The Budding Scientist PDF

Budding S c ent st

My First Encounter with Science - Prof. Adikwu, VC Uniabuja

My Motivation forBecoming an Engineer - Dr. Bindir, DG NOTAP

Nigerian Professor Births New Mathematics

Department of Technology & Science Education,Federal Ministry of Education, Abuja.

Grooming Successors in Science, Mathematics and Engineering

There is always an opportunity to break new grounds- Engr. Offor

ree FDi t b t

os ri u i n

The Budding Scientist Page 03 January - April 2015

s the cycle of life unfolds with plants dropping off their leaves during winter, insects shedding off their outer cuticular layer to give way for A

new ones, and other animals, giving birth to their young so is the immutable process that buffers distortion in the ecosystem. Also, anyone familiar with what happens when a piece of land is cleared will invariably appreciate this natural process. When a piece of forest is cleared and left alone, plants slowly reclaim such area (confirming that nature abhors vacuum). Over time, signs of the clearing disappear and the land becomes forest again. These analogies aptly summarize the word succession, which is, the replacement of one organism by another.

Every organism goes extinct when there are no successors! Successors are the link between the past and future, and without them, the traits, qualities and peculiarities of the deceased are not carried along. Without them, also, the works of their predecessors are not built upon, and are left to the winds.

One may ask: what have all these talks on succession got to do with science, mathematics and engineering? The truth remains that our nation (Nigeria) is blessed with some of the finest scientists, mathematicians and engineers the world has ever had (although they are yet to win Nobel Prizes in science). Most of these renowned scientists are spread across some of our higher institutions and are fast aging and would soon retire. Some have also retired and some are dead. Worse still, most of these egg-heads failed to replicate themselves. In fact, someone told us that most renowned scientists in Nigeria are wicked and would not want others to take their place, even when they are no more. But how true can this be? On a contrary note, one great Nigerian scientist happily communicated: I have produced three good professors (scientists) that can take my place when I am finally gone.

Be that as it may, the truth remains that most of our great Nigerian scientists are aging and would soon hit the retirement age. Yet, most of these men have not

Grooming Successors in Science, Mathematics and Engineering

Editorial

Cont. on page 5

CONTENTS

Chigozie Ubani

There is always an opportunity to break new grounds

Must I be a Genius to Study Science?

My First Encounter with Science

How important is stating a Scientific Problem?


Chemistry and John Dalton

A Peep into the Life and Works of Late Emeritus Professor Chike Obi

Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment(GLOBE)

My Motivation for becomingan Engineer

Page 4

Page 6

Page 7

Page 9

Page 10

Page 12

Page 13

Page 17

Page 18

All correspondence be addressed to the Editor, The Budding Scientist or Chairman, Global Science Development Initiatives. Suit 12, AP Plaza, Opposite Transcorp Hilton, Maitama Abuja.Tel: 08064383985, 08032546773Email: [email protected]; [email protected]


Interview

On what it was while growing up as a science student

t was quite interesting being a science student. In my time, the popular opinion among parents was that Ieither you are the mother or father of a doctor,

engineer or lawyer. So, every student had role models in these areas. For me, my role model and mentor was my maternal uncle, late Dr. Ariwodo Kalunta, the renowned psychiatrist and the first in Eastern Nigeria (and second in Nigeria after the Legendry Professor Thomas Adeoye Lambo), who came back to Nigeria in 1953 (a year before I was born) after an eventful study in the UK. At this time, my uncle was the only cock that crows in my community and beyond and every young person wanted to be like him. This made science the in-thing for me and medicine, my choice of career. It was based on this motivation that after I finished my secondary school education in Methodist College Uzuakoli (meanwhile, I have been awarded Distinguished Old Boy of the college), that I quickly went for advance studies in St. Patrick's College Asaba (Delta State) for Higher School Certificate. The latter I did majorly on chemistry, physics and biology.

On his deviation from medicine to engineering

After my 'A' level, it was difficult getting admission in medicine in any of the Nigerian universities. Medicine at the time (and even now) was very competitive and I was always not on its admission merit list. This was indeed discouraging, but unknown to me, God was preparing me for something different. It was in 1977, the then military head of state, General Olusegun Obasanjo, instituted a Bilateral Agreement with the Eastern European countries: Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and others. I applied and got Federal Government Scholarship to study Chemical Engineering at the Higher Institute of Chemical Technology, Bourgas (Bulgaria). Then you need not to know anybody to obtain anything in Nigeria as there was sanity, honesty and patriotism in the country.

On the challenges he encountered while studying in a foreign country

In every good thing, there has to be a dint of hard work. This, notwithstanding, I encountered some challenges. I studied chemistry, physics and biology at 'A' level. Of course that was the requirement for medicine. But mathematics (which I did not do at A level) is very crucial

There is always an opportunity to break new grounds

Introduction

Engr. Michael Kalu Ofor, a graduate of Chemical Engineering from the Higher Institute of Chemical Technology, Bourgas (Bulgaria) and a registered engineer with the Nigerian Society of Engineers, was, until November 2014, the Director, Department of Technology and Science Education, at the Federal Ministry of Education, Abuja. He had this chat April 2014 with The Budding Scientist's editor, Chigozie Ubani . Excerpts: Engr. Michael Kalu Ofor


Interview

in engineering, and if not for my good understanding of the subject in secondary school, I would have found it difficult studying engineering. Being taught in a foreign language (other than English) was also another challenge. Thanks to the Bulgarian Government! They simplified their language programme in such a manner that strangers can easily read and write in their language within nine months. This was so simple that even a goat can become literate in their language. Another difficult experience I had was culture shock. Coming from a society of different culture and ideals, it was really difficult adjusting to the new environment.

On how he surmounted the challenges

Although the Bulgarian language was highly simplified, I also employed other strategies to get along easily with the language. One of these is my insistence not to be paired in the same room with any Nigerian student. My request

replicated themselves. Just as our ecosystem will continually exist, so will our research institutes and other institutions of higher learning. What happens when these scientists are no more? Who steps into their shoes? Even if others take their place, how competent are those that succeed them?

Bridging this gap therefore forms the objective of The Budding Scientist Grooming Successors in Science, Mathematics and Engineering. This quarterly publication will be offering mentoring services to youths interested in science, mathematics and engineering. We will be bringing views from world-best scientists on how greatness can be achieved in every aspect of science. We shall also be making our content more homely by bringing to your knowledge, information on most of our great Nigerian scientists and their striking contributions. These and more, we hope, will make our effort more impactful.

Imparting the lives and careers of future generations of scientists therefore constitutes one of the objectives of this publication, and this is never achieved by one organization. More so, no landmark project in science has ever been done without collaboration. It is the synergy that drives science in all climes! Even great scientists, who are often being lauded for their individual contributions, did that, not

without collaboration. It is with this understanding that the Department of Technology and Science Education in the Federal Ministry of Education (Abuja), has weighed-in in support of this publication.

We should also not forget that no superstructure stands on a faulty foundation. As such, we shall be concentrating our efforts, for now, on secondary schools, before fanning out to tertiary institutions. It also does not mean that students of tertiary institutions will not benefit as well (it might even be more useful to them than those in secondary schools).

This maiden edition, therefore, is a test-run on how far our efforts can lead us (at least, it is no longer in the list of ideas which we had, but never executed). We are still in the process of rolling out befitting packages that will make our brand a must-read for every budding scientist. Meanwhile, if you have ideas or suggestions on how to enrich this brand, please do not hesitate to call me on 08064383985 or send email to

CHIGOZIE UBANIEditor, The Budding ScientistAnd Chairman, Global Science Development Initiatives

[email protected]

Continued from page 3

In my time, the popular opinion among parents was that either you are the mother or father of a doctor, engineer or lawyer. So, every student had role models in these areas. For me, my role model and mentor was my maternal uncle, late Dr. Ariwodo Kalunta, the renowned psychiatrist and the first in Eastern Nigeria (and second in Nigeria after the Legendry Professor Thomas Adeoye Lambo), who came back to Nigeria in 1953 (a year before I was born) after an eventful study in the UK. At this time, my uncle was the only cock that crows in my community and beyond and every young person wanted to be like him. This made science the in-thing for me and medicine, my choice of career. Continued on page 15


Must I be a Genius to Study Science? By Isaac Nwaedozie M.

Young People Ask

eaching integrated science to a class of young people, a teacher posed the question: How many of you would like to be scientists in future? Some T

students raised their hands in the affirmative, while others did not. Appalled by this response, the teacher began asking why most of his students do not want to major in science. To his disappointment, many of the students claimed they were not intelligent enough to do science. These students felt science should not be for them, but for the intellectually gifted. But how true are they? Is science difficult? Or does one require an unusual brain structure to participate in science?

A look at the lives and works of many great scientists has shown that one does not need exceptional intelligence to study science! And if you must know, Albert Einstein, one of the finest of science, was expelled from school by a headmaster with a letter proclaiming him unlikely to amount to anything. Even Sir Isaac Newton, as a schoolboy, showed no exceptional brilliance. There is no record anywhere showing he graduated with honours from Cambridge. Also not different was Louis Pasteur one of the founders of microbiology. He was a very poor student. Is it Gregor Johann Mendel? The Austrian monk and biologist whose work on hereditary became the basis for the modern theory of genetics. He was, at a time, proclaimed lacking insight and the requisite clarity for knowledge. Or do we talk of our own late Emeritus Professor Chike Obi? He was also very poor in mathematics and at a time, threatened with dismissal. Yet, all these people, even in death, conjure one kind of aura or the other in science. What then is the common thread in their success?

Deciding to major in science makes the job of becoming a scientist half-done. Ambition is a principal thing, and it is what drives men to their great accomplishments. Although one may be driven by ambition, two other ingredients are equally important: hard work and creativity. The former needs no introduction, but the latter (creativity), I may have to say something.

The use of imagination to bring out something new and exciting is creativity. It is that ability to look at an older question, idea or invention from a different perspective. This is an important distinguishing factor in the lives of many great scientists. For example, Lord Ernest Rutherford, known for his epochal contributions in the investigation of the structure of the atom, looked at the

heliocentric theory (i.e. the theory that says the sun is the centre of the universe and the planets revolving round it) and deduced his heliocentric or planetary model of atom. Newton looked at Galileo's telescope and came up with his reflecting telescope. The same Newton, having looked at the works of others on gravity, introduced a mathematical definition to gravity called the Universal Law of Gravitation. Charles Darwin read the work of English economist and demographer, Thomas Malthus, and introduced the theory of natural selection. Even the Wright brothers, the two bicycle sellers and repairers that flew the first controlled flight in human history, studied the flights of others before coming out with controlled flight.

There is nothing new under the sun! And everything you see today, originated from something already in existence. Biotechnology is today booming, but this has been in existence from time immemorial. Is it vaccination? The Yorubas have been doing it even before Edward Jenner discovered it. Or is there anything Newton said about gravity that our people did not say? (Check your native proverbs.) What one needs most in science is common sense that ability to combine native intelligence with scientific training. Little wonder, Galileo Galilee, the first modern scientist said, I am not obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason and intellect has intended us to forgo their use. In other words, every individual is endowed with natural intelligence and as such, capable of making enduring contributions to science. Therefore, you are as good as every other person that has made it in science.


My First Encounter with Science

Mentors Experience

By Professor Michael Umale Adikwu

Professor Michael Adikwu is a renowned Professor of Pharmaceutics at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He is currently the Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja. Adikwu is a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Science, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria and Honourary Fellow of the Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN). He is also the President of the Nanomedicine Society of Nigeria, and was in 2006, the recipient of the Nigeria Prize for Science (Nigeria's Nobel Prize in science). Professor Adikwu gave this article August 2012 while serving as the National Project Coordinator of the World Bank STEP-B Project and later updated it January 20 2015.

y first encounter with science was simply the environment while my lifelong mentors have been my primary school teachers. I enjoyed M

going to farm and fishing, as all these brought me closer to nature. My parents would warn me not to go fishing when the local streams have overflowed their banks, but I would steal away to go for fishing. At school, I copied everything about my teachers. My handwriting today derives completely from those of my primary school teachers. My first impression about myself was that of a precocious student who kept posting impressive records in his academic pursuits. Watching those early beginnings thus brought home the truism that morning tells the day, for my personality was suffused with the building blocks of success hard work and determination. Having come from a very humble background, I knew I had to succeed; otherwise, I would perish. I hated dependence on relatives and any other person. That is still affecting my personality today.

It is not surprising, therefore, that I went ahead to acquire my bachelors, masters, and doctorate degrees in good time. My decision to go into academics in the face of many career options was borne out of my desire to disseminate knowledge, pursue my love for research, and contribute my quota to the corpus of scientific knowledge.

My foray into the sciences was not fortuitous. In one

interview, after I won the Nigeria Prize for Science, I revealed that the seed of my scientific inquiries was sown by my keen observation of my natural environment. This ideal locale, which offered me the opportunity to observe nature at its pristine state, must have provided the motivation for my subsequent progression into the pharmaceutical sciences. It is not surprising that the common thread of my scientific research has been a combination of this native intelligence with scientific acumen of utilizing local materials for pharmaceutical experiments in order to harness them for indigenous remedies and at the same time, produce raw materials for the pharmaceutical industry.

As a teacher and researcher, I think, I have been a success story. In the academic front, I have trained a generation of manpower for the pharmaceutical industry and the health


sector in general. Two of my students are already full professors of pharmacy. A third would have joined now if not for hitches that made his papers not to return. My resume includes a list of academic papers showing my research findings and published in leading journals across the globe. In recognition of my works, especially the one on the wound healing properties of mucins extracted from snail, I won Nigeria's top science prize the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Prize for Science in 2006. I also won the May and Baker/The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria Prize for Excellence in the Practice of Pharmacy in 2009.

I have also done works of great social significance. My research into the detection of fake and counterfeit drugs, a modern day nightmare in the Nigerian health sector, has found practical application in curbing the scourge. I have, in addition, helped many start-up and existing companies in the pharmaceutical sector to write feasibility studies and business plans, as well as helping them meet regulatory compliance and ethical standards.

My driving philosophy in life is to overcome challenges. One of my heroes of science is the popular American inventor of the polio vaccine Jonas Salk. I therefore adopt one of his favorite quotes that anything worthy of change constitutes a challenge, and this may best summarize the source of my prodigious intellectual energy. Like those scientists of old, I am driven by the passion to harness the potentials of science to serve humanity.

I have visited some overseas laboratories as an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow in Germany (1999-2000) and a Matsumae Fellow in Japan (2002). I was also, more recently, awarded a Royal Society International Short Visit Grant to the University of Manchester (2006). In June 2007, I was awarded a Travel Fellowship for a Global Technological Evaluation and Development Conference which held in Arusha, Tanzania (June 3-7, 2007). I have also won several other fellowships, some of which I did not utilize. These include Third World Academy of Sciences South-South Fellowship to Cameroon (1996), and the Third World Associate Fellowship to Argentina (2000). In the area of international grants, I have won research grants from the Royal Society of Chemistry of Great Britain (2002), Third World Academy of Sciences (2004) and the International Foundation for Science, Sweden (2004 and 2006).

I was the National Coordinator for Science and Technology Education Post-Basic (STEP-B) Project. Under this project, 11 centres in the teaching and learning of Science and Technology were set up. The National Strategy for these Centres of Excellence based on national needs was developed, through my efforts, with the support of the Federal Ministry of Education and the World Bank. The Project also supported other 195 institutions carrying out 220 other sub-projects. I have also, recently, developed other national strategy

documents on reversing the fallen standards in education through post-doctoral arrangement and increasing access to university education through public partnership arrangements.

The following are the Centres of Excellence:

1. Centre for Zoonotic and Infectious Diseases. This centre is located at the University of Calabar and is researching into the various forms of nosochomial infections.

2. Centre for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering. This is located at the Federal University of Technology, Minna. Its focus is on development of vaccine for tropical diseases.

3. Centre for Environmental Protection and Preservation. This centre is emphasising on the bar-coding of medicinal plants for drug use.

4. Centre for Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technology. This also includes advanced materials for nanotechnology.

5. Centre for Food Security Studies. This centre is looking at some common Nigerian food crops for enhanced p roduc t ion th rough gene t i c modifications and other biotechnology practices.

6. Centre for Chemical Research and Technology. They are researching into the production of fertilizers for farmers.

7. Centre for Renewable Energy. This centre is focusing on wind and solar forms of energy.

8. Centre for Technical Vocational Education and Training. This centre is focused on the training of technical teachers for our technical education system.

9. Centre for Software Engineering. This centre is focusing its study on the production of computer software for the nation.

10. Centre for Solid Minerals Research and Development. The centre hopes to reduce the dependence on the oil sector, as Nigeria is rich in solid minerals.

11. Centre for Multimedia Technology and Cinematography. This centre is to research into, and further develop the Nigerian film industry.

Apart from these areas, other funded projects have resulted into new drugs for diabetes treatment (National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Abuja); anti-cancer agents of plant origin (University of Lagos), and Gold Nanoparticles synthesized from bacteria for cancer chemotherapy (African University of Science and Technology, and Sheda Science and Technology Complex, both in Abuja). Apart from these results, the Science and Technology Education Post-Basic Project was rated the most successful in the history of Nigeria's education sector and won prizes for transparency and accountability.

I am currently the Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja.

Your teachers are your first role models. And teachers, to a very large extent, make their students. In other words, what the student becomes is dependent on who taught him. In the case of Professor Adikwu, he learnt and copied so much from his teachers. In his words, At school, I copied everything about my teachers. My handwriting today derives completely from those of my primary school teachers. This is an evidence of much he learnt and copied from his teachers.

Interest in your natural environment determines how far you go in science. This is what helped the Greeks in making outstanding contributions to science. You cannot observe nature if you do not have interest in it! Professor Adikwu revealed that the seed of his scientific inquiries was sown by his keen observation of his natural environment. This is also what offered him the opportunity of observing nature in its pristine way and at the same time, motivated him in going into the pharmaceutical sciences. In fact, the entirety of Adikwu's work is based on a combination of native intelligence and scientific skill of utilizing local materials for pharmaceutical experiments so as to produce indigenous remedies and raw materials for the pharmaceutical industries. Little wonder one of his most significant contributions to science is his discovery of the wound-

healing properties of mucins extracted from snail.

What you do today as a student, determines what becomes of you in future. As some people say, Morning tells the day. Your today's habit, determines your future habitat. Your attitude also determines your altitude.

Your determination to succeed is a very important factor in your journey of life. Of course, when you are determined, you will definitely work hard. Coming from a humble background, Professor Adikwu knew from time that if he did not succeed, he would perish. In his words, My personality was suffused with the building block of success hard work and determination.

Your passion to serve humanity also determines how well you do in science. Science is for the service of humanity, and every scientist is driven by the passion to harness to the potentials of science to serve humanity. Also, serving humanity entails overcoming some challenges. If you are not passionate about these challenges, you may never make a striking contribution to science. This is what led to the success of Jonah Salk, Alexander Fleming, Louis Pasteur, Edward Jenner and many others.

What is that? and How does it work? are common questions of children. This child-like curiosity is a driving force to science. Although curiosity may have killed the rat, it gives life to science! Without it, many scientific enquiries would have been stalled and long forgotten.

Scientists have strong curiosities, and they are always asking questions about nature. While finding answers to these questions may be difficult, scientists are also aware that it is even more difficult asking the right questions than solving a problem. Let me explain further with this example. A certain Professor of Mathematics succeeded in solving an age-long mathematical problem and needed to communicate his efforts to his students. He scheduled a five-day seminar (two hours per day) with his students. The Professor began the first day stating and

defining the problem, and continued in this direction even to the end of the fourth day. With only a day left, his students began to wonder: If it took Prof four days only to state a problem, how long will it take him to solve it? Surprisingly, the Professor, on the fifth day, only spent 30 minutes in solving the problem. (Meanwhile, do not be intimidated by this Professor or by his mathematical problem. Scientific problems come in all sizes, and there is always a problem for every ability no matter how intellectually handicapped you are.)

In support of the above, Albert Einstein, Times Magazine thscientist of the 20 century said: The formulation of a

problem is often more essential than its solution, which may be merely a matter of mathematical or experimental skill. To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problem from a new angle, requires certain imagination and marks real advance in science.

In other words, when a problem is properly stated and defined, its solution will emerge! And before any scientist attempts solving a problem, he or she must clearly state and define the problem. This is of great importance to science.

Our next edition will be giving tips on how to state and clearly define a scientific problem.

How Important is Stating a Scientific Problem?

Lessons to be learned from Adikwu

Learning from a Mentor


Discovery News

eometry, the scientific doctrine of space, is the beginning and foundation of all physics. GWithout it, Architecture and machine

construction would not have been. But this aspect of mathematics is a creation of antiquity. It was developed by the Greeks who borrowed their first notion from the Egyptian surveying technique and the occult lore of Asiatic priest. And within the late period of Greek culture, a world-famous university grew up in Alexandria. Here, a great scholar, Euclid, c o m p i l e d t h e geometrical knowledge of his time and made important additions to it, a n d e v e r s i n c e , Euclidian geometry has been a reliable guide to human thought.

But times have changed, and science has become ever increasingly dynamic. The question is: how relevant is Euclidean Geometry? Every physical problem requires a different kind of mathematics! In other words, there is a particular mathematics for every physical problem, and if you use an unsuitable mathematics for it, your entire efforts may be in futility. Of course, it will be a total failure solving a problem that requires simultaneous equation with differentiation. It is not that differentiation is a bad mathematics; rather, it is only not suitable for the problem in question. So it is with all physical problems. For example, in giving a mathematical definition to gravity (Universal Law of Gravitation), Newton had to invent the calculus, as the available mathematics at the time was unsuitable for it. This is one reason why previous workers in this area failed. In fact, the entirety of Newton's work marked the first (or Newtonian) revolution in science,

thand it flourished from late 17 century to date. It is also based on Euclidean geometry and the assumption that the speed of light is infinite. Science was also to witness yet another revolution called the second (or Einstenian)

threvolution and this also flourished from the early 20 century to date. It was not exactly Euclidian (i.e. Pseudo-Euclidian), and is based on the assumption that the speed of light is finite. These geometries (Euclidian and Pseudo-Euclidian geometry) have failed to account for all natural phenomena (especially in the area of elementary particle physics), thereby creating a window

for yet another type of geometry.

D i sc r e t e Geome t ry (o r quantum mathematics) is t h e r e f o r e t h e n e w mathematics! This is the latest contribution of Professor Amagh Nduka of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, and has been applied in solving elementary particles problems including that of the neutrino mass (one of the

most controversial in particle physics).

Come to think of it, who is Professor Amagh Nduka? Professor Nduka hails from Amankalu, Igbere, in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State. He attended Igbere Primary School and Hope Waddle Training Institution (Calabar) for his primary and secondary school education respectively. And through an American scholarship, proceeded to the Western world, where he obtained Bachelor of Science degree (University of California, Berkerly, 1965); Masters of Science (Stanford University, 1967), and Doctorate degree in physics, under


By Chigozie Ubani

Discrete Geometry (or quantum mathematics) is therefore the new mathematics! This is the latest contribution of Professor Amagh Nduka of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, and has been applied in solving elementary particles problems including that of the neutrino mass (one of the most controversial in particle physics).


the supervision of Physics Nobel Laureate Professor Subramanyan Chandrasekhar (University of Chicago, 1971).

Professor Nduka, who could not stand the colour discrimination in the West, against the wish of his teachers and colleagues, returned to Nigeria in 1974. He joined the services of the University of Ife as a Senior Lecturer in Physics (1974-81) before transferring to the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) as the Pioneer Professor in the Department of Physics and Mathematics. Some of his career experiences are summarized: Research Scientist, U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, the Enrico Fermi Institute, Batavbia III USA (1970-71); Visiting Assistant Professor of Mathematics, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign USA (1971-74); Senior Lecturer in Physics, University of Ife (1974-81); Professor of Theoretical Physics and Applied Mathematics, Federal University of Technology, Owerri (1981-date); Visiting Senior Scientist, University of California, Berkley (1983); Visiting Senior Scientist, California Institute of Technology, Pasedena, California (1983); Visiting Senior Scientist, University of Chicago, Chicago III (1983); Visiting Senior Scientist, International Centre of Theoretical Physics, Triester, Italy (1982-83); Visiting Senior Scientist, Columbia University, New York (1985); Visiting Senior Scientist, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria (1985); Senior Traveling Fellow, Association of Commonwealth Universities (1985), and a host of others.

A former Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (1987-91), Professor Nduka holds two professorships one in Theoretical Physics and another in Applied Mathematics. He is a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Physics (1986), as well as a member (emeritus) of the American Mathematical Society (AMS) and the American Physical Society (APS). He has published in leading journals in Theoretical Physics and Applied Mathematics. In fact, two of his works published in Applied Mathematics (The Geometrical Theory of Science, November 2012 and The Neutrino Mass, February 2013) earned him the Google Scholar of the year for 2012 and 2013 respectively.

Apart from the new mathematics (discrete geometry), Professor Nduka has made other outstanding

contributions to science. Very profound is his theory: The Absolute Theory of Science. This theory subsumes all other theories in science, including his Third Revolution Theory in Science after the order of Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein (i.e. first and second revolution respectively). This theory, the absolute theory of science, explains (theoretically and mathematically) nuclear physics, atomic physics, boson physics, nuclear fussion, astrophysics and elementary particle physics areas of physics which its theorization has since the 1920's remained static. The theory also provides, for the first time ever, explanations to boson and fermio-boson physics areas which have eluded physicists since the inception of physical enquiry.

Professor Nduka has also, more recently, made another enduring contribution to the understanding of the atom. In a paper The Geometrical Structure of Nuclei, Atoms and Molecules published in Applied Mathematics (August 2014) gave a formal theory to the treatment of many-electron atoms, an area where the available treatment methods, the Schrondinger and Dirac based approximation methods, have failed to yield correct results. With this, Professor Nduka solved the riddle for which his colleagues in atomic, nuclear and particle physics could not.

A highly sought-after scientist, his only reason for still being in the country is because of the love he has for Nigeria, for having invested so much in his education. More so, he wants to prove to the West that Africans are good, irrespective of where they are be it in Nigerian or American university. In fact, while commenting on his contributions to science, he said, If I were to be in the US, with all these things I'm doing here in Nigeria (referring to his works), I would have won three Nobel Prizes in Science. The question is: why has this professor not won a Nobel Prize in science? The Royal Swedish Academy of Science, I think, owes Nigerians and Africa at large, some explanations.

Professor Amagh Nduka, who has been a Professor for 35 years, is still a Professor of Theoretical Physics and Applied Mathematics at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri.

W h i l e c o m m e n t i n g o n h i s contributions to science, he said, If I were to be in the US, with all these things I'm doing here in Nigeria (referring to his works), I would have won three Nobel Prizes in Science .

Einstein's theory of general relativity (GTR) is not a theory of gravitation; hence its consequences, gravitational radiation, black holes, quantum gravity, etc. have nothing to do with physical reality! As a physical theory, GTR is a massive blunder, but as a geometrical theory of curved space-time, it is a thing of exquisite beauty.

Professor Amagh Nduka

Discovery News


The development of chemistry as a separate science is one entwined in the life and works of one of its own, John Dalton, the English chemist and meteorologist famed for his atomic postulates. A curious student may ask: is Dalton's Atomic Theory devoid of fundamental flaws? No! Many of the things he said were incorrect; yet, his contributions in this field remain so staggering that only a few have surpassed him. If this be the case, what then did he do?

Matter and its essential substance (or building block) was once an issue mired in so much controversy. And science, in the past (and even to this time) has relied on men with bold imaginations and scorching intellect in advancing knowledge. So it was in the time of the ancient Greek philosopher and scientist, Aristotle, whose postulations and brilliance emplaced him on the throne of scientific and philosophical decisions. To be specific, Aristotle was symbolic of the people's intelligence so much so that theories lacking his endorsement saw no light of the day. This, just as with others, was the fate of a conception that laid bare the secret of nature the world of atoms.

From the time of ancient Greek philosophers Leucippus of Mellitus, and to his student, Democritus of Abedera every matter is made up of atoms. Democritus in his solitary thinking buttressed atoms as completely solid, homogenous and indestructible. This view was no less to collide, headlong, with an older, entrenched and exalted system of thought the Aristotelian conjecture of earth, air, fire and water as the building block of matter. As was to be expected, this revolutionary idea of Democritus was jettisoned, derided and submerged in oblivion and the unfounded Aristotelian elements accepted as the building block of matter.

Chemistry and John Dalton

1. All elements are made up of small indivisible particles called atoms.

2. Atom can neither be created nor destroyed.3. Atoms of the same element are alike in every aspect

and differ from atoms of other elements.4. During a chemical reaction, there is a combination

of atoms in small whole numbers.

Dalton's Atomic Theory

Never limit yourself! If Dalton, one whose formal education ended at 12, could be the one to put chemistry in motion after 2000 years of near-standstill, you too can make outstanding contributions to science.Never see yourself as inferior. If Dalton had felt inferior, would he have done what he did?Always keep an open mind, as no scientific theory is ever finally proven. Even ideas that hold 'true' have

elements of doubt and uncertainty in them.Know also that no man is infallible. Even great scientists have perpetuated erroneous conclusions.Do not always follow the crowd, as science is not democratic (i.e. based on popular opinions).

Is Dalton's atomic theory consistent with the expectations of scientists? If not, what are its flaws?

Lessons to be learned from Dalton

In the classroom

For over 2000 years, the Aristotelian idea of matter reigned supreme, with no one daring to challenge it. (You can imagine how stagnated chemistry was). As if all hopes were lost, in 1803, the English chemist and meteorologist, John Dalton, emboldened by his own experimental evidences derived from the atmosphere, waded into the labyrinth. Based on these evidences, Dalton debunked the Aristotelians and established credence on Democritus atom. He therefore postulated his atomic theory which put atoms as the building block of matter and also explained how atoms react with one another in more than one ratio by weight. This explanation by Dalton nailed the coffin for the Aristotelians on the building block of matter and consequently enthroned a new order in chemistry the atomos order of chemistry.

Although Dalton's atomic theory is flawed at some points and has undergone modifications, it significantly provided the beginning for the development of atomic theory, thus facilitating the development of chemistry as a separate science. He got the ball rolling in modern chemistry after 2000 years of stagnation. What a contribution from the son of a Quaker whose formal education ended at 12 years of age!


Leading Light in the Nigerian Science

Symbolic in the history of African intellectualism is the self-taught and foremost African mathematical genius of

ththe 20 century, late Emeritus Professor Chukwunwike Obi, known to the world as Chike Obi, who unquestionably was the first in black Africa to master the mysteries of mathematics.

Born in Zaria April 7 1921, he attended St. Patrick Roman Catholic Mission School, Zaria before going back to his hometown (Onitsha) for his secondary school education. There in Onitsha, he became a student of Christ the King College (1935-39). While in this school, the young Chike Obi showed no exceptional brilliance in mathematics until his final class. This awakening of the mathematical centres of his intellect he attributed to the challenge he received when their class teacher, Rev. Father Flannaga, disdainfully told them in 1938 that Africans are incapable of becoming mathematicians. It was this statement that stimulated and loosened his genius in mathematics.

Exhaling from CKC Onitsha (1939), Chike Obi secured the sponsorship of Rev. J.S. Ransome-kuti of Abeokuta in western Nigeria. With this scholarship, he enrolled for higher studies in Yaba Higher College (now Yaba College of Technology, Lagos) as a science teacher in training (June 1940). There he performed so badly in the first year to the extent he was threatened with dismissal if he fails to improve. This threat turned out electrical, with his performance improving considerably in the coming year.

A Peep into the Life and Works of Late Emeritus Professor Chike Obi

The young Chike Obi showed no exceptional brilliance in mathematics until his final class in 1939. This awakening of the mathematical centres of his intellect he attributed to the challenge he received when their class teacher (Rev. Father Flannaga) disdainfully told them in 1938 that Africans are incapable of becoming mathematicians. It was this statement that stimulated and loosened his genius in mathematics.

Culled from the yet-to-be published book Great Nigerian Scientists

Following the outbreak of Second World War in 1942, Lagos became the place for mobilization particularly the government schools. As such, students of Yaba Higher College were evacuated to Achimota College, Gold Coast (the present Ghana) for the preparation of Higher College Diploma. But Chike Obi, unlike other students, chose to remain in Lagos and in July 1942, took and passed the Intermediate Bachelor of Science examination of the University of London in Mathematics, Botany and Zoology. While his mates in Achimota College were preparing for their Higher College Diploma, he enrolled as an external student for Bachelor of Science Special in Mathematics in the University of London. This examination he prepared unaided and without any form of tuition, except for the few books he read. Fortunately, these books were decidedly to play important roles in his mathematical career, and in June 1944, he sat and passed his London Bachelor of Science degree examination in flying colours. Two years later, he bagged a Masters of Science degree in Mathematics (with specialty in Dynamics and Differential equations) from the same university.

The news of Chike Obi's success made headlines in different national dailies, and he was soon to become a symbol of mathematics. With the philosophy that Africans are intellectually equal to the whites, Obi set out


in motivating young Nigerians in secondary schools within the eastern part of the nation. It was in one of these motivational visits that he went to Dennis Memorial Grammer School, Onitsha, where one of his would-be mentees and another mathematical giant (the late Emeritus Professor JOC Ezeilo) was then a student. As he was doing all these, he was also setting up with his friend, Pius Igboko, what may now be called University Extra-Mural study at St. Charles College, Onitsha. And borrowing from the oversea idea in 1945 of a Society for the Advancement of Knowledge (SAK), they both founded what was called Cultural Society for the Advancement of Knowledge (CSAK). It was his activism in this organization that earned him the British Colonial Government scholarship to the University of Cambridge for his Ph.D.

Within a record time of three years after his arrival in Cambridge (1947), Chike Obi collected the first doctorate degree (Ph.D) in Mathematics in the history of black Africa (1950). The title of his thesis was Periodic Solutions of Non-linear Differential Equation of the Second Order.

While in his sojourn in the Western world (both at Cambridge and others), Chike Obi met and rubbed

thshoulders with a number of 20 century great scientists and Nobel laureates, among whom are: Cecil Powell, Patrick M.S. Blackett, Paul A.M Dirac and even Times

thMagazine Scientist of the 20 Century Albert Einstein. While commenting on Einstein, he said: The man (Einstein) was an ordinary man and approached

Leading Light in the Nigerian Science

mathematics with background of an engineer which he was. He seemed to be a contemporary of mathematicians of the vintage type who discovered formulae or guessed them and then tried to improve on them.

Apart from being a Visiting Professor at the University of Jos, University of Nigeria (Nsukka), Brown University (USA) and Mathematical Institute of the Chinese Academy of Science, Chike Obi also lectured in the University College Ibadan (1951-62), as well as the University of Lagos, where he became a professor in 1971.

A Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Sciences, Science Association of Nigeria, Cambridge Philosophical Society and Nigerian Mathematical Society, late Emeritus Professor Chike Obi's contributions to knowledge have been honoured with a number of medals and distinction. Most of his intellectual children and grand children (if not great grand children), now occupy different chair positions in Mathematics, Physics and Statistics in different universities in Nigeria today.

Not only was his ingenuity evident in mathematics, he was also an ardent and frontline nationalist of the colonial and first republic periods (1955-66). He was the founder and leader of the Dynamic Party; an Honourable Member of the Federal Parliament of Nigeria representing Onitsha Urban (1960-61), and Honourable Member of the Eastern House of Assembly representing Onitsha Urban East (1961-66). Most of his visions and political views were expressed in these two publications Our Struggle: A Political Analysis of the Problems of People Struggling for True Freedom (1955); and I Speak for the People (1991).

Apart from his contributions to the knowledge of second order differential equations, Chike Obi, while having retired formally from academic work from the University of Lagos, founded the Nanna Institute of Scientific Studies at Onitsha, from where he made yet another striking contribution to mathematics. During these periods, he persevered in finding an elementary proof for Fermat's Last Theorem a 350-year-old mathematical puzzle that has eluded many mathematicians. This effort was very controversial and subsequently to grace the USA-based Journal of Algebras, Groups and Geometries volume 15 (1998).

Emeritus Professor Chike Obi died March 13 2008. News of his demise drew a deluge of positive comments and encomiums on this prince and genius of mathematics.

Bibliography: Animalu, AOE (2001). Professor Chike Obi: A Biography of the foremost African Mathematical

Genius of the 20th Century, Abuja: National Mathematical Centre

Apart from his contributions to the knowledge of second order differential equations, Chike Obi, while having retired formally from academic work from the University of Lagos, founded the Nanna Institute of Scientific Studies at Onitsha, from where he made yet another striking contribution to mathematics. During these periods, he persevered in finding an elementary proof for Fermat's Last Theorem a 350-year-old mathematical puzzle that has eluded many mathematicians.


physicist, biologist and an epistemologist were asked to name the most impressive invention or scientific advance of modern times. The physicist did not hesitate It is Aquantum theory. It has completely transformed the way we understand matter. The

biologist said No. It is the discovery of DNA it has completely transformed the way we understand life. The epistemologist looked at them both and said I think it is the thermos. The thermos? Why on earth the thermos? Well, the epistemologist explained patiently, If you put something cold in it, it will keep it cold. And if you put something hot in it, it will keep it hot.

The Most Impressive Scientific Advance of Modern Times Joke

Interview

was granted and a Chinese student became my first room mate. As such, the Bulgarian language became our only means of communication. This, alongside my attentiveness in the language, was later to make me the Best Nigerian Student in the Bulgarian Language in my class. On the culture shock aspect, I had to do some psychological balancing. I told myself that if foreigners from other countries can come to Nigeria and survive, why, should I not cope in this alien environment. The result of this mindset was instantaneous and after a while, I got myself adapted to the Bulgarian environment.

On why he joined the Federal Civil Service

I came back to Nigeria in 1983, and in the year following (1984), I did my National Youth Service programme in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) then in Falomo, Lagos. While at NNPC, I was attached to the Project Engineering Department a department charged with the responsibility of harnessing engineers in NNPC. I was also attached to the Excravos Lagos Gas Pipeline (now Egbim Gas Terminal) then handled by Saipem-Snaprojecti Company. So, when the government of Alh. Shehu Shagari was overthrown, the contract was terminated. Some of us who had finished serving and were waiting to be employed (with no godfather) in NNPC were thrown out from the system. It was in the wake of this disappointment that I got the Federal Civil Service Appointment which has sustained me to this enviable position.

On some of his contributions in the Federal Ministry of Education

My contributions have majorly been in the area of Technical and Vocational Education in Nigeria. In fact, the educational project on technical and vocational education which I presented to the Nigerian Society of Engineers in 1989 was indeed an eye opener to a lot of

There is always an opportunity...Continued from page 5

people. I was also a member of the Study Panel on Technical Teacher Production in Nigeria, as well as the Physical Planning Committee on the establishment of new technical colleges in the nation some years back. The former was specifically to produce more technical teachers and to build more technical colleges. We have created sensitization and advocacy jingles to educate Nigerians on the need to acquire a skill in the technical colleges. I was also the Principal of Federal Science and Technical Colleges, Yaba (Lagos) and Lassa in Borno State, for a cumulative period of seven years.

On a brief overview of his Department

The Department of Technology and Science Education has been in existence since 1972 or so. Although it was scrapped during President Obasanjo's administration in 2007 on the advice of the former Education Minister, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, on the premise that the Department was duplicating the functions of the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology. But this was quite erroneous. It took the intervention of the current Ministers of Education for the Department to be restored in 2011. Although the Department was then in-charge of the Federal Polytechnics, Federal Colleges of Education (Technical) and the Federal Science and Technical Colleges at the Federal level, but some of these responsibilities are no longer with us. In fact, it was recently that the Department was allowed by the Honourable Minister of Education to supervise the 21 Federal Science and Technical Colleges (FSTCs).

On his advice to young people in science

I advise young people to be focused. They should not bother whether Mr. 'A' had made it or not. What should matter to them is to break new grounds. Yes we talk about Albert Einstein. But a lot of people have done works that have surpassed the work of Einstein. In essence, there is always an opportunity to break new grounds, and young people should have this at the back of their minds.


Understanding Science

irtually all students in senior secondary schools, nowadays, have in one way or the other come in contact with the word biotechnology. This was V

not so with some of us that had their secondary school education in the 90's. This trend is attributable to the current proliferation of information and the consequent addition of some topics (either in passing or in detail) in our educational curricula. Meanwhile, biotechnology has been in existence from time immemorial, with our people practicing it even before the invention of the word.

The use of plants, animals and microorganism for the production of goods and services for man is biotechnology, and one of its basic sciences is genetic engineering, which is, the cutting and joining of genes. Despite availability of information in this gene technology, some students may still find it difficult in understanding its basic concept. When someone buys a Peugeot car, removes the engine and put another engine from a Mercedes Benz, what has he done? In this case, the body of the car is Peugeot but the engine is Mercedes. This Peugeot car will produce all effects peculiar to Mercedes in all ramifications including speed, fuel and oil consumption and what have you. Yet, it is still a Peugeot car!

A radio tape with a number of tracks (say up to 20 tracks) strikes me another good example. Looking at this tape, it is possible that the different segments of the tape playing these tracks can be cut to give the individual tracks. As a result, you may have 20 different segments, cuts or fragments of the tape. If you now glue or stitch some of these segments to another radio tape (say radio tape B), you will find out that this new tape will not only play its original tracks, but even the ones from the other tape. All these appropriately illustrate the basic concept in genetic engineering.

Back to the basics, a simple biology lesson tells us that cells are the basic unit of life, and inside these cells is a unique set of chromosomes. Each of these chromosomes consists of a compact coil of incredibly long molecule known as the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). The DNA, on the other, consists of genes, which are the basic unit of hereditary. These genes are responsible for individual characters and are independently transmitted from one generation to the other. In other words, if a man is short, it

A Simple Way to Understand Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering

By Ojo, Stephen Oluwalamidare

means he has genes for shortness. If he is dark in complexion, he has genes for dark complexion. So it is with animals. A dog with long tail has genes for long tail. What of the ones with no tail? They do not have any gene for tail. Even in plant domain, those with large number of seeds, have genes for large number of seeds. Plants that are naturally weed-resistant have genes for weed resistance. Every character manifest in an organism (both plants and animal) has a gene responsible for it, and without this gene, there will be no such character.

Genetic engineering therefore leverages on this gene potential to bring about the required changes in an organism. In such cases, a desirable gene is cut from one organism and is transferred to another. This transferred gene fragment now begins to produce the desired character in the recipient organism. An organism that has received this type of gene is said to be genetically modified; hence, the name genetically modified organisms (GMO's). For example, a weevil-resistance gene is found in beans, but not in pea. This weevil-resistance gene can be transferred to the pea so that it will no longer be eaten up by weevil. If this is done, the pea is now genetically modified.

Genetic alterations, apart from transferring a gene from one organism to another, can as well be brought about by changing the code within the gene or by adding information to the code which turns the gene on or off. Some time, also, it may involve moving a gene to a different place in a chromosome within the same nucleus. All these will lead to the production of genetically modified organisms.

More so, a desirable gene fragment is incapable of transferring itself, and must be transferred through a vehicle called a vector. There are quite a number of vectors, but the one commonly in use is the bacterium plasmid. This gene fragment is pasted into the bacterial plasmid and the plasmid made to invade the pea cell (as in the case with the example above) and transfer the gene it carries to the pea's DNA. This DNA, together with the newly transferred gene, is called recombinant DNA. This is simply the basic principle underlying genetic engineering.


About GLOBE

lobal Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) is a worldwide Gcommunity of students, teachers, scientists and

citizens in 111 countries working together to better understand, sustain, and improve Earth's environment at local, regional and global scales. The programme enables students collect specifically valid environmental measurements and report them to the available databases. Also, over 56,000 teachers in more than 24,000 schools located in 105 countries are taking important measurements, resulting in more than 22,000,000 students-collected environmental data, for use in students' research projects.

This programme was founded by former American Vice President, Mr. Al Gore, in April 22 1995. Nigeria became

ththe 96 member of this family in 2002 after the then Honourable Minister of Education, Professor Borishade, and former American Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Howard F. Jetter, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on behalf of the two countries.

The GLOBE vision is for a worldwide community of students, teachers, scientists, and citizens working together to better understand, sustain, and improve Earth's environment at local, regional and global scales. And through this vision, GLOBE encourages and supports students, teachers and scientists to collaborate on inquiry-based investigations on their local environment and at the same time, share their results over the internet. With the data from these investigations, GLOBE now provides on-line images, maps and graphs on the state of the environment.

In the area of atmospheric and climatic measurements, some of our GLOBE pilot colleges have done well. In fact, Federal Government College Ijanikin and Federal Science and Technical College Zuru, under the GLOBE Students' Climate Research Campaign, constructed science and environmental gardens where different areas of atmospheric and climatic measurements are carried out using GLOBE protocols. Information emanating from these measurements is stored in the college's information databank. More so, these information are presented in graphs and maps to guide big-time farmers around the areas on the best time to plant and harvest their crops for bumper harvest. Students in these colleges can, among other weather conditions, predict the relative humidity of their environment. An entirely different effort is also ongoing in the area of waste management. This is being done by students in Federal Government College Port-Harcourt.

Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE)

Students from other colleges have also tapped significantly into the resources of the environment and have researched and constructed solar cookers, solar water purifiers, solar electricity and dry cell phone chargers. These feats were done by students of Federal Science College Sokoto, Federal Science and Technical College Yaba, and Queens' College Lagos. These research efforts have enabled our students blend theoretical knowledge with practical knowledge.

The Federal Ministry of Education, through her colleges, is doing a lot to protect, sustain and improve the environment. The Ministry has in occasions (2012 and 2014) organized World Environment Day Quiz Competition for federal unity colleges in the six geopolitical zones all of which are in commemoration of the annual World Environment Day Celebration. Winners from these quiz competitions (i.e. first and runner-up) in the different zones now compete in the National Competition which normally holds here in Abuja.

Ernest Eberechukwu Korie is a Deputy Director in the Department of Technology and Science Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, Abuja. He is the Coordinator of the GLOBE Project.

By Ernest Eberechukwu Korie

The GLOBE vision is for a worldwide community of students, teachers, scientists, and citizens working together to better understand, sustain, and improve Earth's environment at local, regional and global scales. And through this vision, GLOBE encourages and supports students, teachers and scientists to c o l l a b o r a t e o n i n q u i r y - b a s e d investigations on their local environment and at the same time, share their results over the internet. With the data from these investigations, GLOBE now provides on-line images, maps and graphs on the state of the environment.


Opinion

ttending the public presentation of the book Inculcating the Tenets of Great Scientists authored by Chigozie Ubani, which held A

Wednesday October 31 2012 at Chelsea Hotel, Wuse II Abuja, Engr. Dr. Umar Buba Bindir, the very eloquent and charismatic Director-General of the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), apart from stressing the need to translate scientific findings (most of which repose on bookshelves in Nigerian universities) into tangible phenomena, told his audience (especially students) that he never chose to become an engineer, but his only motivation was to make life easier for his mother, whom he loved so much. This was indeed surprising to some who considered his motivation somewhat remote from the reality (as many go into professional careers for prestige and possible financial gain). But on a second thought, Dr. Bindir was right.

Just as the careers and researches of most scientists were influenced by their background, so was it for Engr. Dr. Umar Buba Bindir. Coming from a community of predominantly farmers, he saw engineering as a tool that, when effectively deployed, can make life easier for not only his mother, but his community. Little wonder he studied agricultural engineering up to the highest attainable degree (Ph.D). He was also to make original contributions to this field, some of which include the design and manufacture of a patented groundnut combined harvester and coconut de-husking machine (both commercially produced and marketed in Australia and Asia Pacific).

Making life easier for people therefore underlines the core of every scientific and technological feat. This is what motivated Alexander Fleming in discovering antibiotics penicillin (the wonder drug) in 1928. It is also what made Edward Jenner discover vaccination. It is still not different from what inspired Henry Ford in building affordable cars for his countrymen. In fact, Americans were swept with delirium when, in 1908, Ford announced his intention of building motor cars for their great multitude. This is also what inspired the Wright brothers, Wilbur and Orvile, in flying the first controlled flight in human history (1903). It is still not

My only motivation for becoming an engineer was to make life easier for my mother.

By Isaac Nwaedozie M.

different from what made Dr. Bindir in becoming an agricultural engineer and his consequent designs and inventions in the field.

Engr. Dr. Umar Buba Bindir has for six years now been the Director-General of the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) an agency in the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology. Within these periods, Dr Bindir has given enormous visibility to NOTAP; influenced a lot of foreign technology inflow, thereby contributing to wealth and employment creation; saved for the national economy more than 5 billion naira through his intervention in foreign technology trade; improved the knowledge-base of Nigerian researchers in the area of intellectual property rights; established more than 33 intellectual property offices across the national system of innovation in Nigeria, and as a result, increased the patent density of indigenous researchers by facilitating patenting procedures at minimal or no cost. More than anything else, Dr. Bindir has developed a continental expertise in evolving a functional Science, Technology and Innovation System for development in Africa.

Isaac Nwaedozie M. is a Chief Technology Officer at the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) Abuja.


CONTACTSuite B11, Mazado Plaza, Plot 874 Shetima Ali Monguno Crescent,

Behind Julius Berger Yard, Utako District, Abuja.Tel: 0817 207 7885/6/7

e-mail: [email protected] www.tonciaenergy.com

Page 1Page 2Page 3Page 4Page 5Page 6Page 7Page 8Page 9Page 10Page 11Page 12Page 13Page 14Page 15Page 16Page 17Page 18Page 19Page 20

Documents

The Budding Scientist PDF