FG committed to scientific innovation – Minister

Mamora stated this in Abuja during 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.”

The event held which held at the Innov8 Hub along the Airport Road, Abuja, had in attendance, innovators and scholars.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Mrs Monilola Udoh, Mamora also said TETFAIR was timely and in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s executive Order-5 geared towards the entrenchment of science, technology and innovation in everyday life to achieve national growth.

According to Mamora, “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 the 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.”

Mamora further said COVID-19 was responsible for countries’ elevation of science and technology innovations worldwide.

He also advocated that more should be done through research to enable nations to cope in post-COVID-19 period.

On his part, the Minister of State, Education, Goodluck Opiah, while inaugurating the TEFAIR, said the initiative was capable of generating useful ideas that could drive national growth.

Opiah said: “This initiative could enhance and boost exchange of ideas, as well as facilitate effective use of technology-based ideas, knowledge and innovation for education policy formulation and implementation.

“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.”

Speaking earlier, the Communications Advisor, Innov8 Hub, Deji Ige, disclosed that 72 prototypes have been developed and were available for commercialisation since the inception of the Hub in 2019.

Ige also said that 150 innovators, inventors and venture creators, including academics and researchers, have benefited from the mentoring.

“We have been involved in the emergence of 15 solid start-ups. 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.

Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of TETFund Mr Sonny Echono, said TETFAIR is a programme conducted by TETFund in collaboration with Innov8 Hub.

“The programme is designed to support the advancement of solution-driven research, innovation and sustainable development in Nigeria,” Echono stated.

While saying that TETFAIR is aimed at providing unique opportunities for academics and researchers in Nigerian higher institutions, Echono also said it was for the academia to transform their ideas into market-driven solutions, including the development and fabrication of prototypes.

-sun