Mentoring Young Scientists in Africa for Innovative Application Of Bioresources R

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Mentoring Young Scientists in Africa for
Innovative Application Of Bioresources R
D to create Bioenterprises A case study of
Bioresources Development Centre in Niger Delta
Region of Nigeria.

• By
• PETER C. EKWEOZOH,ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
• DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICAL LIFE SCIENCES
• FEDERAL MINISTRY OF SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY
• SHEHU SHAGARI WAY, ABUJA
• FCT NIGERIA Email pekweozoh_at_yahoo.com
• Tel
  234-8033156142 234-9-4822057

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BACKGROUND

• Africas biodiversity and natural resources are
  critical to alleviating poverty, ensuring
  food security, fostering industrial innovation
  and developing new products which provide life
  support system as well as maintain healthy
  environment.
• Bio-industry today is a crucial basis for
  national economic development and global
  competitiveness and African countries can utilize
  their bioresources endowment as seed capital in
  building a sustainable basis for national
  development. For example, medicine from wild
  products generates some 40 billion each year
  while nature tourism generates 12 billion
  worldwide in annual revenues (Nigeria National
  Biodiversity strategy and action plan by Federal
  Ministry of Environment Abuja Nigeria. ).
• In view of the above, the Nigerian Federal
  Ministry of Science and Technology (FMST) under
  Prof. Turner T. Isoun (my mentor) created
  mentoring friendly environment by providing the
  legal and policy framework for innovative
  application of Bioresources R D which gave rise
  to the establishment of National Biotechnology
  Development Agency (NABDA) and Bioresources
  Development Centre (BioDec), Odi.

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PROJECT OBJECTIVES

• To promote and provide appropriate environment
  for mentoring Young researchers on innovative
  application of bioresources R D to create
  bioenterprises.
• Project Conception is premised on knowledge -
  based development, conservation and utilization
  of bioresources potentials of Niger Delta Region.
• To serve as economic enhancement project and
  improve skills for various MSMEs.
• PROJECTS
• The following projects are ongoing,viz
• Fishery, Grass cutter rearing, Mushroom
  production, Snailery apiary, Fruits production,
  Tissue culture, etc
• The Future expansion of projects would evolve
  complexes, viz-

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• Agrobiotech, Industrial park, ICT, Multipurpose
  Administrative Block, Sports/recreation,
  Biotourism, and Niger Delta Institute for
  Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development
  (NDIIED).
• Programmes of the Centre are
• R D
• Teaching
• Incubation
• Outreach
• Entrepreneurship
• Packaging Microfinance
• Tourism
• Project Deliverables
• Employment generation
• Wealth creation
• Poverty alleviation
• Food security guarantee
• Promotion of research - industry linkage etc
  among others.
• Operational strategy involves

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• LINKAGE/COLLABORATION PARTNERS
• THE Federal Ministry of Science and Technology
• Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency
  of
• Nigeria (SMEDAN)
• SHELL Petroleum Development Company
• Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC)
• Banks
• Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)
• National Directorate of Employment(NDE),etc.
• Conclusion
• Africa is indeed in dire need of critical mass of
  Role models or Mentors in the various fields of
  Science and Technology.
• Thus mentoring Young Scientists to attain the
  desired critical mass requires a
  mentoring-friendly environment with the requisite
  attributes.
• The project is therefore aimed at attaining the
  desired goals through innovative and sustainable
  application of Bioresources research and
  development by Young Scientists in a mentoring
  environment to obtain clusters of Bioenterprises.

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MUSHROOM PRODUCTION
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SNAILERY
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FUTURE VIEW OF THE PROJECT