Delta-2 Programme: Nigeria, Czech earmark $20.5m as assessment implementation c’ttee inaugurated

Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive, National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Prof. Mohammed Sani Haruna, Thursday, on behalf of the Federal Government, inaugurated the Presidential Committee on Technology Transfer between Nigeria and Czech Republic to implement the assessment on the Delta-2 Programme.

The assessment is to ensure successful take-off of projects to ignite a process of fostering growth and expansion of infrastructure, manufacturing and innovation in Nigeria leading to made-in-Nigeria technologies and products.

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The NASENI boss, who is also co-chair of the presidential committee, said: “CZK 250m, approximately equal to $ 10.5m, has been allocated as research fund by the Czech government. On behalf of the FGN, NASENI will supplement this with $10m.”

He said 284 public proposals for Delta-2 Programme had been submitted for screening, listing the thematic areas as agriculture with a total proposal of 78 (27.5%); mining, 12 (4.2%) and SMEs, 194 (86.3%).  

Haruna urged the committee members to ensure that the important projects leading to made-in-Nigeria technologies and products are selected from the companies to transform Nigeria and jumpstart the industrial revolution in the country.

Nigeria and Czech Republic had, in May, launched a call-for-public proposals on Delta-2 Programme worth $16.2m co-funding research and development (R&D) project.

The Delta-2 Programme is the cooperation model of the Technology Agency of Czech Republic (TA-CR), running from 2020-2025, through which sponsors applied research and innovation of manufacturing companies and innovative institutions.

NASENI and TA-CR had signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2014 in Prague on critical areas of technology transfer and innovations which had resulted in the co-funding of Czech-Nigeria Bilateral R&D project on Delta-2 Programme.

Chairman, Presidential Implementation Committee (PIC) on Technology Transfer/Information Exchange between Nigeria and Czech Republic, Muhammed Dahiru, said the committee’s terms of reference was the instrument of implementation of the MoU between both countries which recognizes the pivotal and critical roles of the PIC and NASENI.