‘Nigeria’ll attain global competitiveness through STI’

The Permanent Secretary (PS), Federal Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation Mr. Idowu Afe, has said that Nigeria must drive technology and innovation to be self reliant.

In his welcome address at the National Council for Science Technology and Innovation (NCSTI) in Abuja, Afe noted that as the bedrock of development, Africa needs to up its game in the technology space to be a able to compete with the rest of the world.

He stated that the ministry has a new mandate which is to facilitate the deployment of STI and enhance socio-economic development of the country, stressing that the country can only make a difference in her search for economic diversification by not only nurturing indigenous technology but creating new technology that will help improve its productivity.

The Permanent Secretary further stated that President Muhammadu Buhari had committed to invest in the development of STI by approving 0.5% of the nation’s GDP for research, development and Innovation for the purpose of adoption of Science Technology and Innovation for the purpose of adoption of Science Technology and Innovation in National life.

As a way forward, he said several policies has been developed by the Ministry to drive STI, and the policies he said, will be implemented through the collaboration of the state government in making sure that STI agenda is on the top priority to the 3 tiers of Government.

Afe also said the aim and objective of these policies is focused on commercialization, research done by investors and inventors in order to create job and reduce poverty.

He added, that the Minister and the Minister of State of the Ministry has resolved to work round the clock to drive the innovation agenda of the ministry despite the challenges of funds through the strategy implementation of the Executive Order 0.5 and the development of policies that focused on effective competitiveness that lead to the attainment of the circular economy, skilled development, health services, security, emerging market and over human wellbeing.