The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, says the ministry is working for the realisation of the Federal Government’s vision of taking about 100 million Nigerians out of poverty.
The minister said this at the Annual Population Lecture Series (APLS), organised by the National Population Commission (NPC) on Tuesday in Abuja.
Onu, who was represented by Mr Anthony Fagbore, an official from the ministry, said that the ministry had designed a roadmap aimed at making the vision feasible.
He said that with the National Science and Technology Roadmap 2030, jobs would be created in the country, thereby enhancing self sufficiency.
Onu also said that the ministry would tap into Executive Order 5 by President Muhammadu Buhari to promote local content.
According to him, textile industries will be revived to engender economic empowerment, thereby moving Nigeria from being a developing nation to developed one.
Also speaking, Dr Ejike Orji, Chairman, Association for the Advancement of Family Planning (AAFP), called for efforts to transform a higher percentage of the Nigerian population to asset.
Orji noted that the high rate of emigration in the country was a demonstration of demographic crisis which required urgent attention.
He commended Buhari for giving population utmost attention and also urged the National Population Commission to quickly conduct a census. (NAN)