By Olukayode Idowu
The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Adeleke Mamora has said the Federal Government would always remain committed to the use of scientific innovations to drive national growth.
Mamora said this on Wednesday in Abuja while presenting his address at the inaugural ceremony of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) Alliance for Innovation Research (TETFAIR) with the theme: “Translating ideas into innovation, solution and enterprise.”
Mamora, who was represented the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Science,Technology and Innovation, Mrs Monilola Udoh, said TETFAIR is apt in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s executive Order-5, in entrenching science, technology and innovation in everyday life to achieve national growth.
He said: “The executive order number five has laid a proper foundation for an industrial, diversified, self-sustaining economy.
“It is a step towards the sustainable path and to a future in which wholesale importation of consumption of foreign technology is reduced.
“It has equally laid the foundation for the provision for development of science and technology in Nigeria.
“Apart from encouraging the teaching of science and technology in all schools, the Federal Government has ensured promotion and support research via creating policies to promote them.
“The transfer of knowledge, skills and solutions in the science and technology fields can have a profound and lasting impact on the development trajectories of nations and peoples.”
The Minister observed that COVID-19 contributed to countries’ elevation of science and technology innovations globally, adding that more should be done through research to enable nations to cope in post-COVID19 era.
While inaugurating the TEFAIR, Mr Goodluck Opiah, Minister of State for Education, said the TETFAIR initiative is capable of generating useful ideas that could drive national growth.
He said: “This initiative could enhance and boost exchange of ideas, as well as facilitiate effective use of technology based ideas, knowledge and innovation for education policy formulation and implementation.”
He added that “It will indeed promote collaboration among MDAs, as well as the private sectors in Nigeria, by this sustainable development will be entrenched in all spheres of national architecture.”
“It is my belief that this will help in identifying gaps and other challenges, as well as proffer solutions on ways to scale up innovations that will unlock rapid and sustainable chains towards current global demands,” Opiah said.
In his remarks, Deji Ige, Communications Advisor of Innov8 Hub, said that 72 prototypes have so far been developed and ready for commercialisation since the inception of the Hub in 2019.
According to him, 150 innovators, inventors and venture creators, including academics and researchers have benefited from the mentoring.
He said: “We have been involved in the emergence of 15 solid startups.
“On the backdrop of our impact on innovation and ecosystem in Nigeria, the U.S. Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken visited Innov8 Hub during his official trip to Nigeria in November, 2021,” Ige said.
On his part, the Executive Secretary of TETFund Mr Sonny Echono described TETFAIR as a programme conducted by TETFund in collaboration with Innov8 Hub.
He said: “The programme is designed to support the advancement of solution driven research, innovation and sustainable development in Nigeria.”
He noted that TETFAIR is aimed at providing unique opportunities for our academics and researchers in Nigerian Universities to transform their ideas into market driven solutions, including the development and fabrication of prototypes.