By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government is to establish six technology and innovation hubs in each of the geo-political zones of the country to commercialize and convert research findings into Nigerian products that can compete globally.
This was contained in a statement by Mr Abba Anwar, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Kano State, Mr Abdullahi Ganduje, on Tuesday.
Mr Anwar quoted the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Mr Ogbonnaya Onu, as saying when he paid a courtesy visit to Mr Abdullahi Ganduje, the Governor of Kano State for sensitization of relevant stakeholders.
The Minister decried that research findings in the country have remained on the shelves and laboratories and are not being put to use as the various stakeholders’ work in isolation, noting that the tech hubs would change the narrative.
According to him, “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, scientists, 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 the 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 centres for global competitiveness in the six geopolitical zones with that of the Northwest in Kano State.
“With this, SMEs will spring up in 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 its country. This is what they did. We have all it takes to do the same.
“Each state has mineral resources it can depend on. So in the town hall meeting, we will how to harness the potentials of their mineral resources,” Mr Onu maintained.
