Onu assures Nigerian investors of FG’s assistance

By Paul Efiong

The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu assured inventors of the Ministry’s assistance in patenting their innovations and research findings through the National office for Technological Acquisition and Promotion.
Dr. Onu gave the assurance when he received a group of academicians from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in his office today in Abuja.
The UNN team led by a Revd. Sister, Professor Dibua Marie Esther, a professor of Microbiology, Epidemiology and Public health were in the Ministry to display their inventions notably, Electrophoretic tank for screening sickle cell anaemia developed by the Department of Physics/Electronics and Engineering unit.
Dr. Onu stressed the need for inventors to have their intellectual properties protected and explained that with this done, it would be easier to get the research findings commercialized by the Organized Private Sector.
Dr. Onu also appealed to inventors and innovators to take advantage of centres of the National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI) across the country to get their products properly packaged for exportation.
Dr. Onu assured the visiting team that the Ministry will do its utmost to assist the University in its research endeavors.
He appealed to the University to support the Federal Government’s efforts to make Nigeria’s economy a knowledge and innovation-driven one, adding that this is the only way Nigeria could become a self-reliant nation.
In her speech, Professor Dibua Marie Esther appealed to the Minister to assist her department and the University to have a standard laboratory to enable them perform to the maximum.