The Science Laboratory built by NOTAP

To nurture young talents in Research and Development (R&D), the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) has built and donated a Model Chemistry Laboratory Project for Secondary Schools in Katsina State

Commissioning the project located in Government Science Secondary School Batagarawa in Batagarawa Local Government Council, Governor Aminu Bello Masari  of Katsina State said the laboratory will add value to the scientific and technological development of the State.

The Executive Governor who was represented by the Commissioner for Science, Technology and Innovation of the State, Engineer Mustapha Kanti Bello said the State Government is leaving no stone unturned in its quest to harness its scientific and technological potentials through research and application in order to address the challenges facing the State.

Governor Masari pointed out that the State Government in November 2019 upgraded the Department of Science and Technology to a full fledged Ministry to enhanced research coordination, adding that his government has also set up the Katsina Science and Technical Education Board under the Ministry for better service delivery to the citizens in the area of Science Education, Technology and Innovation.

The Governor expressed optimism that the quality of equipment in the laboratory will add value to the scientific enterprise of both the teaching staff and students of the institution as well as the state in general.

Speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary Katsina State Science and Technical

Education Board Alh. Lawal Bosa represented by the Director of Science at the Board, Abdullahi Tsigi assured NOTAP that the equipment in the laboratory would be well utilised  for scientific researches that would help solve the challenges facing the State.

In his remarks, the Director General NOTAP, Dr. DanAzumi Mohammed Ibrahim who was represented by the Director Consultancy Services department of NOTAP Dr. Adamu Abu Tandama said the project was conceptualized to build the capacity of young Nigerians to create home grown technologies.

Dr Ibrahim, in statement signed by Mr Solomon D. Nshem, Head, Press and Public Relation of NOTAP said with the completion of the Laboratory, science students from the school will not only excel in their NECO, WAEC and JAMB examinations but will become top-notch researchers of the future.

He added that the project is meant to arouse the interest of Secondary School students to undertake science subjects and also encourage science teachers to have access to modern equipment that will simplify science education to the students through practical.

Dr. Ibrahim who revealed that the project cost the agency about 15 million naira, also said the laboratory if well utilized will help to build the nation’s future science technologists that will embark on demand driven research for the much-desired scientific development of the nation.

The statement hinted that the project commenced in 2021 but only  Katsina, Bauchi and Anambra States are being considered under this year’s budgetary provision, noting that Katsina State is the first State to benefit from the NOTAP Model Chemistry Laboratory Upgrade Projects.