Minister woos investors on commercialising indigenous research products

The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, has sought the support of foreign investors on commercialising indigenous research products in Nigeria.

Onu made this known on Tuesday at the Science and Technology Expo, holding in Abuja.

He encouraged investors to make their research findings and see areas they could invest in, depending on what they wanted such as security, agriculture and manufacturing.

“I am very happy because as we moved round, we have a number of investors who are here but many more people from their homes can now see areas and research findings that they can invest in.

“Depending on what we are looking at, security, agriculture and if it is manufacturing, we have effective solutions to that.

“In every area, science and technology have very vital roles to play and I believe it’s the best way to make money,” he said.

He encouraged inventors to have intellectual protection over their products, adding that this was the best way to protect it by having a patent and then invite investors to come in and commercialise the research findings.

“I encourage every research and effort that you feel can end up in a product, the best thing is to protect it because you must have that intellectual protection.

“The best way is to protect it is to have a patent, then invite investors to come in and commercialise the research findings.

“Our interest is not to leave these research findings at this level, our interest is to see all these in the market place.

“You know as we moved around, we kept asking them `how do we get this into the market?’

“We wanted to get their own feelings because it is when we get it into the market that we can now create jobs, wealth and reduce poverty.

“We need transformation of research findings into products and services so that we will start producing all the things that we have been importing into the country to meet our needs and also export the surplus,” the minister said.