Minister emphasises need to commercialise research findings

Minister emphasises need to commercialise research findings

Expo
By Sylvester Thompson
Abuja, March 12, 2020(NAN) Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, Minister of Science and Technology, says Nigeria needs to translate ideas into products and services that are needed most in the market place by commercialisation of research findings.
The Minister said this on Thursday in Abuja while briefing newsmen on the Science and Technology Innovation Expo scheduled to take place from March 16 to March 20 in Abuja.
Onu disclosed that there were many research findings available in a number of research institutes in the country which investors needed to see.
He said he wanted the investors to find a way to convert such research findings into products so that the country could be self sufficient and produce the things imported into the country.
“ Nigeria is a great nation and we cannot continue to be importing things from other countries. We must be in a position to replace many of the things we buy from outside.
“We want to produce many of the things we need in Nigeria and then export the surplus to other nations,’’ the Minister said.
Onu emphasised that it needed to be so because, “we have the largest market in this continent and we have one of the largest population in the world.’’
He also noted that Nigeria must strive to grow its export market and continue with President Muhammadu Buhari’s efforts to diversify the economy.
According to him, country’s economy since independence remained a mono product economy due to the reliance on agricultural products.
“But now we need to use our brains to add value to all these products and then convert our cocoa, for example to chocolate, convert our palm oil to so many chemicals etc,’’ he said.
The Minister said the Science and Technology Innovation Expo coming up “is a very important event, not just for science and technology but for the nation’’.
Onu stressed that he was drawing the attention of the nation to this very important event which had been taking place since he became Minister.
According to him, the expo was not a trade fair but an opportunity for all inventors and innovators to exhibit their products.
He added that these inventors and innovators consisted of those from the government and private sectors, to universities, polytechnics and secondary school pupils.
He said there shall be young Nigerians at the expo coming to showcase their creativity, intelligence and passion for science and technology.
He said these were ready to contribute to the greatness of the nation and they would be brought together to be in contact with investors for the purpose of commercialisation of their inventions.(NAN)
SET/DCU
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Edited by Donald Ugwu