Francis Ogbuagu 
The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, yesterday, inaugurated Prof. Kessington Obahiagbon- led Edo State Science, Technology and Innovation Committee with a charge to develop a strategy that will make the state a hub for science, technology and innovation in the country. Obaseki, while inaugurating the committee at the Government House, Benin, the state capital, said that the move was part of the government’s efforts to drive growth in various sectors of the state leveraging on technology.
He said: “As you are all aware, today’s world is about technology and any state or government that fails to take advantage of scientific development and information will be left in the dark. “The COVID-19 pandemic era has shown that technology is important for any state that wishes to survive the dislocations brought by the pandemic.
“We are lucky, blessed, and fortunate to be affiliated with experts and leaders in the area of proliferating science and technology. We felt these people should be put together as a group to help us articulate, very clearly, the direction we should be going in terms of building a new scientific and technological society.” Obaseki listed some of the terms of reference of the committee to include helping the state to draft a policy on science, technology and innovation as stipulated in the National Policy of Science, Technology and innovation.
