FG vows to deliver tech-driven $1 trn economy

The Federal Government said on Tuesday in Abuja that it is committed to delivering one trillion dollars economy built on technological innovations.

The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Udeh, said this when he visited the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP).

During the visit, the minister inspected ‘Project Nova,’ a reconstructed facility specifically designed to house deep tech and machine learning infrastructure to empower Nigerians with practical, market-ready skills.

Addressing the NOTAP leadership, Udeh praised the NOTAP Director-General, Dr Obiageli Amadiobi, for transforming an existing structure into a people-centric hub that aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

He applauded the management for taking proactive steps in bridging the gap between academic research and industrial application.

“There will always be circumstances that would justify giving excuses.

“We can always transcend such circumstances; instead of giving excuses we bring performance; we bring actions that will take us to our expected end,” he said.

The minister said the federal government was fully committed to ensuring that Nigeria transitioned from being mere producers of intellectual property and academic research to generating enterprise and revenue.

He said that ‘Project Nova’ aligned with the Energise Commercialisation Now (ECoN) initiative, being championed by the First Lady, Mrs Oluremi Tinubu.

Udeh assured NOTAP of the ministry’s unwavering partnership, describing the agency as a vital mechanism used by the government to reach and uplift citizens.

He said it was also a vehicle for expanding the Federal Government’s youth-centric tech interventions such as the “Youth and Student in Innovation” programme initiative.

“This initiative, developed in collaboration with various ministries including Education, Health, Women Affairs, and Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, targets young Nigerians both within and outside formal government structures.

“It aims to give them skills such as data optimisation and content creation which they use to earn legitimately and provide services for Nigeria and across the globe,” Udeh said.

Amadiobi, assured the minister of the agency’s support, adding that it was designing its programmes to ensure that Nigeria’s innovations and inventions were globally competitive.

“We are intentional about balancing skills set upscaling and skills set optimisation with the requirement for documentation or certification.

“We are ensuring that the certifications issued to Nigerian youths are globally recognised and authorised by law,” she said.