FG to establish Technology innovation hubs at 6 Geopolitical Zones of the country – Minister.
The minister of Science , Technology and innovation Dr Ogbonnaya Onu says Federal Government has mapped out blue print of establishing six technology innovation hubs in the six Geopolitical Zones of the country, with the aim of producing made in nigerian products,so that they can compete with global Market.
Dr Ogbonnaya Onu stated this when he paid a courtesy Call at Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje at Government House Kano.
He said the administration of president Mohammadu Buhari had planned to Established the Northwest Technology and Innovation hub in Kano the state ,saying Kano state was the Commercial Center of the Nation.
The minister maintained that the objectives of his visit to Kano was Sensitize and rub minds with university Communities and relevant stakeholders in the zone,geared towards ensuring that the stated Goals were Achieved.
Dr Ogbonnaya Onu decried the manner at which research findings in the country have remained in the shelves and laboratories and not been put to use as the various stakeholders work in isolation.
“We have also seen that our research institutes, agencies, universities, polytechnics carry out research on their own without interactions between them. So, we are out to promote that interaction between the stakeholders as well as the governments and industries.
Let the research carried out in the research institutes be driven by the need of the industries. By the time that is done, industries will be willing to commercialize and convert such findings into products and services”.
“For that reason, we want to establish six technology and innovation centers for global competitiveness in the six geopolitical zones with that of the Northwest in Kano State”.
“With this, SMEs will spring up in the country, they will grow into medium scale and large scale and through that eradicate poverty in the country”
“Mr. President has said that as many as 100 million nigerians will be lifted out of poverty in 10 years.
Responding, Governor Ganduje said technology and innovation centre is surest ways of turning the large population Nigeria have into asset instead of liability.
“Kano State is the most populous state with highest number of youths and a commercial nerve centre of Nigeria and some West African countries. By implication, we have the highest number of youths in the country. So we are vulnerable if we don’t make our population a quality and an asset instead it will become a liability”
He Commended the Minister for selecting Kano State as the location for establishing the hub for the North West geopolitical zones.
Meanwhile, the minister held a meeting with the vice Chancellors of Bayero University Kano, Kano university of science and technology and North West University,at the Senate building of Bayero University Kano.
He also paid a courtesy visit to the emir of Kano Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero.
Abdullahi jalaluddeen
