Chairman of the Nigerian National Merit Award Committee, Mr. Abdulahi Yola, has recommended that the Science Technology and Innovation Fund recently approved by the Federal Executive Council be run as an agency.
Yola, who made this call when he led the members of the committee to a meeting with the Minister of Science and Technology, Prof. Ita Ewa, said his committee supported the idea? of establishing an agency through legislation, as it would be faster to register the proposed fund under the Company’s and Allied Matters Act.
He added that the National Research Development Fund in most countries of the world is largely funded by the private sectors with contribution from government, saying that of Nigeria should also adopt the same approach and consider the need to merge it with the STI fund.
The fund, according to Ewa, will provide adequate funds for the development and commercialization of some of our inventions and products from the various agencies under the purview of the ministry.
The minister said: “We should be able to project to the world that we have people who, by right, have driven technology to a point where entrepreneurs will come in and take over what is now left on the shelf.”
He added that the meeting was to fashion out a viable scheme for the joint management and administration of a proposed science and technology development fund.
He said the science and technological capacity of a nation determines its industrial growth as well as international competitiveness within the global economy.
“Without adequate preparation of our nation, we will find it very difficult to catch up with other nations and that is why the ministry has taken the bold step to look at technology in its entire ramification,” he said.
Ewa explained that there were hi-technologies, emerging technologies and indigenous technologies, emphasizing on the need to improve on Nigeria’s indigenous technologies, accept the emerging technologies and equally get integrated with a view to driving the economy.
The minister disclosed that there existed a presidential directive on the sourcing of funds for the STI policy implementation which will be followed by strategies and modalities for the actual implementation of the policy.? He however expressed the need for the committee to become an integral part of the system when the scheme is to be implemented.
This is part of the efforts by the government to assist in making the country self-sufficient in the production and commercializaton of some scientific products.
But President, Nigerian Academy of Science, Oye Ibidapo-Obe, said having the research fund in place is a welcome development but that the Academy of Science would be allowed to manage the fund.
“We are of the view that the Nigerian Academy of Science be allowed to run the fund. This will eliminate all bottlenecks and enable researchers have direct access to fund to carry out research,” he said.
In Finland, Sitra is the Research and Innovation Fund. “The Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra builds a successful Finland for tomorrow's world. We are forward thinking and anticipate social change and its effect on people. Our activities promote new operating models and stimulate business that aims at sustainable well-being. As a public fund, we report directly to the Finnish Parliament,” said Sitra President Mikko Kosenen.
In 2009, South Africa established Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) to coordinate innovation funding and provide strategic advice to the government on how to transform South Africa into a knowledge economy.
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