ASLTON National Chairman Welcomes Participants at the Annual National Conference
In his welcome address at the 40th annual national conference of the Association of Science Laboratory Technologists of Nigeria (ASLTON) in collaboration with the Nigerian Institute of Science Laboratory Technology (NISLT), held in Rivers State, the President of ASLTON, Pastor Ayotunde Omorilewa, remarked that the SLT profession had come a long way and had weathered so many storms within the period of its existence and still has very many challenges ahead to overcome in the future. He stated that the profession may not have been where it ought to be, however, the profession is on the right path and at this stage one thing he said, is certain and that is victory and proper recognition for the SLT profession, emphasizing that the time is ripe for the SLT professionals to begin to reap the dividend of all their past efforts and sowing.
National President, ASLTON, Ayotunde Omorilewa, Giving his Welcome Address
Pastor Ayotunde Omorilewa opined that this conference could not have come at a better time, with the theme “Efficient Policy Matrix: A Pathway to Sustainability and Productivity of the Science Laboratory Profession”.
It became pertinent for the ASLTON national president to state that in the last two years of this conference, ASLTON had gained leverage from all angles, and it was high time they capitalized on those gained leverages and began to invent and innovate technology. For instance, he said, over sixty papers were presented at the conference held two years ago and last year, they had over one hundred papers presented. Already, he stated that he is aware that there are over one hundred papers in line for presentations at this conference. The national president of ASLTON informed the participants at the conference that the program for this year is seeking to move research work from the four walls of the Laboratory into the public domain, where it will help to improve the lives of mankind and all that is associated with mankind. He said this will be possible with an enabling policy in place.
He further stated that a nation that lacks an appropriate policy will not succeed in improving the lives of its citizenry, stressing that policy is the oil that allows the government machinery at all levels to run effortlessly. Pastor Ayotunde Omorilewa also said it is not sufficient to have a policy in place; the government must develop the political will to make the policy efficient, and beyond that, Science Laboratory Technology practitioners must make the policies productive.
The national president, ASLTON, insisted that this is a fit that is attainable if governments at all levels would do more to encourage economic sustainability by introducing more policies that will move the country from a largely consuming and importing nation to a producing nation and exporting one at that. Secondly, he said that the government should set up a committee to harmonize policies and remove conflicting policies that are inimical to the progress of technological expertise in Nigeria and that the Laboratory technologists should strive and move their research work beyond the Laboratory into the industry.
While concluding, Pastor Ayotunde Omorilewa, implored all the participants at the annual national conference to go home from this year’s conference with a mind to become innovators and inventors.
