More facts are still emerging, suggesting real traces of similarity of purposes and near duplication of development processes than synergies that can lead to effective merger of both ministries of Science/Technology and Communications.
Whereas Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu is the Minister of Science/Tech, Barr Adebayo Shittu heads the Ministry of Communications.
Business Hilights Intelligence Unit (BHIU), an arm of Business Hilights publications, had last year disclosed in a report that both ministries should either be merged or let one give way for the other in order to have a clear industry development focus than allowing the two to run parallel only to be clashing in development ideas and duplication of costly ventures.
For instance, the Minister Communications had last year called for the establishment of ICT Bank to drive funding availability for technological innovations and specialised industry funding.
According to Shittu, the idea is still in the pipeline.
As if that was not enough, the same Shittu began another failed campaign for the establishment of ICT University where technological innovations and communications developments would be taught, but the idea died at the Senate when it was thrown out on ground of unnecessary duplication of institutions when every higher institution in Nigeria has an ICT faculty.
Shittu had secured massive land for the school at different states including Enugu State with the aim of flagging off the university from the base of Digital Bridge Institute (DBI).
Only weekend, the minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, while listening to presentations by some student inventors and innovators at the ongoing 1st International Workshop on Science Parks and Innovation Eco-system for National Development on Friday at University of Nigeria, Nsukka, said again, that the federal government is working toward establishing specialised bank to assist innovators and entrepreneurs in science and technology ventures.
The four-day workshop, which started on February 21, was organised by UNN; Ideon Science Park, Sweden and LundaVision AB, Sweden.
In attendance were over 100 lecturers from across Nigerian and African universities, including investors.
According to Dr. Onu, the delay in setting up the specialised bank was due to the earlier economic recession in the country, noting that the bank should have taken off by now “but we had a challenge of recession and accompanying paucity of funds”.
“But I believe that with the picking up of the economy and other economic activities now; I believe it would not be long it would be a reality.
“Talks were in progress with stakeholders and government partners on the specialised bank project.”
Though it was not yet clear if both Shittu’s idea for the bank is running on the same page with what Dr. Onu is also driving at, he said with the coming on stream of the bank, funding issue for innovations, science and technology ventures, as well as to an extend science researches meant to solve societal challenges, would be taken care of.
But banking pundits say the challenge of the nation’s business and industrial activities is not necessarily about the financial institutions in the country, but the need to change the mindset of existing banks in giving services capable driving growth in every sector of the economy.
BHIU reports that since the takeoff Nigeria Development Bank (NDB), sometime last year by the government, not much had been heard about its performance and relevance, even though government had injected takeoff capital.
