A Professor of Biochemistry, Sylvia Malomo of the Department of Biochemistry, University of Ilorin has called on Federal and State government to place first priority on education through adequate funding, particular in science and technology education, as well as holding National Research Agenda to formulate priorities.

Professor Malomo who made the call at the One hundred and Twenty-Seventh Inaugural lecture of the institution, said equipment for teaching and training are capital intensive.

She stressed that department of biochemistry across the country must be adequately equipped in order to aid teaching and research as it is practiced worldwide.

The Professor however called on NAFDAC, SON and other relevant agencies to ensure that new chemicals and pharmaceutical introduced into the Nigeria Markets are subjected to thorough toxicological evaluation to prevent health disaster.

Speaking on selves’ medication and the combining of herbal medicine with pharmaceuticals drugs for therapeutic purpose, Professor Malomo noted that it is dangerous as some toxic effects may not be reversible.

She,however, advised Nigerians to desist from such habit.

Malomo advocated for mutual interaction between scientific practitioners and traditional ones as part of measure to combat the menace, noting that government at all levels must urgently addressed issue of poverty, illiteracy, diseases, hunger, unemployment and poor government as part of measure to grow the country economy.

According to her, Nigeria has the largest population of about 160 million people being about three times that of south Africa, Gross Domestic Product of South Africa is about 12,000, while Nigeria’s is less than 10 per cent.

“If Nigeria must grow her economy and earn back much of the lost past glory such steps must be urgently taken,” he said.