Abuja, Dec.1, 2022 – Twenty five firms have been shortlisted the Presidential Implementation Committee (PIC) on Technology Transfer/Information for the over $10.5 million research projects exchange between Nigeria and Czech Republic.
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved for the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI to invest N2 billion (about $5.7 million) in profitable manufacturing and commercialisation of successful research products.
NASENI will also serve as a partner with any willing company on such products.
The agency’s Executive Vice Chairman, Prof Mohammad Sani Haruna, said this during while results of Delta-2 bids for the projects.
Haruna, who was represented by Mrs Nonye Onyechi, the agency’s Coordinating Director of Planning and Business Development, said the firms were shortlisted by experts including those from the Nigeria Academy of Science, Nigeria Academy of Engineering and the private sector.
He said the funding of the projects would last from 12 to 36 months.
“The sum of CZK 250 million (250 million Czech Koruna) equivalent to $10.5 million has been allocated as research fund by the government of Czech Republic, through the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic (TA CR) for this project.
“These 25 selected companies shall be receiving their awards in January 2023 in line with the Delta-2 Work Plan. The funding for these projects is projected to last for between 12 to 36 months.
“The outputs of these projects are expected to be of proven technologies, yield patents, pilot plants, process technologies, mass production and commercialisation.”
Haruna said that projects to be funded under this programme were expected to have direct and immediate positive impact on the average Nigerian farmers, miners and Nigerian business community through development and growth of SMEs. (GBN)
