A former Minister of Power, Professor Barth Nnaji, has advocated for more teachers in arithmetic and other core science subjects at the primary school level as a strategy for the country to advance in science and technology.

Nnaji told journalists in Enugu that “the country is not getting it right on its pursuit for advancement in science and technology.”

The former minister, who was speaking on the low capacity of the country to produce artisans, technicians, technologists and scientists, said if well trained, they could invent things to solve local technical or engineering challenges.

He said although the educational system had gone bad, there were a few states making efforts to revamp the educational sector in their states.

“In primary school, this is where the whole thing starts; you need to have teachers that can read and write and do arithmetic properly and not teachers that will be teaching children incorrect grammar.

“I can tell you that the ugly development is like the prevailing situation now in many state schools. This needs to be corrected.

“In teachers training colleges, many of the teachers and people who go there somehow think coming out with certificate is all they need and not learning about teaching,” he said.

Nnaji, who is a Professor of Robotic Engineering and Physics, said that a typical Nigerian child has high intelligent quotient but the process of impacting the knowledge had been a problem over the years.

“It centres on teaching and how we impact this knowledge and motivate these children to think, dream and practically use the ideals they have in their heads,” he said.

Nnaji, also seized the occasion to urge young Nigerians to key into software development as means of creating jobs in the country.

The minister noted that the global and expanding software development market was worth billions of dollars.

He said that presently, the whole world was focusing on computer software programmes to facilitate workloads and procedures with less human interference.

He pointed out that developing software required less money and simple tools to start up such as computer or laptop.

“Many governments, corporate bodies, organisations and individuals are currently switching over into customised software operations for their businesses and engagements.

“The whole world is galloping away out there in software engineering based on sound knowledge of science.

“By the way, this is an area our young ones can do creditably. This is so because it does not cost much to set up some of these things.

“Just need your computer and internet connection, then, you are on,” he said.

Nnaji urged youths to think outside the box by looking towards science and technology to create jobs and “a clean living for themselves.”

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