The Federal Government of Nigeria has changed the nomenclature of the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology to the Federal Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation.
The change of name was announced by the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu while briefing newsmen on Friday in Abuja.
Dr Ogbannaya said that the change was necessary to redirect the ministry towards innovation and to catalyse economic growth in Nigeria.
“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 redirection of the ministry would emphasize 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.
