FG gives N70m grant to 56 inventors

The Federal Government on Tuesday in Abuja gave grants of N70 million to 56 inventors to enable them improve and mass produce their inventions.
The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, said the grant was to empower the beneficiaries to improve, mass produce, commercialise their products as well as register and patent their products.
Onu said: “Today, cheques will be given to 56 inventors as grant to local inventors to enable them improve and mass produce their inventions for use in Nigeria as well as for export to the international market.
“Nigeria future depends on effective utilization of Science, Technology and Innovation as tools for the economic development of our dear country.
“I therefore challenge you to continue to work hard so as to improve on your creativity, inventiveness and innovation in using this grant.”
According to him, the level of funding will improve when the National Research and Innovation Council is fully established and the National Research Innovation Fund becomes operational.
Onu thanked the 2016 Presidential Standing Committee on Innovations and Innovations for the critical selection of the 56 beneficiaries out of 400 interested inventors.
Ezekiel Izuogu, one of the inventors, who got the highest grant of N10 million, thanked the government for the grant given to indigenous inventors and innovators to improve their research work in the nation.
Izuogu added that such assistance would go a long way to sustain national development and create employment in the country.