Former Minister seeks establishment of fund to boost innovations

A former Minister of Science and Technology, Prof Turner Isoun has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to create a research and innovation consolidated Fund for the funding of research, innovations and invention of projects.

He contended that one critical thing remains that without training and research; there will be no investment and development or economic progress, adding that this would be at the peril of any nation, which undermines research and innovation.

Prof Isoun recently said this in Abuja while presiding as the Chairman of the 2016 distinguished research seminar and the International Institute for Training, Research and Economic Development (IITRED) prize award/dinner.

Speaking under the theme, ‘Bringing Nigerian agricultural research into use’, the Minister noted that if Nigeria is to achieve the technological breakthrough and developments, the President must move swiftly by forwarding a bill to the National Assembly for the establishment.

The former Minister said: “By doing so, he (Buhari) will be empowering research and innovations which will in turn, stimulate the technological development of the country.”

While declaring the event open, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbe, who was represented by the Director (Planning and Policy Coordination), Musa Alhassan, assured that the Federal Government was committed to supporting research and innovation programmes as the bedrock of development in the country.