The Federal Government says it has awarded grants totaling ₦47 million to 32 tech innovators across Nigeria for their contributions to the nation’s technology advancements.
The innovators were celebrated at the 2023 Presidential Standing Committee on Inventions and Innovations (PSCII) grants award ceremony was held in Abuja to celebrate these inventors. The programme, PSCII, established by the Federal Government in 2005, aims to encourage inventions and innovations in the country.
According to the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology (FMIST), the awardees, hailing from across the six geopolitical zones, received grants ranging from one million to five million Naira, with a total of ₦47 million being distributed among them.
Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mrs Esuabana Nko Asanye, says that the goal of PSCII is to create a solid foundation for technology and socio-economic development that will in turn lead to higher job creation and amassment of wealth that will increase the well-being of Nigerians. It has, since its inception, awarded grants to 600 innovators.
The receivers of the grants should work hard and put the funds generated to good use to help curb the high rate of unemployment in the country, the Minister says while canvassing for the partnership between the government and private sector to help improve the state of innovation.
The Permanent Secretary, who was represented by Eng. Azuftama Dahiru, the Deputy Director of the Department of Technology Acquisition and Adaptation (TAA), announced that the ₦47 million that was distributed among the awardees, was given to “encourage Nigerians particularly, those in the informal sector that have viable technological ideas capable of impacting positively on citizenry and the economy.”
She noted that the creative human resources in the country is what has given rise to the level of technologies springing up and that this could drive progress in the communication, healthcare and transportation sectors.
Dr. Patricia Uche Chukwu, Director and CEO of the National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI), also says that inventions and innovations are great ways to ensure growth in the technology sector of the country while also fostering a better well-being for Nigerian citizens.
According to her, “inventions and innovations advancement ensures great technological progress which assures efficient production, prosperity and economic growth of the country.”
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