Aminu Jaji, the Chairman of the Committee, affirmed this commitment during their inaugural meeting in Abuja.
Jaji emphasized the need to assess ecological challenges across all 36 states before disbursing funds, aiming to put an end to the misuse of ecological projects for personal gain.
Furthermore, the Committee, under the leadership of Hon. Julius Pondi, who also chairs the Committee on the environment, plans to collaborate with various stakeholders, including technocrats, to effectively address ecological challenges such as desertification in the north and erosion in the southeast.
In a separate development, the House of Representatives has announced its intention to oversee the proper utilization of funds from international partners and donor agencies for the advancement of science and technology in Nigeria. Hon. Dachung Musa Bagos, Chairman of the House Committee on Science and Technology, revealed this during the committee’s inaugural meeting in Abuja.
He said, “Our committee will assess intervention needs and the utilization of funds from international partners, donor agencies, and grantees in the STI sector. We will work to ensure improved utilization of grants for the sector’s benefit.”
Giving details of the committee’s work, Bagos said, “We will engage with relevant stakeholders, including the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology, agencies under the ministry, and Nigerian experts in STI living in the diaspora. These sessions will help us identify areas of legislative intervention and enhance our oversight functions.
“Through oversight visits, we will ascertain compliance and implementation levels of the 2023 Appropriation Act, ensuring prudent utilization of resources allocated to the ministry and its agencies”
“We will engage MDAs under the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology in discussions about policies, programs, and budgets needed to boost the STI sector. Proper funding from budgetary allocations will be our focus.
“A study tour will be organized to learn from the legislative committees on STI in select nations, aiming to enhance our knowledge and apply international best practices in maximizing Nigeria’s STI potential.
“We will host a retreat bringing together major stakeholders in STIs to synergize on tapping the vast STI potentials for economic diversification and national development.
“Initiatives will be developed to discourage brain drain and utilize the potentials of Nigerian youths in the STI sector for national development.
“Visits to science and technical secondary and tertiary institutions will be conducted to encourage innovation, identify areas of special needs, and facilitate legislative interventions,” he concluded,
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