The Minister of State for Science and Technology, Dr. Alhassan Bako Zaku has identified the dearth of personnel in science-related courses as a major setback to technological advancement.

Dr. Zaku stated this when he visited the Nigerian Institute of Science Laboratory Technology (NIST) in Ibadan recently.
The minister, who stressed the need for students to study science-related courses, urged the institute to devise means of motivating and attracting new members into the institute.
His words: "I don’t know whether there is anything the institute can do to ensure that more people become interested in science laboratory technology because we know we need the services of your members.

I am aware also of the fact that quite a number of people are afraid to take this course as the Federal rating is high. In many schools, it is not only that they do not do the course, they do not even have the equipment or even personnel. This affects all of us as it would not be good for people to send their children to a school where they would be no body to teach them."
To aid the development of science and technology in the country, he said his ministry would provide funding and policy support to the institute.

Earlier in his presentation, the Director General of the Institute, Dr. Ighodalo Ijagbone, had drawn the minister’s attention to the challenges facing the institute. His words: "In the area of infrastructure, the state of science laboratories in our educational institutions and research institute has been of great concern and frustration. It would be an understatement if I state that science education and research no longer hold in our laboratories because of non-availability of necessary equipment and reagents."

"Most of the equipment acquired over 20 years ago are now obsolete or totally broken down and as a result are not functioning. They are no longer in tune with modern technological innovation."
He explained that the institute is making efforts to reverse the trend through a pilot project tagged, National Inventory Science Equipment Project’ (NISEP). According to him, the project entails taking the inventory and auditing of science equipment and other facilities in institutional and research laboratories across the country, adding that it would serve as the institute’s strategic intervention in addressing the problem of infrastructure and human capacity building in the sub-sector.
The director added that the institute was building a multipurpose science laboratory in line with the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology’s Peer Review committee’s report on parastatals in 2006.
He disclosed that the laboratory, when commissioned, would be used as service training, research and reference centre in fulfillment of the institute’s mandate.

He observed that if the right infrastructure and manpower resources were developed and provided, science and technology would have a bright future.

The director also explained that the institute, in collaboration with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), carries out periodic inspection and accreditation of science laboratory technology programmes in polytechnics and allied institutions.