Wanted: A new
Wanted: A new Narrative for Science
Communication
By Abdulsalam Mahmud
Has Nigeria fully tapped the immeasurable potential of science
to fast-track socio-economic growth for its citizenry? Eminent
research-academics at the launching of the ‘African Science
Literacy Network’ (ASLN) in Abuja recently, have unanimously said
capital ‘NO’.
They submitted that the impact of science in the life of any
nation is not only immeasurable, but cannot be over-emphasized.
They argued that lack of enabling environment to carry out
groundbreaking research, poor funding, low media coverage, lack of
science-exposure by journalists, absence of offices or units of
science communication in Nigerian universities, poor research
infrastructure, obsolete laboratory equipment, lack of effective
curriculum on science communication, poor motivation, and lack of
interest for science by policy makers, among other mitigating
factors, have remained the major challenges hindering science
education and serving as drawbacks for scientific development in
the country.
They however, advocated for a change in the narrative of science
communication especially in the media, while pointing out that
Nigeria can speedily attain accelerated socio-cultural growth if
science is accorded a deserving priority attention by both the
Federal and States’ Government.
This was at a three-day ‘Science Communication and Journalism
Workshop’ organized by the Teaching and Research in Natural
Sciences for Development in Africa’ (TReND).
ASLN is an initiative of TReND in Africa, in collaboration with
the University of Sussex, Francis Crick Institute (London), Yerwa
Express News and Science Communication Hub Nigeria.
74 selected Nigerian journalists and scientists were trained on
how to effectively engage the public, while also sharpening their
science communication skills at the workshop held at Rockview
Hotel, in Abuja.
The participants were thereafter inducted as Fellows of the
Literacy Network, and presented certificates during the grand
finale of the workshop.
According to Dr. Mahmoud Bukar Maina, TReND’s Director for
Outreach, the event was aimed at equipping participants with the
requisite knowledge of science reporting, research techniques and
how to bridge the gap between science, media and society.
Mahmoud, who is also the Founder of Science Communication hub in
Nigeria, in an address of welcome to herald the opening of the
workshop, explained that since journalists have more access to the
public, there must be a collaboration between them and scientists
for effective communication of groundbreaking research findings by
the later.
“To take the African continent to the next level demands that we
first liberate science. Science is everything: from economics,
wealth creation to just everything, you cannot do without science,”
he asserted, adding that it is the reason why TReND in Africa is at
the fore front of ‘advocating, campaigning for and promoting
science.’
Dr. Mahmoud, a Research Fellow at the University of Sussex, said
despite the frightening scale of cultural and religious
misconceptions about science, forging a robust partnership between
scientists and journalists, which the workshop seeks to achieve,
will go a long way to help tackle the problem.
“I strongly belief that establishing a symbiotic partnership
between scientists and journalists will help in addressing the
pubic misconceptions about science, which is affecting livelihood
and potential of Nigeria in science and technology,” he added.
In a paper titled: “Science as driver of development: The
importance of communication,” Prof. Isa Husseini Marte, urged
government and other relevant stakeholders to prioritize scientific
research in order to fast-track national development, saying
‘science is what develops the world.’
While decrying the abysmal level of
funding for research in Nigeria, Marte, a Professor of Pharmacology
at the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), disclosed that the United
States (US) spends about three percent of its Gross Domestic
Product (GDP), which is $529 billion, on research development.
“Our country, Nigeria, has a long way to go with only 0.3
percent from its GDP set aside for research, in which TETFUND spent
just N3 billion naira in 3 to 5 years,” he said, before adding
that: “It seems we do not know the value of Research and
Development (R&D). Everyone in Nigeria is only interested in
the finished product. No one is interested in research. Not the
federal government, states’ government or even TETFUND.”
Prof. Marte, who is also the Commissioner of Higher Education in
Borno State, explained that without research and development,
Nigeria is doomed as a nation and society, saying countries that
have advanced technologically talk, eat and breathe science.
He said: “We have to put our house in order if we want to talk
about science and research. Money needs to be pumped into research.
If we want to do research, someone must come out with the money.
And the first place is government, then the private sector. Any
country that does not prioritize research and development is doomed
to fail.”
The Chairman of the ceremony and Governor of Yobe State, Hon.
Mai Mala Buni, noted that there is no better time to establish a
synergy between scientists and journalists considering the pace of
development worldwide.
Gov. Buni, who disclosed that his administration has made
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) a top
priority, said he also declared a state of emergency on education
in order to raise the standard of the education sector, and also
encourage the studies of science in the state.
On his part, Mr. Bitrus Bako Nabasu, Permanent Secretary of the
Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, appealed to Nigerian
scientists to stop keeping their innovations to themselves or their
laboratories, but rather project and market their innovations to
the world.
Represented by Dr. Rose Gidado, a Deputy Director at the
Department of Agricultural Biotechnology (NABDA), Nabasu, said:
“Scientists need to be encouraged to showcase their amazing
research findings to the public. African scientists need to
comprehend the central role of science and communication in
societal development.”
The Editor-in-Chief of DailyTrust newspaper, Manir Dan Ali,
urged scientists to cultivate the habit of reaching out to
journalists so as to effectively communicate their works, and also
explain vital scientific phenomena.
Dan Ali, said it is quite unfortunate that journalists write
health reports with phrases such as a “mysterious illness” or
“strange disease” because the scientists and medical experts are
not readily available to explain the phenomenon to them.
In a chat with PRNigeria[1], Abdulhamid Al-Gazali of
Yerwa Express News, underscored the need for the conversation on
science communication to be sustained on various media platforms
and campuses of the journalists and scientists who attended the
workshop.
The duo of Ruth Larbey, a researcher at the University of West
England, and Dr. Katy Petherick, a don at the University of Sussex,
in the United Kingdom (UK), called for an attitudinal
re-orientation on the part of journalists. This, according to them,
will enable journalists report scientific breakthroughs and
innovations clearly to the public.
They also called on scientists to develop and nurture a
harmonious relationship with the media, while urging Nigerian
universities, polytechnics and research institutes to frequently
organize science expos, workshops and seminars for scientists and
erudite academics to showcase their innovative research
products.
By Abdulsalam Mahmud
A Staff Writer with Image Merchants Promotion Ltd