By Dele Ogbodo
The federal government through the Ministry of Science and Technology, on Tuesday inaugurated the Competiveness Assessment Committee
to assess the relevance of researches and innovations of agencies under the ministry.
The Head of Media and Publicity, of the ministry Mr. AbdulGaniyu Aminu quoted the Minister Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, as saying that the committee will assist the ministry assess its 17 agencies with a view to encouraging hard work and ensure renewed focus on their mandates.
The assessment also comes with a reward ranging from N1billion to N5m aimed at encouraging them to be creative, inventive and innovative, explaining that the competition is the incentive needed to give life for sustainable achievement of the country.
According to him the inauguration of the competition was aimed at encouraging hard work and ensure that agencies focus on their mandates. He added that the idea of encouraging healthy competition among the agencies of the ministry is to facilitate development in the science and technology sector.
Dr. Onu said that bi-annual event may become annual in future, while the ministry will increase the amount to be won by the agencies. He charged the committee members to ensure that everything was done to ensure fairness in the assessment the agencies.
The 17-member committee is expected to assess the relevance of Agencies research and innovation to national development, assess the originality and uniqueness of research results of agencies and the level of local content utilization in research and development amongst others.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the committee the President of Nigerian Academy of science, Prof. Motso Onuoha, said science and technology is key to national development. He assured that the committee will do its best to deliver on its mandate by putting up a template that is innovative and original to the mandates of each agency.
Onuaha said consideration will also be given to agencies that produced innovations we need in the country and also adapt to the needs of the nation. The committee is expected to submit its report by the end of August