The Federal Ministry of Science and Technology has budgeted the sum of N1bn to be spent in 2018 on the establishment of a science, technology and innovation television station in Abuja.” This was contained in the 2018 Appropriation Bill laid by President Muhammadu Buhari before the National Assembly.
The ministry is currently defending its proposed budget before the Senate Committee on Science and Technology. Nigeria Television Authority is the Federal Government -owned national television station but the ministry plans to have a different one.
In the proposed budget, the ministry also voted about N 24.5 m to set up a call centre, a project said to be ongoing". In addition, the ministry proposed N15.5m for science, technology and innovation journals". The same ministry also voted N 40 m for purchase of specialised computers specification for crime mapping".
It also voted N 56 m for the "identification of available bio resources" while another N 30 m will be spent on identification of new and potential bio resources markets.”A source in the Senate, who was shocked by the proposed projects, their purposes and the amounts voted to them, said the committee might reallocate the funds to more critical projects"
Source: Punch
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