The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation (FMSTI), Sen. Adeleke Mamora has inaugurated the planning committee for the 2023 STI Exposition billed to hold from January 16 to 20, 2023, in Abuja.
Speaking at the inauguration today (October 18, 2022) in Abuja, the minister asserted that STI constitutes the major sector that covers all aspects of human and its endeavours, as it spans all ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), such as technology science, agriculture, aviation industry, energy, health, space, education, entrepreneurship, military amongst others.
“The reason for this dialogue today is to discuss the way forward for science, technology and innovation, especially the exposition.
“The expo features events such as the opening ceremony. President Muhammadu Buhari [will] declare open the awards ceremony, investors and researchers’ forum, technical sessions, special days or interested partners. The previous editions of the export awards were given to the best three students of the 774 Young Nigerian Scientists Presidential Award, popularly known as ‘774’ selected through a competitive final examination here in the capital city of Abuja,” he said.
Speaking further, Mamora said the 2022 reviewed science technology and innovation policy was launched during the opening ceremony of the expo in March 2022, to enable science, technology and innovation to impact maximally on the national socio-economic development landscape to ensure that Nigeria emerges and remains among the top 20 leading economies in the world by 2030 and beyond.
“All these were achieved through support for your good selves and this cannot go unappreciated. We do not take your support for granted. I thank all our partners that made the last expo a huge success. It is in light of this and your mutual collaboration that we are soliciting your greater support for the 2023 expo.
“Various ways of partnership are through printing or programmes of events, live coverage of the opening and closing ceremonies, special days’ materials, construction of pavilions (decoration and lighting, painting and hiring of standby generators, venue arrangements) and other logistics required for a successful expo. I would like to set the pace by declaring open the protocols for planning for the expo holding between Monday, 16 and Friday, 20, January 2023.”
The Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Health, Hon. Ekumankama Nkama said Nigeria can not contribute such amounts of innovation without research.
“We can improve our economy and compete with great nations by improving on what we have already produced. That can only be done through research.
“Through innovation, we can compete with the rest of the world,” he stated.
In her remark, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Mrs. Monilola Udoh, represented by the director, HBS, in the ministry, David Erabhahiemen disclosed the event to be important to promote STI sector for the advancement of the Nigerian economy.
“This interactive meeting is to share ideas, network and form partnerships to advance the cost of the STI sector in Nigeria. This sector is so important that there cannot be any meaningful development without it.
“The government need the private sector and academia to get on board and ride on these policies and venture on demand, research and development, to invent valuable products and services already invented or innovated.
“STI has the potential to transform Nigeria. STI is the integral root of the sustainable and meaningful development of our nation. I am confident to say no problem in our country can be solved without STI. Nigeria is already taking the right steps in the right direction through STI,” she added.
