The Federal Ministry of Science and Technology is working on plans to create the desired platform for the actualisation of President Muhammadu Buhari’s quest of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in the next 10 years.
Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, the Minister said this in Abuja at the inauguration of a Technical Committee for boosting commercialization of the ministry’s research products to fast-track the actualisation of Nigeria’s dream of becoming a self-reliant nation, NAN reports.
He said that the benefits of research could only be harvested when it is fully commercialized, adding that the ministry will collaborate with the organized private sector in that regard.
Onu said that the Ministry would strive hard to use its research outputs as catalyst for realizing government’s plans of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty.
He said that research products from the 17 agencies under the ministry covered all sectors of the economy and that the ministry was well positioned to turn around the economy.
According to him, the commercialization of research outputs is important for economic growth as more goods will be produced locally.
He added that part of the expected benefits of research outputs included food sufficiency and surplus for exports, leading to significant reduction in import from other countries.
Onu said that the commercialization of research outputs would create more opportunities for Nigerians as well as reduce the employment deficit in the country.