NACETEM canvasses scientific evidence for nation’s devt

THE National Center for Technology Management ( NACETEM) has stated that scientific evidence that is based on critical analyses of Nigeria’s social development and policy analysis were needed to achieve global sustainable development agenda.

It noted that such evidence, particularly from social science research

( SSR), would help to inform contextually relevant actions and reforms for economic growth, development and welfare.

The Public Relations Officer, Isaac Oluyi, who said this in a statement, however, stated that research that produces relevant evidence is not autarkic; rather, it takes place within a dynamic, interconnected and continuously evolving system of actors.

Oluyi hinted that while Nigeria is the second largest producer of SSR in Africa, and third largest producer on the continent, the volume of production is relatively thin when viewed on a global scale.

He said: “This begs two questions that the Doing Research Assessment ( DRA) helps to answer: Why does such a large research system produce so little, and what can be done about it? To share insight on these, the Nigerian DRA team has planned a series of webinars every Wednesday in March, starting on March 10.”

He added that the webinars, which would be facilitated by seasoned experts, would feature capacity building sessions on key issues, including plagiarism, science communication, stakeholder engagement and gender equity in research leadership.

“The strength of each actor and of the connections among all actors within the SSR system influences the volume and quality of research, the rate of diffusion and the extent to which it is applied to solve societal problems. An understanding of national SSR systems is therefore critical, as it provides the context within which relevant research takes place.

“This forms the basis for the Doing Research Assessment ( DRA) programme of the GDN, which has now taken place in several developing countries, including Nigeria. As far as we know, the Nigerian DRA was the first comprehensive assessment of the state of health of the country’s national SSR system. Using a mixed method approach that involved three inter- related stages ( a context analysis, a systematic mapping of stakeholders and a comprehensive data collection exercise), the assessment aimed to systematically understand how critical factors of the Nigerian research system impact its capacity to produce, diffuse and use SSR for its social and economic development.”