Friday, 29th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search

Govt woos scientific inventors

By Emeka Anuforo, Abuja
09 March 2016   |   11:45 pm
As part of its recent efforts towards diversifying the nation’s economy and creating wealth, the Federal Government has made a call to all investors with viable inventions...
Director General of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) Abuja, Dr. Seidu Oneilo Mohammed (right); Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu; and the prototype auto piloted airplane inventor, Aghogho Ajiyen, at the Federal Secretariat Abuja where the investor demonstrated the technology to the Minister and workers PHOTO: EMEKA ANUFORO

Director General of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) Abuja, Dr. Seidu Oneilo Mohammed (right); Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu; and the prototype auto piloted airplane inventor, Aghogho Ajiyen, at the Federal Secretariat Abuja where the investor demonstrated the technology to the Minister and workers PHOTO: EMEKA ANUFORO

• Ministry to host National Miniature Air Show Festival as made in Nigeria airplane delights Abuja residents

As part of its recent efforts towards diversifying the nation’s economy and creating wealth, the Federal Government has made a call to all investors with viable inventions to come forward and showcase them before the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Government said it would support such investors with deepen research, patent their products, and possibly link them to the production industry.

Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, gave this indication when he received two young Nigerian inventors who developed innovative technologies in a self-operated airplane and drone.

The prototype auto-piloted airplane was the cynosure of all eyes at the Federal Secretariat as the investor demonstrated the technology to the Minister and workers at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja.

Expressing obvious excitement at the capacity of the self-propelled airplane technology; Onu urged innovators to step forward with the products for assessment and promotion.

Onu said: “We have very intelligent people in our country. The mineral resources we have in Nigeria are not really the strength of the nation, but we the people. Today we have listened very attentively to two Nigerian inventors who had a dream and walked very hard to realize that dream. I want to assure you that the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology (FMST) will support all of your handwork and assure all Nigerians that any Nigerian that has any good idea, the Ministry will always give support to make sure that that idea becomes a product or a service in the market place that will be of tremendous benefits to our people and our nation.

“This ministry has the mandate to ensure that nation will no longer be a consumer nation, we are tired being just consumers consuming what other people produce, we want to produce ourselves, we want to produce to meet our needs in the nation, to export to other countries, we want to be inventors, innovators, we need to create new technologies, so that we can’t continue to copy what other people have done.”

He promised to provide government support to organize the first National Miniature Air Show Festival. He commended the airplane inventor, Aghogho Ajiyen, and the drone technology developer, Aoyla Olaolu, for their creativity. He promised government’s support for their efforts.

He said; “We also want other people to come and take what we are doing in
Nigeria. I thank you so much and assure you that the FMST will provide funding for the first National Miniature Air show Festival

“We will set up small group here in the ministry, then we will work with you to make sure that this festival is a reality and for both of you will get some of our agency to also work with you in accelerating the work that you doing. The most important thing is that we are resolved to make sure that we assist all Nigerians that we still have some genius that has the spirit of innovation and invention but also encourage you to ensure that you pertinent the work that you’ve done.

“All the cost for the work would be paid by the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) as you will not be asked to pay anything and also for the invention to be protected.”

Meanwhile, government wants investors to move from local assembling of cars to actual production.

Onu, who spoke when he received the Stallion Group in Abuja, said that that local production should be backed with local content raw materials utilization to boost the economy conserve foreign exchange and create jobs for young people.

The Minister, who received a delegation from the company in Abuja, said such a move would improve the profitability of the firm and also boost government’s revenue.

Onu who reiterated the commitment of the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration to create jobs through local production of goods, said Nigeria could no longer afford to be an importing nation

According to him, “The Federal Ministry of Science and Technology is working to encourage manufacturing. As of now they assemble, which means the vehicle is knockdown, you bring the parts here and fit them together. But all the components are coming from outside.

“But when you manufacture, because a vehicle has over 1000 component parts and each of these component parts can keep a business going and that is what will help our economy grow. That is what will help us create jobs.

“That is why we have brought many of agencies to the meeting. Take for example our leather making agency in Zaria, they have done a lot of research in leather making and cooperation between the institute and the Stallion group will be very helpful”.

Onu explained that the Raw Material Research council has done a lot of research that developed break pad from palm kernel shells, “the shells that we normally throw away. There is much money to be made in this country. Many things that we discard can give us a lot of money”, he added.

0 Comments