Communiqué – 3rd Annual ISCEST Nigeria Conference
Communiqué
3rd Annual International Society of Comparative Education, Science & Technology, Nigeria
Presidential Hotel, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria
04 – 08 December, 2016
The theme for ISCEST’s 3rd ISCEST Conference was Science and Technology, Education and National Development. The conference was held on 04 – 08 December, 2016. Keynote addresses were given by Professor Victor Nobuo Kobayashi, Professor Emeritus of Educational Foundations at the University of Hawaii and President of World Comparative and International Education Society 2006, Professor Charl Wolhuter, President of Southern African Comparative and History of Education Society (SACHES) and Professor Bernard Efiuvwevwere, Professor of Microbiology and Former Deputy Vice Chancellor, University of Port Harcourt. Among other notable presenters were Professor Lale, Vice Chancellor University of Port Harcourt and Prof. Edmund Allison-Oguru, who represented Former President of Nigeria, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. This conference followed the 1st and 2nd Conferences which were convened on 7—12 December, 2014 and 10—14 December, 2015 at the Institute of Science & Technology (IST). IST is a new interdisciplinary research-led institute dedicated to applied research and education in science and technology.
The conference participants deliberated on a variety of challenges and problems that frustrate the processes that lead to education attainment and national development. ISCEST seeks to bring these issues to the attention of the relevant government and non-government bodies by setting up meetings and seminars. The agenda focuses on the nature of the said challenges and problems and how best to ameliorate them. ISCEST also intends to use its educational activities to empower today’s youths, who are tomorrow’s leaders, to make meaningful contributions that will promote national development with respect to educational and ecological sustainability.
ISCEST’s concerns are not unfounded. They are based on rigorous research activities in areas of education, science and technology. The analyses and subsequent recommendations from these investigations are made in the spirit of the Federal Ministry of Education’s (FME) mission statement and the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s (FRN) 20/20 Vision. ISCEST is therefore committed to encouraging researchers to report on findings of specific investigations that will not only identify specific problems, but will also suggests ways in which these problems can be tackled, and ultimately, solved for the benefit and advancement of the Nigerian people. It is against this backdrop that ISCEST submits this communiqué:
- ISCEST welcomes the results of the research work carried out by the conference participants. There is unanimous agreement to take recommendations and related suggestions to the relevant government and non-governmental bodies, community organizations and concerned citizens.
- ISCEST recognizes the need to carry the concerns forward with a view to having them addressed by the said bodies, associations and individuals. The following summarized points are the nature of some of the issued raised:
- the need for quality assurance with respect to teacher education and training;
- the emphasizing of sustainable education and development as a means to keep Nigeria ecologically balanced;
- the utilization of leadership, mentorship development, institutional integrity, expanded capacity and alignment in decision-making processes;
- the reforming of the education curriculum to accommodate African indigenous knowledge;
- the need to focus on entrepreneurship as a means of economic growth for Nigeria;
- the increasing of budgetary allocation to subsectors for improving the water supply;
- the need to sustain Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) for economic development in Bayelsa State;
- a dire need to reduce financial loss to farmers by preventing the spoilage of vegetables;
- an imperative to address coagulation, factor and fibrinolytic screening to improve the health of diabetic patients;
- the paying of attention to reducing heavy metal content in the soil in order to increase soil fertility;
- a critical need to treat spring water before human consumption to decrease bacteria diseases;
- the increase in microalgae cultivation to be used as an alternative source of fuel and industrial feedstock;
- the giving of consideration to controlling losses due to post-harvest and storage diseases of yams; and
- the paying of attention to the polymerization of gaseous olefins to yield more gasoline.
ISCEST promises to continue to play an important role in helping researchers to raise awareness of the many preoccupations that adversely affect Nigerian communities, and therefore reasserts its commitment to disseminating concerns to the authorities, via similar communiqués. To this end, ISCEST seeks to have synergy and collaboration between ISCEST and policy makers, government and non-government personnel, community groups and organizations and concerned citizens. In this regard, ISCEST welcome advocacy and sponsorship.
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