FIIRO partners FUTO, others on techno-transfer

The Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO), Lagos, has indicated interest to partner with the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), in the area of technological transfer, and training of its graduating students and other interested agencies in entrepreneurship programmes.

The Director General, FIIRO, Prof. Gloria Elemo, disclosed this on Wednesday in a keynote address she delivered at the sixth International Conference with the theme: ‘’Gender and Global Crisis: Issues, Challenges and Prospects,” held at the Institute’s Hall of Excellence.

She said so many inroads had been recorded in products research innovations since it was established in 1956.

In the brainstorming event attended by a former Minister of Water Resources, Serah Ochepke, among others in academic circles, Elemuo, opined that the empowerment of the women folk through education remained the key, urging governments at all levels to take it serious.

She disclosed that more than 500,000 persons had been trained in techno-entrepreneurship, while FIIRO had identified and put into consumption about 25 products from cassava.

She said with the research was carried out and executed in line with the mandate of the Institute in food and allied processing, packaging, pulp and paper, product design, fabrication of prototype equipment, about 50 patents have been obtained in their products. She noted that if more attention was given to them, the nation would depend less on oil-dominated economy.

She expressed joy that the agency trained about 1,000 women in Minna, Niger State in local ‘Kwunu’ product.

Her words: ‘’We can sign Memorandum of Understanding to teach graduating students on entrepreneurship and cluster programmes; work with the Local Governments. If we work on these areas, the face of industrialisation in Nigeria in less than 10 years is definitely going to change.’’