From mini-aircraft to power generating solutions and  homegrown electronic systems, inventions have been tumbling onto the desk of the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, of late.

Following on the achievements of  Kingsley Obinna, a student of Michael Okpara University, Umuahia, Abia State, who in 2013 invented a battery-operated helicopter, another young man, Aghogho Ajiyen from Delta State last year successfully sent another battery-powered mini-aircraft into flight and landed it with a flourish.

Recently, a much more serious invention came from a group of engineers led by a former Minister of Power, Prof Chinedu Nebo, who demonstrated an innovative fuel-efficient power system that could help in providing industrial cluster with cost-effective, off-grid power supply if developed to commercial viability.

Another invention came from the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) which Vice Chairman, Prof Mohammed Haruna, who unveiled a solar-powered, tamper-proof electronic voting system that, according to him, could end electoral fraud in Nigeria.

All these and more have been demonstrated before the Science and Technology Minister, Dr Onu who, on each occasion expressed great delight. But the question is: what next after the photo shows? Will the Buhari regime break from the past sorry tradition of consigning our innovations to the dusty shelves, or will steps be taken to development them for industrial use as other progressive countries do?

Already, young inventor, Aghogho Ajiyen, has hit the brick wall of frustration after his lines to Minister Onu and the Delta State Government went dead soon after the flush of media attention which followed the unveiling of his invention.

The power solutions and the electronic voting system innovations are the things we need at this juncture where reliance on ready-made foreign goods has become unsustainable. We have a great opportunity to turn adversity to advantage by leveraging on the creative genius of Nigerians to launch Nigeria to a new home-driven technological level, which is what the Science and Technology Ministry was created to achieve but which it has failed over the decades to do.

The patriotic decision of the Nigerian Air Force under its service chief, Air Vice Marshall Abubakar Sadique, to partner Innoson Vehicle Manufacturers (IVM) to produce spare parts for its Alpha Jets and the procurement of 50,000 units of military boots from Aba-based shoe manufacturers were gestures showing confidence in locally-made alternatives to the importation of finished products.

We call on the Federal Government to work out a synergy with the private sector and foreign investor partners to develop these inventions, provide home-grown solution to our problems and save scarce foreign exchange.

The Federal Ministry of Science and Technology should make itself relevant to the needs of the country by activating our local innovations.