Oghenevwede Ohwovoriole in Abuja
The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, has stated that his ministry is currently verifying claims for the cure of COVID-19.
He made this known in a statement after the ministry’s quarterly management meeting with its agencies yesterday in Abuja.
According to the statement, “The ministry has begun verification claims for the cure of COVID-19. And that all submissions for the pandemic cure have been directed to the Academy of Science for verification as well as recommendation to the ministry.”
The ministry had offered the sum of N36 million to scientists and inventors that could find the cure for COVID-19 and Lassa fever, reiterating that the ministry was working hard to develop home-grown solutions to help manage the COVID-19 pandemic.
He assured Nigerians that encouraging results had been submitted, and in no distant time, details on the submissions would be made known to the country.
Onu added that for Nigeria to increase foreign earnings, the country must look inwards for solutions to its problems and export same to other countries.
The ministry said it was working to procure huge grants in order to support research and development efforts in the science and technology sector.
It called on the directors and director-generals of the ministry to show more commitment in their work so as to realise the mandate of the ministry.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr. Mohammed Bello Umar, charged the staff members to highlight priority areas in their preparation and execution of the budget.
