President Muhammadu Buhari will on Monday, 16th January 2023 declare the 2023 Innovation and Technology Exhibition Open in Abuja.
He will also receive the three best Young Scientists of Nigeria, 2023 with a handshake and award of annual grants and scholarships to the scientists to study any science course of their choice in any Nigerian university from first degree to PhD levels.
Announcing this at a press conference on Technology and Innovation Expo 2023, the Minister of State, Science, Technology and Innovation, Chief Henry Ikoh said the volatility of oil prices and the need to diversify the economy have made it clear that ‘’ we explore new opportunities and sectors to drive economic growth, which STI is one of such sectors that hold the potentials for Nigeria.
“STI has the power to transform the Nigerian economy in several ways, just as it can lead to the creation of new industries and businesses, creating employment opportunities and boosting economic growth.
‘’It can lead to the development of new products and services, which can be exported to other countries, increasing foreign exchange earnings. It can lead to the development of new technologies that can be used to improve the efficiency and productivity of existing industries, thereby increasing competitiveness.’’
On opportunities that will be available during the Expo, the Minister said the Expo is expected to feature cutting-édge technologies and products developed by Nigerian inventors, researchers and innovators and Start-ups.
According to him, the annual Expo will be attended by inventors and innovators from research institutes, Federal and States MDAs, industrial laboratories, the private sector, the international community, CSOs, and students from all over the country, as well as Nigerians in Diaspora.
It will also feature an inventors and innovators forum aimed at bringing together investors, innovators and government representatives to discuss opportunities for collaboration and funding in STI.
Apart from discussing the latest research and technologies, the Forum is expected to also connect researchers with potential investors as well as partners.
The expo will also include a presentation of an awards session where recipients will be recognized and awarded for outstanding research and development products at the closing ceremony.
The Technology and Innovation Expo is a Federal Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation exposition programme designed to strategically showcase the use of science for technological inventions, innovations and majorly the research and development products and results.
The Expo aims to encourage interaction between researchers, innovators and inventors to commercialize research results, inventions and innovations from Nigerian’s research and tertiary institutions; bring to the fore the capabilities of Nigerian scientists, Engineers, and Inventors in contributing to the economic diversification of Nigeria; promote collaboration between research institutions and inventors and facilitate the growth of indigenous manufacturing hinged in STI and support technology transfer.
