The Executive Vice Chairman/ Chief Executive (EVC) of the  National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Engr. Prof. Mohammed Sani Haruna has stated that the point of sail of all nations' economies is the introduction of Science, Technology and Innovation in  manufacturing or industrial economy, even as he noted that the difference between advanced and underdeveloped countries lies on the levels of technology acquisition and applications of that country towards nation building and or every day activities.

Prof. Mohammed Haruna was the reviewer of the book titled “Technology and Wealth of Nations written by Dr. Felix Oragwu, launched Thursday in Abuja at the NASENI  Technology Orientation Centre (TOC).

According to him, the 399 page book essentially was a veritable reference materials for policy makers, planners and development practitioners, as its contents established that Africa’s prolonged economic plights were caused by two fundamental challenges of absence of industrial economy and manufacturing economy, Technology and Innovation orientation.

 “The book, he said, traces Africa’s economic backwardness to its roots-a key problem that has kept our policy makers handicapped and our economies crippled”.

His words: “The author of the book thoughtfully and masterfully illustrated how colonial Europe excluded Technology Education in its over 50 years of colonization in Africa in order to perpetually channel raw materials from Africa and preferred to send aids to the colonies afterwards. 

The book holds that "Without the proper understanding of this economic plot, Africa will remain in the vicious circle of economic stagnation as it is now in over 50 years of post independence”.

He however stressed that the book is deep in its research and logical in its arguments and credible in its solutions and therefore it was recommended to Economic and Policy Planners and to all members of Engineering, Secondary Schools and Tertiary Institutions, Science and Technology family across Nigeria and Africa.

In his statement, the author of the book, Dr. Felix Oragwu said the book deals with the challenges of Science and Technology activities faced by Nigeria in Technology production and industrialization phase of Nigeria’s economy.

“Nigeria, we all know is the most populous and very well-endowed nation in Africa’s, south of Sahara. However Nigeria as at present, 2021, is yet to build the domestic endogenous capability and or capacity for the production and manufacturing of Technologies  to become globally competitive in terms of industrial goods in her own economy, both for domestic use and for export to the global World Market, to earn foreign currencies, and this is despite many institutions' involvement in Science and Technology locally.

The question, which the book is asking and answering, is why is it that Nigeria, after well over one hundred (100) years of S&T activities, starting from 1899 at Moor Plantation, Ibadan till date is still struggling to build the necessary domestic endogenous capability/capacity for Technologies and Industrial Goods production and manufacturing in her own economy”, he stated.