…Says Nigeria Has Repositioned Innovation Sector on Global Stage
The Honourable Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr. Kingsley Udeh, SAN, has explained that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Science, Technology and Innovation signed between Nigeria and Türkiye will enhance the productivity of Nigeria’s STI ecosystem.
Dr. Udeh made this known during a television appearance on Beyond the Headlines with Nifemi Oguntoye on TVC News, where he explained the MoUs and bilateral pacts secured by the ministry.
“On the course of the state visit to Türkiye, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu showed himself as a very articulate leader, one that understands geopolitics and diplomacy.”
According to the minister, the agreements reached with Türkiye span several areas of the Nigerian economy and polity.
“There were some on defence, there were some on trade and investment, on women and cultural exchange and of course on science, technology and innovation. Worthy of note is that these MoUs were not just on concept — things that relate only to academics — but practical things to our development that will impact on the lives of Nigerians.
“Not only did we discuss issues related to co-creating projects, research application and transfer of technology, we took further steps to work on actionable outcomes, an action plan that we referred to as science, technology, innovation, investment and industry.”
Citing Türkiye’s model, where research is closely linked to industry, making it easier for research outputs to meet industrial needs, he noted that deliberate steps are being taken to ensure research outcomes do not remain at the conceptual stage but are positioned to compete and dominate in the global market.
“One peculiar thing about Turkey is that they understand the importance of linking innovation and technology to industry. That’s why from the beginning, from the conceptualisation of scientific research, you see that the market is tied to it, to address the market or industrial needs.
“So, that is what Nigeria seeks to advance in. We know that we’re not bereft of ideas and innovation; we boast of fintechs that are unicorns. We have taken some examples from Türkiye and we’re also taking steps to action these,” he said.
The minister also emphasised the role of the private sector in the bilateral agreement, noting that governance is driven by the people. He stated that the private sector was involved in the bilateral talks, that many Nigerian business owners were already playing key roles in different ecosystems, and participated in a business roundtable involving businesses from Nigeria and Türkiye, making them pivotal to the nation’s STI agenda.
Highlighting that there was already a lineup of Turkish firms interested in investing in Nigerian startups and institutes, he revealed that the Bola Tinubu administration was keen on projecting the government “as not just government people but government that involves the people [citizens], where everybody has a stake”.
He added that funding mechanisms are largely driven through partnerships structured to support innovators and early-stage enterprises, stressing that no government can successfully fund research on its own.
Udeh revealed that Türkiye’s progress toward near self-sufficiency in technology is largely due to the fact that about 70 per cent of its research and development funding comes from the private sector.
Reflecting on his background in research, Dr. Udeh said he understands the importance of transforming research outcomes into commercially viable products and services and reiterated the need and readiness to reposition Nigeria in terms of technology transfer and global innovation competitiveness.