By Bilesanmi Abayomi
The Federal Government has opened talks with the Nigeria LNG (NLNG) to reform the country’s science and technology ecosystem, following the failure of any qualified applicant to emerge for this year’s NLNG Prize for Science and Technology.
The Honourable Minister of State for Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, received a delegation led by former Minister of Science and Technology and Chair of the NLNG Science Prize Committee, Prof. Bart Nnaji, alongside NLNG’s General Manager, Sophia Horsfall, during a working visit to his office this week.
In a statement, Dr. Alausa said the engagement offered an opportunity to address structural issues affecting scientific research, innovation, and intellectual property development in Nigeria, rather than focusing solely on the prize outcome.
The meeting, held in collaboration with the Research, Innovation and Commercialisation Committee (RICC), reviewed the need for strengthened partnerships between government and the private sector to translate research outputs into commercially viable products and services. RICC also briefed the Minister on progress made in its ongoing pilot initiatives.
Dr. Alausa stressed that building scientific capacity is crucial to achieving President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for Education. As part of the resolutions reached, the Ministry, RICC and NLNG agreed to establish a Technical Working Group to enhance the structure and impact of the NLNG Prize for Science and Technology.
A key proposal is the splitting of the prize into two sub-categories, a step expected to broaden participation and allow more Nigerian scientists to compete.
The Minister commended Prof. Nnaji for his contributions to national development and praised NLNG for its continued support for scientific advancement. He also lauded RICC Chair, Dr. Tayo Aduloju of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), for ongoing efforts to bridge the gap between academia and industry.
Dr. Alausa reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to expanding opportunities for learners, researchers and academics, noting that strengthening the link between knowledge creation and national development remains a priority.