as well as over 25 Research and Development (R&D) Institution and Agencies, all operating in Nigeria’s Economy. My Current Book, titled, *Technology and Wealth of Nations * (African Experience, 1899-1999) launched at Abuja, 02/09/2021, asked these Questions by providing a Functional Blueprint for Technology Education and Industrialization of the Nigeria’s Economy.  

In 1966, following Nigeria’s Military intervention in Politics, and the emergence of Army General Aguyi Ironsi, as a Military Head of State of Nigeria, the First Public Statement of General Ironsi Military Administration January 15, 1966-July 29,1966, was a public Proclamation for the immediate Establishment in Nigeria’s Economy of a Governing Council for Science and Technology (NGCST), to address Technology Education, Technology Production, and Industrialization of Nigeria. The NGCST the Flagship for this Task, could not however be physically established before July 29,1966, because of the over- throw of General Ironsi Military Administration of January 15 -July 29, 1966, and the subsequent Nigeria- Biafra Civil War of 1967-1970.

In April 1970, after the end of the Nigeria- Biafra Civil War of 1967-1970, the General Yakubu Gowon Military Administration of January ,1970- July 29, 1975, re-established the NGCST but renamed it *Nigeria Council for Science and Technology* (NCST), but expanded its Membership to 35, namely 12 Scientists covering the disciplines of Science and Technology, 12 States Government Representatives (Nigeria was then restructured into , 12 States) , and Eleven Permanent Secretaries, representing the Ministries of Agriculture, Works and Housing, Industry and Trade, Education, Health, etc. The NCST was established as a Department in the Federal Cabinet Office, Lagos, of General Yakubu Gowon Administration of 1970- July 29, 1975, to give it high Visibility in the Governance of Nigeria.

In 1972, the General Yakubu Gowon Administration directed the University Governing Council of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), where I was an Academic/ Lecturer in Physics, to second my poor self (Felix. N.C. Oragwu, FSAN), to the Federal Cabinet Office in Lagos for two years, in the first instance, to assist in establishing the NCST. This demand by General Gowon Military Administration must been from Intelligence, because during the Nigeria-Biafra Civil War, 1967-1970, I served as the Head of Research and Technology Development (R&D) Planning Division / Coordinator of Technological Services in the now defunct /dead State of Biafra. I was appointed Principal Scientific Secretary to the NCST in 1972 and in 1974, appointed Chief Scientist (equivalent to the Salary of Associate Professor in the University to reflect my position in the University or Deputy Director in the then Nigeria’s Federal Civil Service Grading. So, I entered the Federal Civil Service at a very High Policy Making Level.  

Regrettably, the NCST began to operate as an Academic Debating Society perpetually debating on what Role Science and Technology can play in the Governance of Nigeria, except for general Scientific Services in the Economy such as Agricultural research services, Road/ Railway Construction and Repair Services  and Mineral Survey Services etc. as well defined and set up by Lord Fredrick Lugard, the First Governor General of Nigeria, 1914 -1918, as indicated by his Book, titled *The Dual Mandate of Europe in Tropical Africa *, London, 4^th Edition, 1929. In that Dual Europe’s Mandate, Britain is not required *to promote Technology Education nor Technology production nor Industrial Goods production/ manufacture in Nigeria’s Domestic Economy. That is also the Reason why the University College, Ibadan (UCI) Nigeria Premier University, 1948-1962, set up for Nigeria by Britain, operated as a Classical University, like Oxford University in England, which never offered Courses in core Physical Sciences (the mother of Technology), Engineering Sciences, and professional / industrial Courses, but offered profusely Courses in Biological / Agricultural Sciences, Humanities, Latin and Greek and English Language and Literature up to at least, 1960. Everything was done by Britain to ensure that there was no Technology Education nor Industrialization in Nigeria, throughout the Period of British Colonial Rule and even after Colonial Rule. The NCST lost track of its Mandate of Technology and Industrialization of Nigeria’s Economy and was allowed to die a natural Death.

For more Details, one may wish to visit my Website Blog, Technogeria.ng (Technology in the Defense of Nationhood) or my recent Book, titled *Technology and Wealth of Nations*(African Experience, 1899-1999). This Strategy of Nigeria’s Administration continued after 1960, explains why Nigeria has, up to today, not been able to develop / build the domestic capability and or capacity to produce and manufacture Technologies of production and services and the manufacture of industrial Goods (Capital. Processed Food items and industrial materials) in Nigeria’s Economy both for Nigeria’s domestic Use and for Export to the World Global Market to earn Foreign Currency to set up Nigeria on Industrialization path.

In the Effort, following the Failure of NCST Mandate, to build the domestic Capability/ Capacity to produce Technologies in Nigeria’s domestic Economy, the emergent General Obasanjo / Brigadier General Shehu YarAdua Administration, of July 1976-September 1979, established a *National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA)* and located it in the Federal Cabinet Office, Lagos, to serve as a major Instrument for Technology Production and Industrial Goods Manufacture in Nigeria’s Economy, and appointed my poor self (Felix. N.C. Oragwu) as the Pioneer Director of NSTDA.  

When Alhaji Shehu Shagari  / Dr Alex Ekwueme Civilian Administration came into being on October  1979, again as a Recurring Decimal in this Technology and Industrialization matter of Nigeria’s Economy, in my Hand Over Note to a new Administration, I advised  the Alhaji Shehu Shagari / Alex Ekwueme Administration, to tackle Technology and Industrialization of Nigeria’s Economy through the Establishment of  Special Universities of Technology and to create a Federal Ministry of Technology (FMST) to control them, away from the Federal Ministry of Education which controls NUC, which in turn control the Conventional Universities.  My Advice was warmly accepted, and the Alhaji Shehu Shagari / Dr Alex Ekwueme Administration, which established four Federal Universities of Technology, namely, Federal Universities of Technology, (FUT) Owerri, Imo state, in 1982, FUT Makurdi, Benue State in 1982, FUT, Yola, Gongola, North Central State, in 1982, and FUT Abeokuta, Ogun State in 1983, respectively. The Shagari / Ekwueme Administration appointed my poor self (Felix N.C. Oragwu), to serve as Member of all the four Governing Councils of the four FUTs, in order, to advise the Governing Councils of what the Federal Universities of Technology, are all about.

The National University Commission (NUC) under the Federal Ministry of Education, was responsible for University Education Policy but for the purposes of FUTs, the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology (FMST) shared that Policy Responsibility with NUC and that is why I was appointed Member of all the Council of the FUTs, to ensure the implementation of this Technology Development/ Production/ Industrial Goods manufacturing Policy.

However, with the departure of Alhaji Shehu Shagari / Dr Alex Ekwueme Administration, the Concept / Mandate of the four FUTs were abandoned by the subsequent Administrations, that came in after 1984. For example, the FUT Abeokuta, and the FUT Makurdi were converted into the Federal Universities of Agriculture, FUT, Owerri in Imo State retains its title, FUT, but began to operate as Conventional University, while the FUT, Yola was merged with the Conventional Federal University of Maiduguri. So that ends Nigeria’s Effort/ Experiment of Technology Education and Industrialization of Nigeria’s Economy.

In July 1986, I was raised from the Post of Director on old GL 16 (equivalent of University Professor), to that of Federal Permanent Secretary on GL 17, on *Special Merit* possibly as a Recognition of my Service to my Country, and following my meritorious Retirement in December 1987, I was appointed Chairman of PRODA at Enugu, from 1989-1994. Thereafter I went into Technology Development Consultancy Services to UN Field Agencies (UNECA Addis Ababa, UNDP and UNIDO Vienna) respectively, and Commonwealth Science Council (CSC) London of UK of Great Britain.   

My Friend and Colleague at Biafra Technology Development Experience of 1967-1970, Professor Gordian O. Ezekwe, a leading Mechanical Engineer with specialization in Power Equipment  and who also retired as Director of PRODA, Enugu in 1989, was appointed the Honorable Federal Minister of Science and Technology by General Babangida Administration. Following this Development,  two of us exchanged Views on our journey to Technology and Industrialization of Nigeria’s Economy and having considered Notes / having a look at the Experience of South Korea, we agreed that the best Route for Nigeria’s sustainable and global World competitive Industrial Economy, is through the development of a well-funded Nigeria National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure  (NASENI), which General Babangida Administration warmly accepted and got implemented, before General Babangida Administration left  Office in1993 .

The present Vice Chairman / CEO of NASENI (Professor M.S. Haruna, is on the True Tract for the Mandate of NASENI, but needs, in my View robust Government Support and more Financial / Equipment / Technological / Technical Staff Support, for him to succeed, so that Nigeria can address her technological underdevelopment, Poverty, Joblessness, and related Insecurity. This my present intervention is really to serve as an Information and Public Enlightenment of the generality of the Nigerians as I believe I have written enough on this Issue of Science and Technology Activities for Development and Industrialization of Nigeria.

For more details, view my two prominent Books, titled, Technology and Wealth of Nations (African Experience1899-1999) launched at Abuja, 2nd Sept 2021 or my earlier Book of 1978, titled *Scientific and Technological Innovations in Biafra: The Ogbunigwe Technology Fame, 1967-1970*, Second Edition, 2017, relevant Chapters being Chapter I, V, VI, and VII, respectively.

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