The Federal Government has pledged to bridge the gap between local innovation and commercial success by supporting inventors, start-ups, and small-scale manufacturers nationwide.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, pledged during a visit to Innov8 Hub in Abuja on Monday. Alausa reiterated President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for innovation, noting that the government would continue investing in human capital and entrepreneurial development to secure Nigeria’s future.
He noted that although Nigerians rank among the most creative and talented people globally, many struggle to transform ideas into market-ready products. The minister stated that the government had finalised plans to establish a National Design and Development Agency to assist innovators in refining their concepts, securing funding, and accessing markets.
“There are so many innovative Nigerians. Our role as the government is to meet you halfway and provide the opportunities you need to unleash your potential. We want to move ideas from the bank of concepts to the market,” he said.
Alausa said the new agency would provide a platform for community-informed financing, enabling innovators to submit their ideas for support and consideration. While acknowledging that only a fraction of innovation projects succeed commercially, he stressed that even five to 10 per cent of viable ideas could transform millions of lives. “Five to ten per cent of ideas, when brought to life, can change millions of lives. What you are doing here is even more important, you are focusing on real-life solutions we urgently need,” he said.
“The minister also advised innovators to patent their products, stressing the importance of intellectual property and market readiness. You need to move these products to the market aggressively; there are unlimited opportunities in Nigeria waiting to be tapped,” he added.
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