The Federal Government has renamed the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology to the Federal Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation.
Addressing a press conference on Friday in Abuja, the minister in charge, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, explained that the name change was to reposition the ministry to drive innovation agenda and catalyse the economic growth of the country.
“This change of name will help meet the needs of other sectors of the Nigerian economy and all stakeholders, by supporting the generation and application of knowledge and innovation to solve socio-economic challenges, as well as providing a policy and funding environment that will establish the National System of Innovation (NSI),” he was quoted as saying in a statement by the spokesperson for the ministry, Josephine Ademu.
On repositioning the ministry, Onu described science, technology, and innovation as the engine that would drive Nigeria on the road to success, prosperity, self-reliance, and greatness.
He stated that the repositioning of the ministry would result in research and development that would be industry and services demand-driven.
The minister was hopeful that this would lead to rapid commercialisation and ultimately improve the nation’s competitiveness ranking.
To move Nigeria to its desired global competitiveness level, he believes science, technology, and innovation will help accelerate a demand-driven and knowledge-based economy.
“When we succeed, it will lead to research and development breakthroughs and inventions that could be commercialised.
“With the right policy and legal framework to protect intellectual property, we can effectively promote commercialisation in all activity sectors in the value chain for supply of raw materials, goods, and services,” Onu said.
He listed the benefits of the name change and repositioning of the ministry to include irreversible indigenous industrialisation, a platform for higher productivity, job creation and quality employment generation in the economy, and a significant level of poverty alleviation.
