FG to promote creation of 1, 500 SMEs via new technologies.

FG to promote creation of 1,500 SMEs via

new technologies

october 14, 2014. 

By NKIRUKA NNOROM

The Director General of Federal Institute of

Industrial Research Oshodi, FIIRO, Dr. Gloria

Elemo, has said that an estimated 1,500 small

and medium scale enterprises are expected to

be set up across the country in the next one

year through the 250 Research and

Development (R&D) technologies/outputs

developed by the institute.

Speaking ahead of the Investment and

Technology Week being put together by the

institute, she said that not less than 50,000

direct job opportunities will also be created

following the adoption of the technologies by

the 774 local government areas in the nation,

even as she said that 75,000 entrepreneurs

have so far benefited from FIIRO technology

transfer.

She noted that the 250 R&D outputs to be

showcased at the four days event, which

kicked off today (Tuesday, October 14, 2014),

would also spur more Foreign Direct

Investment, FDI, interest into the country.

Elemo added that the investment week is part

of the institute’s effort to deliver more

effectively on its mandate for rapid

industrialization of the national economy, as

well as create employment opportunities to

reverse the worsening unemployment in the

country.

“The overall aim of the programme is to

showcase the institutes over 250 R&D outputs

suitable for investment by micro, small,

medium and large scale entrepreneurs to

enhance job creation and improve on the

national Gross Domestic Products.

“We are hoping that at least 35 technologies

would be well structured and adopted in all

the local governments, which is 774. So, the

projection is that if every local government

tries to adopt at least two technologies, we

will have a total of about 2,000 jobs each.

“When you look at others that are coming in to

buy into the technologies, various commercial

organisations, students coming in, National

Association of Nigeria Students, NANS,

organizations like SURE-P and other organized

sectors, we are expecting that minimum

expected jobs that can come out of this

catalyst should be at least 250,000. This will

definitely reduce unemployment level in the

country,” she said.

“We just concluded training of a number of

youths on our National Techno-entrepreneurs

Initiative, but our target is 2,000 youths on

annual basis as part of our contribution to

national development and corporate social

responsibility programme, to transfer

technology to them and also lead them to

proper infrastructure that will definitely

establish them on the field.