‘Nigeria needs technology-based planning to achieve developmental goals’

as Utomi, Sanni, Sotunmbi speak at Maduka’s 80th birthday lecture

The need for Nigeria, as the largest economy in Africa, to urgently adopt a more robust technology-based planning in order to compete favourably among the comity of nations, has again been stressed.

Industry watchers observe that the nation over the years had only focused on economy-based planning rather than explore the huge potential inherent in technology-based planning.

Sikiru Sanni, a professor of Chemical Engineering from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, made the observation while speaking at the 80th birthday lecture of Vincent Maduka in Lagos, Monday.

Dignitaries attended the lecture, titled ‘Communication, Technology and Leadership Scorecard and the Future of Nigeria in the Global Arena,’ from all walks of life.

“Nigeria cannot develop as a nation until it starts to practise the culture of technology,” Sanni stressed.

The university don, in his lecture, ‘Failed Partnership and Misplaced Priority in Technology Education in Nigeria,’ observed that the nation’s universities were still producing ill-equipped and half-baked graduates in specialised fields like engineering, who were not competent enough to contribute to the development of the country.

The challenge facing the country stems from the inability of the managers of the various systems of government to prioritise the problems identified and work out possible solution that would move the nation forward, he said.

According to him, the non-implementation of the policy of technology education had led to the rot being experienced in Nigeria’s universities, nowadays.

Pat Utomi, founder, Centre for Values in Leadership (CVL), who spoke on ‘Leadership, Change and Progress,’ advocated a democratisation of influence in leadership, stressing that until the country’s leadership moved away from the negative use of power, it would not achieve the desired development.

He observed that leaders who make the greatest impact were those who embrace humility and simplicity in their service to humanity, saying it was such attributes that endeared him to the celebrant, Vincent Maduka, who he noted was not “too loud” despite his great achievements in life. “Great corporate leaders go unnoticed. It does not have to be loud to be effective,” he said.

Earlier, Biodun Sotunmbi, an associate senior lecturer in Broadcast Journalism and Broadcast Management, Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo State, traced the origin of broadcasting in the country, recalling some of the roles Maduka had played in the advancement of the broadcast journalism.

Speaking on ‘Television Journalism Education and Practice,’ he observed that over the years, television had helped deepened democracy, stressing that education and training were life-long processes.