04 Aug 2016

The Ministry of Infrastructure, Science and Technology will this month stage various events to commemorate the science, technology and innovation (STI) month. The commemoration month kick-started in Gaborone on Tuesday.

Giving a keynote address at the launch, Assistant Minister of Education and Skills Development, Mr Fidelis Molao, expressed concern that Botswana lagged behind in technology and innovation despite efforts from government to facilitate growth of the sector. 

He said the situation was caused by the unsatisfactory number of students enrolling for mathematics and science courses in tertiary education institutions.

“Without producing sufficient number of graduate in pure sciences and mathematics we cannot expect to turn around the innovation sector. We therefore need to develop courage among our students to study science and mathematics,” Mr Molao said.

He pointed that the technology and innovation sector can offer more opportunities of diversifying the economy if it is fully developed.

Minister of Infrastructure, Science and Technology Mr Nonofo Molefhi said developing skilled personnel in science and technology fields will spearhead the transformation of Botswana into a knowledge society.

He further said establishing strong university-industry research collaboration can lead to development of a national culture of research.

“Botswana has great potential to find a place in the global scientific and economic arena if we can appropriately harness the human resources,” Mr Molefhi said.

Permanent Secretary in the ministry of Infrastructure, Science and Technology Mr Dikagiso Mokotedi, explained that the Science, Technology and Innovation month was inaugurated in August last year with an idea to embrace science, technology and innovation.

He said Botswana has capacity to compete with the rest of the world in science and technology orientated development because the country has capacity to produce things that can be exported to the rest of the world. ENDS