FG targets two million jobs from technological innovations

The Federal Government plans to generate two million jobs from the commercialisation of technological innovations, the Minister of Science and Technology, Prof. Ita Ewa, has said.Ewa disclosed this at the 2011 ministerial press briefing by the ministry in Abuja on Thursday.According to him, the plan is to use the cluster concept to fast-track the development of rural communities and generate jobs through the process.He also disclosed that funds had been made available at the Central Bank of Nigeria, Bank of Industry and Nigeria Export and Import Bank for any entrepreneur who was willing to commercialise technological innovations produced by the ministry and its agencies.Specifically, Ewa mentioned three projects that were ready for job creation in 2012.These are the production of pencil developed by the Project Development Institute, Enugu; commercialisation of science kit developed by the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure; and the production of organic fertiliser from Neem plant developed by the National Research Institute for Chemical Technology, Zaria.He also said the Federal Government was in the process of increasing electricity supply to rural communities through the use of solar panels produced by an agency of the ministry.He said, "The ministry, through NASENI, established the Karshi Solar Panel Plant as a strategy for the adaptation, development, application and diffusion of photovoltaic technology in the country."The technology can be used to complement and alleviate some of the challenges being experienced due to erratic nature of the power currently being supplied on-grid."Ewa further said, "A current survey of communities in Okobo in Akwa-Ibom State, and 19 communities in Warri North, Warri South and South-West of Bayelsa State, with the aim of determining their most pressing communal electric power needs, revealed that there was a general request for the use of solar power for water pumping. All the communities generally showed preference for the deployment of solar power to their community halls and health centres. "On this, a memo has been submitted to the Federal Executive Council for consideration and approval for the installation of the solar system to be executed by NASENI in order to promote the use of locally produced solar panels for rural electrification."
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