Remi Tinubu to Inaugurate North-West Innovation Exhibition in Kano

Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano

First Lady Oluremi Tinubu will be in Kano for three days to launch the North-west zone ‘Energised Commercialisation Now’, an initiative of the Federal Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

This was announced at a world press conference by the Kano State Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Ibrahim Waiya.

He said the event will commence on April 23 and end on April 25 with various activities to take place across the state.

The federal and state governments, private sector, stakeholders as well as all the governors and first ladies of the North-west states are expected to join the First Lady at the three-day event.

Also to attend the event are universities and polytechnics of the region, research institutions, innovators, inventors as well as manufacturers, among others.

Some of the activities at the three-day visit highlighted by the commissioner include the official launch by the First Lady that will be followed by a high level panel discussion on federal-state energy for innovation and industrialisation as well as a mini exhibition of selected innovations, all coming up on the first day of the visit.

In the second and third days respectively, there would be a technical evaluation clinics academia-industry roundtable, consolidation of an investment-ready innovation pipeline and finally the innovators will meet investors and the signing of memorandum of understanding will take place.

Some of the envisioned outcomes of the meeting as stated by the commissioner include “a national innovation asset register capturing Norh-west innovations and a pipeline of investment-ready, commercialisable technologies” he stated.

He also added that there would be signed investment deals and MoUs between innovators and manufacturers as well as a stronger industry-academia linkages and IP registrations.

He further stated that Kano State is ready to lead Nigeria’s transition from an import-dependent economy to a production-driven, export-oriented industrial powerhouse.

“With the support of the First Lady, Federal Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation and all the stakeholders, Energised Commercialisation Now will unlock the innovative potential of our people and create lasting prosperity,” he declared.