Nigeria still remains low in ranking of the global innovation index because of lack of data of activities in the innovation space, the Minister of State for Science, Technology and Innovation, Mohammed Abdullahi, has said.
Abdullahi who spoke at the closing ceremony of the 19th Meeting of the National Council on Science Technology and Innovation (STI) in Abuja charged Nigerian scientists, researchers and innovators to rise and provide verifiable statistics of the various progress made so far by Nigerians in science technology and innovation sector.
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The minister said Nigerians had made giant strides in inventions and innovations but were not adequately captured as data from relevant institutions do not meet up with the challenges.
According to him, one of the major challenges facing the sector in developing countries like Nigeria is funding, adding that government needs to invest heavily in R&D to spur industrialisation and improve the livelihood of Nigerians.
In a goodwill message, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwolu, represented by the Commissioner for Science, Technology and Innovation, Hakeem Fahm, said that funding of research and development had to be sustained in order to boost STI.