The Federal Government has taken significant steps to improve Nigeria’s global competitiveness status through the use of Science Technology and Innovation (STI) in order to attract foreign exchange earnings.
Indications to this development emerged on Tuesday during the flag of the National Dialogue on the Establishment and Implementation of Technology and Innovation centres for Global Competitiveness and Productivity in Abuja.
Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Dr. Adeleke Olorunnimbe Mamora, who declared the dialogue open, said that STI is key to economic recovery and growth. He added that the economic transformation of the country should be a measure of readiness to move the nation to greater heights.
Dr.Adeleke noted that the theme of the flag-off “Achieving Nigeria’s Competitiveness and Improved Foreign Exchange Earnings through Science, Technology and Innovation” is very apt, and will support the monetary, fiscal as well as trade policies of the government for a better and improved economy.
He stressed that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari “had shown improved governmental responses to change, and collaboration between government, investors and firms thereby enhanced social safety net protection and sound financial institutional framework tailored towards economic transformation of the country.”
The Minister, according to a statement issued from the Press and Public Relations unit of the Ministry, stated further that “Innovation ecosystems of the country are geared towards generation of ideas, translation into products, and the commercialization of products on a large scale.”
Adeleke stressed that the success of this is dependent on several factors such as strong knowledge-generation areas, universities, research centers and laboratories. He added that active collaborations between these knowledge centers and commercial businesses is yet to be improved upon.
Speaking earlier, the Minister of State for Science, Technology and Innovation, Henry Ikechukwu Ikoh, said that the government is prepared to make a drastic effort and commitment towards developing its indigenous STI to enable the country to look inwards for technological breakthroughs.
The National Coordinator for Strategy Implementation Task Office for Presidential Executive Order NO.5, Engr. Ibiam Oguejiofor, in his remarks, noted that one of the objectives of the Executive OrderNO.5 is to propagate the vital role of STI in National Economic Development, particularly, in the area of promoting ‘’made in Nigeria goods and services’’.
In his goodwill message, the Commissioner for Science and Technology, Bayelsa State Dr. Promise Ekio called on the Federal government to use the Executive Order NO.5 platform to integrate modular refineries into the system to curb vandalization and oil theft in the oil and gas industries.
Also speaking, the representative of UNESCO regional office, Abuja, Ofure Blessed Aikhakhomon, said that UNESCO is ready to collaborate with the Ministry so as to sustain the STI goals and drive development in the country.
