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Science education
crucial to growth –Yar’adua
From SALISU IBRAHIM, Abuja _____________________________________________________________
President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua has
emphasised the crucial role that science education plays in a
nation’s development.
Receiving a team of academic laureates and athletes from the
Nigerian Turkish Colleges at State House, Abuja, Friday, the
president noted that Nigeria was in need of science training,
stressing that the greatest contribution anybody or institution can
make to the society is in the area of education.
He commended the Nigerian Turkish International Colleges (NTIC) for
giving priority to science education and exposing the students at
such young ages to compete at the international level with students
from other countries thereby “training them to grow up as global
citizens in line with globalization.”
President Yar’Adua who expressed his personal pride and that of the
government for the international academic feat achieved by the
Nigerian students, said that the activities of the NTIC had also
contributed to improving Nigerian-Turkish relations.
The principal of the colleges, Mr. Kamil Kemanci, who presented the
students to President Yar’Adua, said that Olympiad students of NTIC
had won over 64 laurels at the international level for Nigeria in
the past ten years of the existence of the colleges in the country
with strong emphasis on science subjects as the “gateway to
technology and development.”
Meanwhile the president has said that he looked forward to meeting
his Venezuelan counterpart, President Hugo Chavez, soon to discuss
the current global energy situation as well as lay a framework for
enhanced bilateral relations.
Bidding the out-going Venezuelan Ambassador to Nigeria , Dr. Boris
Henrique Martinez, farewell in State House, Abuja , Yar’Adua said
that such a meeting had become imperative because “fingers are being
pointed at our two countries as a result of the energy situation in
the world.”
The President while acknowledging that both countries have common
responsibility to improving the welfare of their peoples stressed
the need for “much greater cooperation and collaboration especially
in the petroleum sector.”
He wished the outgoing Ambassador well in his future endeavours and
urged him to continue to promote the interests of Nigeria .
Dr. Martinez thanked the government and people of Nigeria for making
his two-year stay in the country a happy one.
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