FG To Establish Six Technology Innovation Centres

THE Federal Government says it plans to establish six technology and innovation hubs across the six geo-political zones of the country to commercialise and convert research findings into Nigerian products that can compete globally.

This is contained in statement by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, Abba Anwar and made available to newsmen in Kano on Tuesday.

Anwar stated that the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Ogbonnaya Onu, disclosed this during a courtesy visit to Ganduje on plans to establish the Northwest hub in the state.

He said the minister regretted that research findings in the country had remained in the shelves and laboratories and not being put to use as the various stakeholders work in isolation.

He said, “We have seen that we have so many research findings from our laboratories end up in the laboratories and not judiciously put to use. Very often the researchers, scientist, engineers use these findings for career advancement, write academic papers and get promoted. But what the nation needs is more than that. The nation needs the commercialization of the findings and converting them into products and services that we need in our country because that is the only way we can reduce importation of goods into our country and even export the surplus. By doing so, it will create more jobs, wealth and eradicate poverty.

“We have also seen that our research institutes, agencies, universities, polytechnics carry out research on their own without interactions between them. So, we are out to promote that interaction between the stakeholders as well as the governments and industries. Let the research carried out in the research institutes be driven by the need of the industries. By the time that is done, industries will be willing to commercialize and convert such findings into products and services. For that reason, we want to establish six technology and innovation centers for global competitiveness in the six geopolitical zones with that of the Northwest in Kano State.”

The minister was quoted to have said that with the establishment of the centres, there would be more SMEs across the country.

“They will grow into medium scale and large scale and through that eradicate poverty in the country. Mr. President has said that as many as 100 million Nigerians will be lifted out of poverty in 10 years. China just reported that no extreme poverty in it country. This is what they did. We have all it takes to do same. Each states has mineral resources it can depend on. So in the town hall meeting, we will how to harness the potentials of their mineral resources,” Onu said.