Nigeria’s Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Adeleke Mamora, has said that the Science and Technology Park is necessary to form the basis of industrial competitiveness in a developing economy like Nigeria.

He said this in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, at the stakeholder awareness workshop on the development and management of science and technology parks and the integration of technology foresight into national development.

The Minister, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Ms. Monilola Udoh, added that the Science and Technology Park program has been celebrated globally as one of the essential platforms that have transformed the development landscape of the United Nations. who hug him

“This method has been used systematically in China, and the current result has transformed China into a technologically advanced country with more than 120 science and technology science and technology parks. China, by using S&T parks as a regional development strategy, has become the R&D and manufacturing center for multinational companies around the world in just about ten years. China now produces almost everything from cell phones, cars and home appliances etc. up to the international standard. said the Minister.

Noting that Science and Technology Parks continue to be a place where ideas are nurtured, the Minister listed some of the many advantages it offers to national economies, including:

“Effectively stimulate and manage the flow of knowledge and technology between universities, R&D institutions, companies and markets, Facilitate the creation and growth of innovation-based companies through incubation and spin-off processes, provide other services of added value together with a high quality space and facilities”, he said.

Dr. Mamora further promised that the R&D capacity of Nigerians will be further boosted and more results achieved when the NRIC National Research and Innovation Council and NRIF National Research and Innovation Funds go live very soon.

The Minister recalled that the Ministry has been advocating the establishment of Science and Technology Parks in Nigeria since 2006.

“Implementation began in 2007 after a nationwide baseline survey was conducted to determine the country’s SETI landscape of science, engineering, technology, and innovation, after which six science parks were proposed, one in each geopolitical zone. . The idea of ​​establishing six Science Parks was changed in 2009 and attention turned to establishing a Model Science and Technology Park at Sheda Science and Technology Complex (SHESTCO), Sheda, Abuja, where 79.5 hectares of land”. noted Dr. Mamora.

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 the Sheda SHESTCO Science and Technology Complex, Dr. Paul Onyenekwe, noted that a knowledge-based economy depends on a large investment in education and training.

“To stay ahead in this era of incredibly rapid change and rigid global completion, industries must seek access to unique resources, including new insights. As a consequence of this, the collaboration between the industry, the university and the Research Institute has emerged as a sustainable solution for the transfer and commercialization of technology, as well as a fertile breeding ground for new inventions”. he said.

Dr. Onyenekwe added that the Science Park Project, also known as the Silicon Valley projects, recognizes the importance of further strengthened links between the Nigerian Government, Research and Knowledge Centers and Industry.

According to the International Association of Science Parks, a Science and Technology Park is an organization managed by specialized professionals, whose main objective is to increase the wealth of its immediate community and of its country in general, through the promotion of a culture of innovation and competitiveness of its business and knowledge-based institutions.