The Association of Science Laboratory Technologists of Nigeria (ASLTON), University of Ibadan Branch held its 4th Biennial Conference/workshop between Tuesday, December 19 and 21, 2023, at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the nation’s Premier University. The conference’s theme is “Sustainable Laboratory Practice: A Key In-Depth in Nanotechnology Research and Product Development for National Advancement”. The Conference, which drew participants from different tertiary institutions and government institutions in Nigeria has seven plenary sessions with 23 papers for presentation. One of the highlights of the conference is the launching of the Association Newsletter, named “The Laser”.
Welcoming the participants, ASLTON Chairperson, Elizabeth O. Joel, pointed out that the essence of the conference, which had its maiden edition in 2017, was to provide an avenue for the technologists to upgrade their knowledge about their profession.
She said, “Today, we converge here to interact and learn together in a trending research area which has to do with Nanotechnology. … All the topics of the previous conferences had been strategically coined around technologists and their role in the fields of science, technology, engineering and medicine. This is to enable members to stay focus with determination to bring required development to the nation’s technological advancement. The knowledge of yesteryear cannot sufficiently do the work of today except in terms of experience when needed. This is the reason why we are not relenting and resting on our oars as professionals, to seek adequate academic knowledge that sufficiently fits into technological advancement. To this end, about nine members of this branch convocated for their Masters of Science in different fields, and three members also concluded and defended their PhD programs in this last one year.”
In the same direction, the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), Adediran Victor, said that the conference was geared towards creating an awareness that technologists do not only stay in the laboratories, they equally relate with the town. Emphasising that Nanotechnology is a recent science that the government and general public must be aware of, he established that it has its application in every area of science.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Kayode Adebowale noted that the usefulness of Science Laboratory Technology (SLT) as a course is versatile and cuts across many prime sectors such as education, agriculture, industries, medicine, engineering, national security and ICT.
Adebowale, the chairman of the occasion represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Professor Aderonke M. Baiyeroju said that it is through the mandate of the Institute and by extension its professional members’ group that science laboratories are efficient and effectively managed in secondary schools, colleges of education, polytechnics, universities, research institutes and industries to ensure international best practices.
According to him, members of ASLTON assist in carrying out some of the mandates of the regulatory body, including the promotion of the highest standards of competence, practice, and conduct among the members of the profession, ensuring standard knowledge and exposure to equipment, practical and skills by technologists/scientists and students and researching in all the areas of science laboratory technology.
The Vice-Chancellor highlighted other mandates including organising appropriate on-the-job training for members of the profession, serving as a welfare group to secure, safeguard and advance the professional knowledge, right standing of professional etiquette, efficiency, and interests of the science laboratory technologists through the ASLTON 2006 constitution and NISLT Council established under section 4 of the Act and performing such roles that may advance and promote the advancement of the profession in both the public and private sectors of the economy.
He listed the objectives of the SLT programme to include the production of highly skilled, professionally competent laboratory technologists with practical and theoretical knowledge based on an interdisciplinary approach to sciences, the production of science laboratory technologists with the capacity to design, develop, test, produce, and maintain devices, systems, and products that are beneficial to the human race, and production of science laboratory technologists with the capacity to coordinate science-based experiments and research in the laboratories and workshops, among others.
In his short remark, the Chairman of the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), Comrade Paul Yahaya sees Nanotechnology as the next industrial revolution, affirming that medicine, food and cosmetics, agriculture and environmental health and technology industries arealready profiting from Nanotechnology innovations.
Yahaya concluded by calling on the management of all the institutions that are science and technology-based to provide an enabling environment/condition for the thriving of science and technology. “And this also includes motivating technologists in every aspect including their promotion as at when due as enshrined in the newly approved university scheme of service”, he concluded.
In his goodwill message, Dr Toyin Oguntunde from the Department of Computer Science stated that the place of the Association in medical health care, business, manufacturing, product development, automobile development and computing research is invaluable.
Oguntunde listed the areas where the SLT is useful including calibration of laboratory equipment, ensuring quality control of samples, liaison with laboratory supplies as required, supervision of medical laboratory technicians, performing laboratory tests, supervising laboratories in educational institutions, maintaining equipment inventory, preparing specimens and samples, cross-matching blood for transformation, and monitor patient outcomes.
He added, “Without these tactful functions, health will be at risk, and accuracy and precision in research, especially in this 21st century, will be impossible. No organisation, establishment, institutions’ research centres can pay for these invaluable services.”
In his PowerPoint presentation, the keynote speaker, Professor Lateef Agbaje of the Ladoke Akintola University (LAUTECH), Ogbomosho sectionalized his lecture into three, covering the introduction to Nanotechnology, the contribution of Nigeria to Nanotechnology and the sharing of the experience and contribution of his team about Nanotechnology.
Nanotechnology refers to the branch of science and engineering devoted to designing, producing, and using structures, devices, and systems by manipulating atoms and molecules at nanoscale, i.e. having one or more dimensions of the order of 100 nanometres (100 millionth of a millimetre) or less.
Berating the Federal Government of Nigeria for grossly underfunding education, and lack of attention to Nanotechnology, Agbaje said that it is a new technology that requires proper funding, training of people, active research groups and government agency to drive it.
According to him, “The ideal thing for the government to do is to increase funding for education in Nigeria. The government should not give less than 25 per cent of budgetary allocation to education. A country is as developed as the education of its citizens. If Nigeria does not up its game on Nanotechnology, Nigeria will become a dumping ground for nano base products and we will just be servicing other nations. The government must make a conscious effort to invest in nanotechnology.”
He held that nanotechnology is a versatile tool that the country can use to confront its insecurity, poor healthcare, and environmental degradation adding, “We can use nanotechnology as input to drive science technology and innovation for this country so that we can improve the quality of life and engender prosperity.”
Tracing the journey of Nanotechnology in Nigeria from 2006 when it started to date, he concludes “The summary is that we are not doing well in the area of nanotechnology even though we have a pocket of researchers in different universities in Nigeria and agencies of the government that are doing one thing or the other in the area of nanotechnology.”
Oyo State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Abdulwaheed Soliu represented by the Director of Applied Science and Technology, Idowu Adebayo Adekunle reiterated that the 21st century is characterised by advancement in science and technology.
He stated that for Nigeria to realise accelerated development in this 21st century, attention must be given to qualitative science education in our schools, particularly, senior secondary schools.
The commissioner said, “Over the last two decades, there have been repeated calls for reforms and innovations aimed at improving science education in Nigeria. This suggests that there are issues in science education in some of our states and the country at large that need to be improved upon. You will agree with me that science and technology education is of great relevance to every society, that provide for gainful employment to its teeming youth population, most especially when there is a high rate of unemployment, as we are currently experiencing in Nigeria. Self-reliance and sufficiency through technical and vocational education provide for better means of gainful employment to our youth than okada riding.”
He, therefore, emphasized that the role of science and technical education could not be overemphasized especially in this season of economic recession. He added that sciences played a major role in the manpower development, provision of technical knowledge and vocational education and training and impartation of necessary skills leading to the production of craftsmen, technicians and skilled personnel who will be enterprising and self-reliant.
