Nigerian Govt urged to partner institutions, entrepreneurs to commercialise inventions

Dr Anthony Onuruka, Lecturer, Department of Agricultural and Bio-Environmental Engineering, Imo State Polytechnic, Umuagwo-Ohaji has called on the Federal Government to partner with institutions and entrepreneurs to commercialise inventions.

Onuruka made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the Science and Technology Expo holding in Abuja on Wednesday.

He said that the partnership would help to mass produce the products of the inventors and reduce the importation of imported goods that could be produced in the country.

“If government could encourage indigenous manufacturers, I believe there will not be any need to import most of these machines into the country.

“When this is done, it will create the need for more employment of the youths because more hands would be needed to produce the machines.

“The empowerment of youths will be achieved and capital flight will be eliminated.

“It will surprise you to know that most of the materials used in the fabrication of these machines are locally sourced.

“By government partnering with institutions and entrepreneurs, will not only be solving the problem of unemployment but would have at the long run encourage the use of local content,’’ he said.

The lecturer said when the machines fabricated in the country were mass produced the products would be cheaper and more affordable thereby making foreign ones unattractive.

He however advised entrepreneurs to be more focused, even as funding was critical to the development of their inventions.

Uzodimma said entrepreneurs, technologists and scientists should not be afraid of risks, adding that dealing with risks in inventions was a factor but overcoming the risks to achieve the target should be their watch word.