Nigeria’s Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Dr Adeleke Mamora has said that Science and Technology Park is needed to form the base for industrial competitiveness of a developing economy like Nigeria.
He said this in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital at the stakeholders sensitization workshop on the development and management of Science and Technology Parks and the integration of technology foresight in National Development.
The Minister who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry Mrs Monilola Udoh added that Science and Technology Park programme has been globally celebrated as one of the essential platform that have transformed the developmental landscape of the Nations that embrace it.
“This method has been systematically used in China and the result today has transformed China into technological advanced country with over 120 Science and Technology S&T Parks. China through the use of S&T Parks as a regional development strategy has become the R&D and manufacturing centre for Multinational Companies around the World, in just about ten years. China now produces almost everything ranging from cell phones, automobiles and appliances etc to international standard,” the Minister said.
The Minister who noted that the Science and Technology Parks remain a place where ideas are nurtured listed few among the numerous advantages it offers on National economies to include:
“Stimulate and effectively manage the flow of knowledge and technology amongst universities, R&D institutions, companies and markets, Facilitate the creation and growth of innovation-based companies through incubation and spin-off processes, provide other value-added services together with high quality space and facilities,” he said.
Dr Mamora further promised that the R & D capability of Nigerians will further be boosted and more results will be achieved when the National Research and Innovation Council NRIC and the National Research and Innovation Funds NRIF become operational very soon.
The Minister recalled that the Ministry has been championing the establishment of the Science and Technology Parks in Nigeria since 2006.
“The implementation began in 2007 after a base-line survey was conducted across the country to determine the Science, Engineering, Technology and Innovation SETI landscape of the country, after which six Science Parks, one in each Geo-political zone was proposed. The idea of establishing six Science Parks was changed in 2009 and the focus was on establishing a Model Science and Technology Park at Sheda Science and Technology Complex (SHESTCO), Sheda, Abuja where 79.5 hectares of land was provided,” Dr Mamora noted.
The Minister revealed that the Ministry is already partnering with Institutions and development partners locally and internationally to assist in the implementation of the SHESTCO Science and Technology Park.
The Director General of Sheda Science and Technology Complex SHESTCO, Dr Paul Onyenekwe noted that a Knowledge-based economy is dependent on high investment in education and training.
“To stay ahead in this era of incredibly rapid change and stiff global completion, industries have to pursue access to exclusive resources, which includes new knowledge. As a consequence of this, industry, university, Research Institute collaboration has emerged as a sustainable enabling solution for technology transfer and commercialization as well as a fertile breeding ground for new inventions” he said.
Dr Onyenekwe added that the Science Park Project which is also known as the Silicon Valley projects recognizes the importance of increasing the strengthening linkages between Nigeria’s Government, Knowledge and Research Centres and Industry.
According to the International Association of Science Parks, a Science and Technology Park is an organization managed by specialized professionals, whose main aim is to increase the wealth of its immediate community and its country at large, by promoting the culture of innovation and the competitiveness of its business and knowledge based institutions.
