Satellite Production will improve internet broadband penetration – Minister

The Minister of State for Science, Technology and Innovation, Henry Ikoh says the Indigenous production of Satellites in Nigeria will facilitate and boost Internet broadband penetration.

The Minister who stated this in Port-Harcourt during the South-South dialogue between government and stakeholders in the Science, Technology and Innovation ecosystem disclosed that the Nigerian Government approved satellite production and design

This he said would be achieved through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) Project in line with the Executive Order No.5. which seeks to boost local production and ensure that Nigeria relies less on imports.

In a statement by the Deputy Director Press, Federal Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation signed by Josephine Ademu, the Minister said that the geo-political dialogues would enhance the productive capacities of each geo-political zone to promote the nation’s Global Competitiveness and Productivity.

Ikoh noted that the development of Technology Innovation centres would provide the enabling environment for the Emergence of Tech-Giants, Innovative discoveries, and Inventions, that would accelerate reverse engineering.

“It is envisaged that the operationalization of the Technology and Innovation centres will lead to the Emergence of commercial Research and Development Companies, which will, in turn, be used to attract Research Funding from local companies and Venture Capital that would motivate Nigerians to go into the field of Science, Research and Development.“

He assured Nigerians that the Federal Government would work hard to ensure the success of Technology development in the country as well as improve innovations and outputs to World-class standards.

Ikoh further reiterated the commitment of the Nigerian government to using Executive Order NO.5 to empower youths in the Niger- Delta region in welding technology to enable them to compete with their foreign counterparts.

The National Coordinator, Strategy Implementation Task Office for Presidential Executive Order NO.5, Ibiam Oguejiofor, explained that the Federal Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, would collaborate with relevant stakeholders in the ecosystem to promote the application of STI in all sectors of the economy.

The Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Prince C. Mmom, commended the Federal Government for considering Rivers State as a host of the South-South zone and centre of excellence for global Competitiveness and productivity adding that the state government is willing to support the promotion of indigenous technology in the country.

PIAK