Presently, some of the developed and more advanced countries in technology were not like that in past two decades ago, but they have continually learned from other nations and replicated that process.
For instance, Asian economic tigers like Japan, China were known for inferior technology, but as time went on, they were able to acquire the finest technology in the world as a result of learning and replicating from more advanced technology countries.
Speaking at a media conference, Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu, said countries like China and South Korea were able to grow their products through funding from government and patronage by their citizens.
He said the countries which started developing their technological expertise in the 90s continued learning from other nations, reversing engineering products and fine-tuning their technologies until they’ve become the symbol of excellence.
He lamented that the case in Nigeria is apparently different, saying technology expo could be an opportunity for Nigerian innovators and inventors from all walks of life to showcase the available technologies they are currently working on to members of the public.
He stressed that the importance of having and organizing Expo, adding that it would provide the avenue or an interface through which inventors, innovators and investors and also link investors to invest in the commercialization of viable technologies.
He said: “We are committed to the commercialization of research results in our various research institutes across the country. This is no longer the era where research results are left to lie on the shelves in our various research institutes.
We are committed to the commercialisation of these breakthroughs in research. Expos are not restricted to research institutes under the Ministry but to other researchers across all sectors in the departments and even at the state level, universities, polytechnics, industrial laboratories and the organized informal sector.
“It provides a platform to help inventors and innovators to interface with investors. It will provide an opportunity for the inventors and innovators to see what others are developing as well as to show investors what they are developing.”
The minister explained that technology Nigerians would showcase in any expo may not be up to the world’s standard, but going forward; we will grow and overtake the rest of the world.
“It is high time for Nigerians to patronize made-in-Nigeria goods to encouraging the investors,” he further stressed, adding that Expo would bring in a lot of innovations, which if adopted, would create more employment opportunities for the teeming youths in particular and enhance foreign earnings,” he said
