The National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) has commenced the launch of its Technology Storyboard Initiative that is aimed at exposing primary and secondary students on how technologies are developed.
Speaking at the North West Zonal launch of the initiative in Katsina, the Minister of State for Science and Technology, Barrister Mohammed Abdullahi said the technology storyboard initiative was a step by step pictorial presentation of production processes of goods to enable students understand the processes undergone from the raw material to the finished product.
The North West zone comprised of Kano, Kaduna, Kebbi, Zamfara, Sokoto, Jigawa and Katsina States.
Abdullahi explained that the idea was for children at that level to go through these production processes on daily bases to develop the technology culture and at the same time grow an unflinching desire to study science courses.
He urged Ministries of Education at both State and Local Government levels to key into the initiatives and ensure that all the primary and secondary school students are exposed to the technology storyboard project in order to demystify science and technology at the earlier stage of their lives.
He noted that Nigeria is endowed with abundant human and material resources that could launch her into a globally recognized player in the field of Science and Technology sector but requires collaborative efforts among the National Innovation Systems to actualize the vision.
The Governor of Katsina State, Aminu Masari who was represented at the event by Commissioner of Science Technology and Innovation, Hon. Rabe Nasir said Katsina State was ready and willing to embrace any developmental initiative by the Federal Government through its agencies.
He stated that the technology storyboard initiative was a very vital teaching aid that could propel technology growth in the country and should be supported by all State governments.
The Governor said Nigeria had depended for so long on technologies coming from the western world, adding that the TSB initiative will make teaching and learning of production processes easy and as such, stimulate the interests of the students on Science courses. He added that what NOTAP was doing through human capacity building was better than building roads.
He said Nigerians should be aware that we are fighting against some unseen forces in terms of technological development but added that NOTAP had brought good news that will definitely change the psyche of our children to begin to cherish science subjects.
Earlier, the Director General of NOTAP, Dr. DanAzumi Ibrahim said NOTAP was established to regulate the inflow of foreign technology and at the same time, promote and encourage the development of indigenous technology.
He disclosed that NOTAP in collaboration with some multinational companies operating in the country, seventeen different step by step production processes from raw material to the finished products have been developed to be distributed to primary and secondary schools across the country to aid teaching and learning of Science subjects.
He further stated that the storybook is meant to tell our students what happens between raw material and finished product.
According to him, Nigerians knows Soya beans and they also know maggi which is used by every family for preparing food.
He added that the idea behind TSB is for students to know and appreciate what happens between soya beans and magi.
