Abuja: The Federal Government and UNESCO have called for stronger collaboration among stakeholders to reposition Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) as a driver of economic growth. They emphasized this need during the opening of a three-day workshop on Science, Technology, and Innovation and the Renewed Hope Agenda in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the workshop was organized by UNESCO in collaboration with the Sheda Science and Technology Complex (SHETSCO). Dr. Kingsley Udeh, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, highlighted the transformative impact of artificial intelligence, biotechnology, digital systems, space technologies, and green innovations on economies. He stressed that Nigeria’s path to sustainable national development must be led by science, technology, and innovation.
Dr. Udeh outlined the importance of STI in various sectors, including digitalization, food security, healthcare advancement, digital transformation, and economic diversification. He described the Renewed Hope agenda as an opportunity to position innovation as a strategic driver for economic growth and job creation.
He further discussed the establishment of the National Research Innovation and Development Fund (NRIDF) and its implementation through the Sankore project. The federal government aims to promote research-industry collaboration, encourage demand-driven innovation, improve infrastructure, and create pathways for commercialization.
Dr. Dimitri Sanga, Director of UNESCO West Africa and Officer-In-Charge of UNESCO Abuja, noted the project’s alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agenda of 2030 and the African Union 2063 Development Agenda. Represented by Dr. Enang Moma, Sanga emphasized UNESCO’s long-standing support in strengthening Nigeria’s STI system. He called for a stronger integration of research, industry, and government to achieve tangible socio-economic outcomes.
Dr. Magaji Aliyu, Director-General of SHETSCO, expressed his commitment to advocating for the passage of the National Research Innovation (NRI) Council Bill. He highlighted the bill’s importance for sustainable innovation financing, effective coordination, and science governance within Nigeria’s STI ecosystem.
Dr. Mukhtar Muhammad, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, revealed that national research and development spending is currently about 0.2 percent of the country’s GDP, below the African Union’s benchmark. He emphasized Nigeria’s potential to produce high-quality research and adapt global technologies to local needs.
The workshop, held under the Sankore Project entitled “Strengthening UK-West Africa Science, Technology and Innovation Partnerships for Sustainable Development,” began in March 2025 in Nigeria and Ghana. It is supported by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and aims to establish the operationalization of a National Research Fund. The theme of the workshop was “Strengthening Nigeria’s Science, Technology and Innovation Ecosystem for National Development under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.”