Nigeria Signs Technology Transfer Deal With Czech Republic

Posted by African Examiner African News, Featured, Latest Headlines, News, News Across Nigeria, News From The State, Technology Saturday, December 12th, 2020

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment Mariam Katagum, says that the federal government has signed a deal with Czech Republic over technology transfer deal.

Katagum disclosed this on Friday while discussing with State House correspondents in Abuja after the inaaugration of Implementation Committee of Memorandum of Understanding between Czech Republic and Federal Republic of Nigeria on Technology and Joint Research.

According to Katagum, the MOU was aimed on technology transfer between Nigeria and Czech Republic.

She said: “In the yesteryears, we used to send our students to the former Czechoslovakia, as it was called.

“So, now, this cooperation is between the Nigerian government, represented by National Agency for Engineering and Science Infrastructure (NASENI), and the Czech Government, represented by the Technology Agency of Czech Republic.

“Looking at agriculture, mining, MSMEs and how we can collaborate to enable us to get some skilled training so that when we have particular tasks that we need certain machinery, we could developed the machinery.

“We need to transfer this knowledge, and, then NASENI, using its own members of staff and research and development, will be able to adapt these technologies to suit the Nigerian situation.’’

Katagum also disclosed that there are other new areas which was deliberated upon like the Artificial Intelligence as there are lots of young Nigerians who are into Information Technology and were developing lots of devices to help home tasks easy to do.

She continued: “So, how do we get these young people to be part of this particular project?

“And that’s why in our discussions, we have to bring in agencies of government such as the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), and Bank of Industry (BOI).

“We also have to leverage on the organised private sector because there is a lot to learn from the private sector; a lot of resources there that we can tap.”