Why Professor Ndubuisi Ekekwe should be the next Minister of Science and Technology.

As we eagerly await the list of ministerial nominees from the presidency and their confirmation by the Ninth Assembly, it is imperative for us as a nation to have the orientation of fitting round pegs in round holes. The need for capacity, character and capability in each nominee cannot be overemphasized, as each person will be directly responsible for driving the development of the nation over the next two years or so. One ministry that is of particular interest to me among several others is the ministry of science of technology. We all know that for any nation to maximize her potential, the field of science and technology must take center stage. China, India, Singapore, Rwanda, to mention a few are vivid examples of nations whose stories have been turned around, and gone from the so called third world - poor or low income countries to high income nations with far better standards of living. Some of these nations have even broken into the highly regarded class of 'first world' countries and seriously threaten to upset the natural order of precedence we are familiar with among the comity of nations. Our strategy cannot be different if we must harness the potential of this nation's youthful population.
The time to place science and technology as the fulcrum of our national strategy can come at no better time! The urgent need for economic diversification, the rapid and effective response needed to tackle the twin menace of underemployment and unemployment and finding a way out of dire quandries such as insecurity, epileptic power supply and disease control are strong indicators that the time to give science and technology the long overdue precedence in Nigeria is now. Nigeria's science and technology sector is estimated to be worth over $100 billion in potential earnings and it is expected that this figure could rapidly expand not just over the nation but also throughout the continent. Therefore this ministry calls for an expert, a proven technocrat and not some political profiteer who gets an appointment due to the cronyism of political loyalist that are solely out for political gain. Neither should we make the mistake of 'filling in the gap' with the mere intention of satisfying the constitutional requirement of federal character. However, I have taken it upon myself to nominate a proven Nigerian with the needed expertise, exposure and insight to map out a solid blueprint for the ministry. My nominee goes by the name, Professor Ndubisi Ekekwe.

Why Ndubuisi Ekekwe?

Before, I begin to provide answers to this question , I would like to give a brief introduction about the man Ndubuisi Ekekwe.
Ndubusi Ekekwe was born in July 1975. He hails from Ovim, Abia state. He is a Nigerian professor, inventor, engineer, author and entrepreneur. He is the founder of the First Atlantic Semiconductor and Micro-electronics, West Africa's leading embedded systems company. His credentials include a period spent with Analog Devices Corp. where he co-designed a new generation accelerometer for the IPhone and created the company's first water-level chip package for inertial sensors. He is a major player in the United States semiconductor industry where he develops innovative microchips and invented a microcontroller for medical robots.
Ekekwe, has served with the United States National Science Foundation on the Engineering Research Center E& committee. Ekekewe is also a co-chairman of JPL financial group, a California based financial advisory firm which syndicates capital for projects in Africa. As the founder of African Institution of Technology, he facilitates the provision of practical education support, encourages the enactment of technology policies and facilitates bottom-up creativity of technology emanating from African economies.
Therefore, in answering the question above, I have decided to pen down the rational behind his nomination by me (if it is not obvious by now that is).

(1) Next level : The next level agenda is said to be anchored on diversification, that will be fostered by improving the nation's agricultural sector and providing an enabling environment for our entrepreneurs. To achieve this, science and technology must play a crucial role. Prof. Ekekwe is the founder of Zenvus, a Nigerian precision farming startup which measures and analyzes soil data like temperature, nutrients and vegetative health to help farmers apply the right fertilizer and optimally irrigate their farms. Zenvus improves farm productivity and reduces wastes by using analytics to facilitate data-driven farming practices. This fits neatly as a solution to the herculean task facing the present administration, namely the need to make the agricultural industry attractive to our teeming youth. Startups like Zenvus offer the way out, and what other man would you want championing this cause other than one presently making headway along the course?
In addition to this, Prof. Ekekwe sits as selection board member of the Tony Elumelu entrepreneurship programme, where he screens various enterprising ideas. Furthermore, he sits on the board of several Nigerian startups. His work with Apple and other multinational corporations both locally and internationally affords him the technical know-how of tech finance, business innovation and entrepreneurship. Judging from the standpoint of his experience in the corporate and entrepreneurial spheres, I am confident that he knows what to look for in enterprising young people, he understands their pain, and he certainly knows what big corporations seek in a nation that will attract investment. Should he be named minister of science and technology, he will offer first hand advise to other ministries, such as the ministry of labour and productivity, the ministry of finance and so on, and help to reshape our social investment programs like N-power for better and far-reaching performance.

(2) Laying the Foundation: As we build into the future, it is imperative that we lay a solid foundation for students in tertiary institutions and secondary schools. Professor Ekekwe has lectured at the Federal University of Technology Owerri, and other globally renowned institutions like John Hopkins University. He also writes for Harvard Business Journal and his blog - tekedia.com is serving as a vehicle of education and enlightenment to young people across the globe. Being the minister of a pivotal and pertinent government agency like the ministry of science and technology puts him in a position where he could work and synergize effectively with the ministry of education. Out of this solid partnership, driven not by charlatans but seasoned technocrats, a solid blueprint that will revamp our dead institutions of Technology, setting them on a course to maximize the pool of academically and technically talented students that the pass through the Nigerian educational system yearly. He has seen what first world nation student exposure looks like, and juxtaposing this with his knowledge of the Nigerian student which he has from once being a lecturer in Nigeria, I believe he is poised to help the Nigerian education system make that leap of progress towards innovation, development and global relevance.

(3) Political Calculation: Given the nature of the Nigerian sociopolitical landscape, we cannot but put this into consideration. He hails for eastern Nigeria, where the APC government is very unpopular. The first term of this administration left the easterners with a feeling of "We do not matter". Enstruting one of her sons with this important portfolio will showcase the President's goodwill and of course truly fulfill in however little a measure that he is indeed for everybody and for nobody.

I, sincerely hope to see capable names like that of Professor Ndubisi Ekekwe on the list that will be sent to the Ninth Assembly for confirmation.

Thank you.
May God bless you and may He continually bless the Federal republic of Nigeria.

Adewumi Adedeji
Writes from Lagos, Nigeria.
08082790452.
Dejijupiter@gmail.com
#ThePresident'sDiary.

This bet9ja people self something must really wrong with you.

In Biafra ba ?