Dele Ogbodo in Abuja
The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, has proceeded on a four-day official visit to the Vatican City, Rome.
Mr. Sunny Onyeukwu, the Special Assistant to the minister, made the disclosure in a signed statement to the media on Monday in Abuja.
The statement read: “Onu will hold discussion with His Holiness, Pope Francis and other Vatican Authorities, on modalities for accelerating the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the effective take-off of the Assumpta Science Center, Ofekata, Owerri (ASCO) in Imo State.”
The Center, according to the statement, was conceived in 2011 by the Pontifical Council for Culture, Vatican City, with the aim of accelerating sustainable development and poverty alleviation through science and technological capacity building in Africa.
“It is a model educational innovation platform that would provide skill acquisition and capacity building options designed to attract young people to choose careers in science and technology.
“In its pursuit, the Federal Government of Nigeria represented by the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology in 2015 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Holy See, represented by the Pontifical Council for Culture, Vatican City.” the statement added.
