…Demand Improvement In Internally Generated Revenue

By Tordue Salem, Abuja

The House of Representatives Committee on Science and Research Institutes has asked heads of science and Technology research Institutes, to obtain patent rights for the results of their research and commercialise the same.

Besides, the committee stressed the need for improvement in the level of internally generated revenue from activities of the Institutes.

Addressing the gathering at its maiden interactive meeting with the Institutes under its oversight responsibility, the committee chairman, Rep. Olaide Adewale Akinremi, said the research institutes were established to drive the Industrialization and technical development of the country.

“The clear mandate of your role is undebatable — we shall fully identify with your Mission and Vision, and shall actualize these without fear or favour.

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While reacting to presentations by different heads of the Institutes present the committee members said, the high number of research findings and products developed by the Institutes, is not enough, if their efforts were not patent and sold out.

Rep. Benjamin Mzondu, from Benue, in his reaction to the presentation by the DG of Nigeria Building and Road Research Institute, Prof. Samson Duinah stressed the need for the commercialization of building and road construction technologies developed by the Institute.

According to him, I sense a lot of positive pride in your presentation, I want to see that pride transferred to activities in the field, where industry operators can apply our research findings to their works for a fee.

“In my view, with what you have analyzed here, you don’t even need a budget, because you have the capacity to stand on your own and make your own money. But keeping all the products you have developed in your lab while the foreign exchange is spent importing the same is not good enough”, he said.

The Committee chairman told the agencies that “To enable us to commence our work, we have made a request for you to send us key Information and Documents that shall form the basis for further interactions with your agencies. Kindly
ensure that you collect your Letters containing these requests from the Secretariat at the end of this session.”

He said: “The first interactive meeting shall activate the relationship between the committee and agencies under its oversight responsibilities, adding that members are committed to ensuring the there’s a harmonious working relationship that brings about dividends for Nigeria.

The committee worried that Nigeria that was a leader in Africa in the past, has lost that pride, based on a decline in productivity in the sector.!

According to him, countries such as Kenya, South Africa and Egypt have overtaken Nigeria on so many scientific and technological fronts.

The committee, before it adjourned, also called on the agencies, to exercise due diligence in carrying out their procurement obligations, to ensure compliance with procurement laws.

Vanguard News Nigeria