The Federal Ministry of Science and Technology says it is working on plans to build the desired forum to
upgrade President Muhammad Buhari ‘s search for the next 10 years to bring 100 million Nigerians out of poverty.
The Minister, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, said this in Abuja at the inauguration of a Technical Committee to improve the commercialization
of research products by the Ministry to quickly monitor the actualization of the dream of Nigeria to become a self-reliant country.
He said that the benefits of research can only be reaped if it is completely
commercialized, adding that, in that regard, the Ministry will work with the organized private sector.
Onu said the ministry will work hard to use its research findings as a
catalyst for the realization of government plans to bring 100 million Nigerians out of poverty.
He claimed that all sectors of the economy were protected by research products from the 17
agencies under the ministry and that the ministry was well placed to turn around the economy.
According to him, since more products would be manufactured indigenously,
the commercialisation of research outputs is critical for economic growth.
He added that part of the projected research production benefits included food sufficiency
and export surpluses, resulting in a substantial reduction in imports from other countries.
Onu said the marketing of research outputs would generate more
jobs for Nigerians as well as reduce the country’s job deficit.
Though expressing trust in the committee members, he urged
them to digitally execute the mission and make Nigeria proud.
Prof. Okechukwu Ukwuoma, Chairman of the Committee and Director General of the National Technology Management Centre (NACETEM), said
in his remarks that the commercialization of research outputs was essential to the developmental ambitions of the country.
Ukwuoma said that the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs) were focused on
technological innovations, stressing that in its desire for self-sufficiency, Nigeria leveraged this in an important way.
He told the committee that it
will aim to attain its mandate.
Source: NNN
