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The Federal Government has pledged continued support for home-grown technological innovation as the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) disclosed that it has facilitated the establishment of 20 factories and developed more than 40 products in about two years.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, gave the assurance on Tuesday in Abuja while receiving the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NASENI, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, his management team and winners of the NASENI Innovation Assessment and Award Competition.
Akume said the Federal Government remained committed to creating an enabling environment for local research, technological advancement and sustainable development, describing innovation as critical to addressing some of Nigeria’s most pressing national challenges.
He said the innovations emerging from the competition had significant implications for Nigeria’s security, food sovereignty and healthcare systems, adding that the country possessed enormous human capital capable of competing globally.
The SGF particularly commended NASENI for organising innovation competitions involving federal civil and public servants as well as Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), saying the initiative had demonstrated the potential of Nigerians to develop practical solutions to national problems.
According to him, the transparent and non-partisan nature of the selection process would encourage more Nigerians, particularly young people, to come forward with ideas, confident that they could compete on merit.
“Nigeria has talents. I don’t doubt about that. Wherever you go in the world, Nigerians are recognized as people with lot of talents and people with a great future,” Akume said.
He expressed optimism that sustained investment in science, engineering and innovation could propel Nigeria into more advanced areas of technology in the future.
“Tomorrow, who knows, Nigeria can manufacture rockets that can send people to the moon. And this can be the courtesy of NASENI,” the SGF said.
Akume said the quality of innovations being developed by Nigerian researchers and young innovators underscored the need for sustained government support, insisting that the country’s technological future would depend largely on its ability to identify, nurture and commercialise local ideas.
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Earlier, Halilu said NASENI’s innovation drive was designed not only to develop technological products but also to ensure that innovators acquired the business and commercial skills required to transform their ideas into viable enterprises.
He said technical expertise alone was insufficient for innovation to achieve its full economic potential, stressing the need for innovators to also understand accounting, marketing and business development.
Halilu disclosed that NASENI had facilitated the establishment of 20 factories across the country and developed over 40 products within approximately two years as part of efforts to move research and innovation from the laboratory into commercially viable solutions.
He added that the agency was also investing in programmes aimed at identifying and nurturing innovators from an early age.
One of such initiatives, he said, is the Future Makers Programme, targeted at children between the ages of five and 15 to stimulate interest in science, technology, engineering and innovation.
The meeting also featured presentations by representatives of the six winners of the NASENI Innovation Competition, showcasing inventions designed to tackle practical challenges.
A team from the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) demonstrated a Security Jacket equipped with technology capable of enabling real-time communication with security agencies’ command-and-control centres.
The innovation, according to the presentation, could improve coordination and response capabilities in security operations.
Another winning team from NASENI unveiled a commercial electronic platform designed to provide MDAs with a digital marketplace to promote and market their goods and services.
