Technology Policy kills Entrepreneurship- Dons

Leading academics have called for a broader and more inclusive science and technology policy to enable Nigeria reap the benefits of the modern age, Nigeria CommunicationsWeek can report.

They also argued that the current science and technology policy lacked feedback mechanism and contained some disincentives for technology entrepreneurs.

The dons who gathered for this year’s EduNet Conference hosted by Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, warned that Nigeria may not realize her Vision 20:2020; and transformation agenda if the policy instrument is not rejigged.

Prof. Kenneth Adekalu, director, Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Office (IPTTO), Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, said that the major problem is that most technologies coming into the country are duplications or resemblance of things already existing.

“There are no indigenous technologies to challenge the in-flux of the duplications. That is why we are harping on a situation that will give room for people to come up with indigenous technologies and build businesses around them, which is the best way to industrialize a nation,” Adekalu said.

Nodding in agreement, Professor Francis Adesina, director, OAU Institute for Entrepreneurship and Development Studies, said that there are enormous challenges in Nigeria.

He said that “Things are not working the way they ought to. For instance, Nigeria and Africa at large must learn from China which in the ‘30s opened its doors to different markets, exposing the people to developmental models for the future.

“I am an advocate that we must get the policies right and build them towards the right directions. That is the primary way to support drives towards technology entrepreneurship. Policies are not supposed to be static; rather they should be dynamic and responsive to contemporary issues.” He added.
 
Speaking on the Conference theme: “Fostering Technology Entrepreneurship in Nigerian Universities”, Professor Adeshola Aderounmu, director ICT centre of Obafemi Awolowo University, represented by Temitope Aladesanmi, head Internet Services at the ICT centre, called for  building technology entrepreneurship ecosystem within the Nigerian University Community with key examples from the Israel Technology and Innovation Ecosystem.

On his part, Kenneth Omeruo, coordinator, EduNet 2014, said, “The 4th edition of EduNet conference now highlighted the need for Nigerian universities to lead the way in the development of technology entrepreneurship in Africa.