Prof. Mosto Onuoha, the new President, Nigerian Academy of Science (NAS), on Friday called on the National Assembly to pass the Academy’s Bill, which had been pending for the past eight years.
Onuoha made the call during his investiture as the academy’s new president at its Annual General Meeting in Lagos.
The bill for an Act to establish the Nigerian Academy of Science had five years ago scaled second reading at the seventh Assembly of the House of Representatives.
After scaling the second reading, the bill has been stalled at the National Assembly.
The Bill is to promote science development and dissemination of scientific knowledge.
It also seeks to establish a law for the academy in line with international standard and to make the academy chartered.
Onuoha said passage of the NAS Bill to law was the only way the relevance of the academy could be felt in the nation’s space.
According to him, the academy of science, which was established on Jan. 18, 1977 as an association of Nigeria’s foremost scientists, has been trying to discharge its duty with passion and integrity.
He said that the academy had fought so hard for government to recognise its usefulness to the society and nation at large.
“Over the years, exactly eight years ago to be precise, the academy has been in pursuit of this bill and up till now there is no headway.
“If this bill is passed into law, it will give the academy the will power to promote the growth and acquisition of scientific knowledge as solution to problems of national interest,’’ the new president said.
Onuoha further urged academy’s fellows to be more proactive members of the association, saying that with its present membership of 221 scientists, the academy’s impact could be felt.
He disclosed that the academy would be launching a research and development endowment grant which would require funds.
The NAS president added that this could not be actualised without the help of the academy’s fellows.
“The academy’s objectives are to offer evidence-based scientific advice for policy making and if members are not proactive, the association will not be taken seriously.
“Members should make sure that the vision of the academy is maintained so that it would be relevant to the society,’’ he said.
Onuoha said that in spite of the academy’s achievements, there was still a lot to be done in the science arena.
He listed some of the academy’s constraints to include: funding, manpower training, constant fellowship programmes, and playing active roles in government’s selection of post graduate scholarship.
Others constraints, he said, were lack of private and public sector collaboration, and inadequate assistance to universities in research and development matters.
Onuoha is the 18th NAS President and takes over from Prof. Oyewale Tomori.
