In an effort to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imports and strengthening local manufacturing and job creation, the Federal Government has revealed plans for a national roadmap to align research and innovation in science and technology with market and industrial needs.
Kingsley Udeh, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, disclosed this Monday in Abuja, during a fireside chat on “Reshaping Nigeria’s Potential in Science, Technology and Innovation” organised by the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (CSEA).
Udeh said Nigeria’s major challenge in the science, technology and innovation (STI) space is not the absence of talent or resources, but weak coordination and fragmentation across government agencies, academia and the private sector.
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According to him, the proposed STI roadmap is designed to connect these players and ensure that research outputs respond directly to national priorities and market demand.
“Nigeria has abundant human and natural resources, but the lack of synergy within the STI ecosystem has limited our ability to convert research into commercial value,” he said.
The minister said research institutions and universities would increasingly be encouraged to tie projects to industrial and national needs, with funding support from both government and the private sector.
“We are moving away from issuing patent certificates that end up on shelves. The focus now is on connecting inventors to agencies and industry players that can help translate research into products and services,” Udeh explained.
The minister highlighted the passage of a bill mandating a minimum of 30 per cent value addition to raw materials before export, describing it as a policy lever to stimulate industrial research, innovation and local processing. He said the law, once assented to, would drive demand for applied research and innovation across key value chains.
On capacity building, Udeh said the government is reviewing the condition and effectiveness of innovation hubs and intellectual property transfer centres across the country, with plans to optimise them to global standards and strengthen their links with industry.
In his remarks, Chukwuka Onyekwene, Executive Director, CSEA, said sustained innovation-led growth will depend largely on deliberate policy action, especially increased investment in education and research funding.
