…OCIIP Nigeria pledges to sponsor awardees to 2022 African Innovation Summit in Kenya-Esuong
…Odunsi: I won the global Mathematics award through hard work
By Micheal Eyibio
The Federal Government, on Tuesday in Abuja rewarded 15 outstanding innovators and scientists with cash, prizes and plaques for their brilliant research and innovative ingenuities as arising from the 2020/2021 Science Expo/Exhibition organised by the Federal Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (FMSI).
Speaking at the event, at the Headquarters of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), in Abuja, the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, charged the winners to use their invention build a strong economy that will lay solid foundation for Nigeria’s unity, peaceful and prosperous nation that will be respected both at home, Africa and in the world.
Meanwhile, the President, Organization for Creativity, Innovation and Invention Promotion (OCIIP), Nigeria, Mr. Micheal Esuong, has pledged the commitment of the establishment to sponsor the 5 winners who top at the different awards as part of Nigeria’s delegation to the African Invention and Innovation Summit slated to hold at the African Union (AU), in Kenya in May 2022. The categories are: JETS, Technology Entrepreneurs Category, Research Institutions Category, Organizations and Tertiary Educational Institutions Category.
The Minister gave kudos to the 15 inventors including Miss Faith Odunsi, the 15-year-old Mathematical prodigal who shook the world by emerging first at the global Mathematics competition. Odunsi, was rewarded with N1 million for her marvellous performance and for putting Nigeria on the global through the award.
Onu, said: “Government hereby thanked all the awardees/innovators for their excellent exhibition through their innovations and therefore, today marked another turning point in the Ministry even as we present cash, awards plaque at the 2020/2021 Innovation Expo that held in March.”
He expressed optimism that with the commercialization of the products and services, federal government is no doubt putting an end to rampart the importation of foreign products and goods, explaining: with this, we are on the road to Nigeria’s attainment of sustainable industrialization.
He said the awards no doubt came through hard work, determination and perseverance, adding that this is the virtue that government through the Ministry wants to bring back to the psyche.
According to him, government through celebrating the achievers and winners is sending a message to all Nigerians that the awardees must be emulated and their products patronized.
Onu, said: “Nigeria can achieve faster development through home grown solution to many of our problems. We can no longer be satisfied with the old thinking that Nigeria’s solution lies outside the country. We have the men and women with their innovators to find solution to our challenges and problems.
“You have put in so much to win this award and therefore, Nigeria needs your products and services. We need these products and services that has come out of your research and innovation. This is the way to achieve sustainable development that will help create jobs as well as wealth for Nigerians to arrest youth restiveness and improve our national security.
“This award and rewards should spur you to do more in providing solution to science technology and innovation challenges to our country. I urge you make good use of the funds that federal government is giving you today for more research and production to fight poverty.”
The Minister pledged government’s commitment to link the inventors to investors that will facilitate the commercialization of the research findings, stressing, government places hope on you and we have tracked those that won awards years back and we have seen that there is tremendous achievements and progress, he added.
In his remark, the Permanent Secretary, in the Ministry, Mr. Edet Akpan, commended the determination of the Minister and the Minister of State, Barr. Mohammed Abdullahi, for their deployment of resources which is no doubt taking Science Technology and Innovation (STI) to greater height for a better Nigeria.
He said: “Through the 2021/2021 Expo, I’m convinced that this work will assist all our stakeholders to build a better Nigeria where there is higher standard of living, high quality of life and prosperity for all of us. This is the beginning for the inventors please don’t rest until all your products is fully commercialize.
On her part, the Director in Charge of Special Duties, at the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Ms. Valerie Ehimiaghe, who stood on behalf of the DG of the Council, expressed excitement on her agency’s emergence as the overall top position on the Research Institution Category won with the development of the research invention on: Development of Industrial Pharmaceutical Grade Talc.
She commended the Minister for transforming the Ministry and for instituting the innovation award which has led to outstanding improvement in RMRDC mandate.
Ehimiaghe, pledging that the RMRDC will keeping wining the award in the research categories for agencies in the Ministry.
