The federal government says innovators’ and researchers’ work will no longer sit on shelves or in laboratories, and their efforts will no longer be in vain.

Kingsley Tochukwu-Udeh, the science and tech minister, said this at a news conference on Wednesday in Kano. 

The conference was organised ahead of the launch of the Energise Commercialisation Now project, billed to hold on Thursday in Kano. 

Mr Tochukwu-Udeh said that with the ECoN initiative, such innovations and research works would be made ready for the market. 

He said the project is designed to connect innovators, inventors, and research institutes with investors willing to take up the ideas, invest in them, and transform them into market solutions. 

“ECoN contains what it seeks to do to commercialise innovation and research outcomes from our various tertiary institutions, research institutions, tech hubs, and research and development segments of the private sector. 

“Nigeria is not bereft of ideas. Many of these ideas are very innovative, but the gap has always been transforming these innovations, research outcomes and ideas into market revenue and solutions for the country. This is what Energise Commercialisation Now seeks to do,” the minister explained.

According to Mr Tochukwu-Udeh, the federal government is partnering with the Nigerian Governors’ Forum and other regional bodies, such as the North-West Governors’ Forum, to fast-track the implementation of the ECoN project.

Mr Tochukwu-Udeh said the initiative prompted young people, women, innovators, and researchers to believe their efforts would not be in vain and to support them in accessing the market.

Mr Tochukwu-Udeh said the project has led to a surge in viable research outcomes and innovations because innovators, researchers, and inventors now know that investors are waiting for their research outcomes and innovations. 

The minister said the federal government, governors, stakeholders, and captains of industry are ready to support innovations and research outcomes that will be transformed into market solutions.

This, he said, would benefit innovators and researchers by providing them with advantages, money, shares, and value for their efforts. He added that the ministry had so far received over 1,000 entries, of which Kano has the highest number.

Mr Tochukwu-Udeh said that Kano would host the launch of the project, given its position as a Centre of Commerce.

(NAN)