This is coming at the backdrop of the recent revelation that
the commission had committed more than N500 million in funding research across
the Nigerian universities.
Akande told a gathering of vice chancellors and professors
from universities in the southern parts of the country at a roundtable
conference at the Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, that the commission
acknowledged the importance of working with stakeholders to engender
innovations and build indigenous technological capabilities that would strengthen
the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) ecosystem.
He said, “We want to use this opportunity to assure you that
the Commission will continue to give support to the educational sector in the
interest of national development. We will also continue to encourage research
and innovation in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions,” Akande said, explaining
that the essence of the roundtable was to dialogue with the academia, industry
and other stakeholders on how research efforts and prototypes can be transformed
into commercially-viable products that solve real-life problems.
“Consequently, the Commission will continue to allocate the
requisite resources to research, development and innovations necessary for the
industry to continue to contribute to the socio-economic development of the
country.”
Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta,
represented by the Director, Legal and Regulatory Services of the Commission,
Josphine Amuwa, said academia is a key driver of innovation in all spheres of
human endeavour.
He said this was why his leadership at the Commission was
determined to not only give grants to the academia but also support the
commercialisation of the prototypes developed to deepen the indigenous
technological capabilities which would support the overall development of the
industry.
NCC Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, Ubale Maska,
who was represented by Director, Technical Standards and Network Integrity at
the Commission, Bako Wakil, revealed that the Commission had so far awarded a
total of 49 telecom-based research grants to the academia out of which 10
prototypes have been successfully developed.
“We are hopeful that these sessions will culminate in the
development of a common framework that would facilitate the commercialisation
of the existing prototypes and future research outcomes (prototypes) for the
benefit of the economy and the industry,” he stated.
Coming shortly after a similar roundtable in Kano for the
northern region, the event organised by the research prototypes and Development
R&D Department of the Commission, was aimed at bringing together Resources
persons, business savvy industry experts, the academia, relevant Ministries,
Departments and Agencies (MDAs), entrepreneurs and renowned individuals who have
successfully commercialised their inventions to brainstorm on the way forward
for research output commercialisation.
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