As part of economic diversification priority of the present administration, the Federal Government and Czech Republic on Wednesday launched a Call for Public Proposals on Delta-2 Programme worth $16.2 million Co-funding Research and Development (R&D) project.

The Delta-2 Programme is the cooperation model of the Technology Agency of Czech Republic TA CR, running for the period from 2020-2025, through which TA CR sponsors applied research and innovation of manufacturing companies and innovative institutions. Nigeria had just become  new beneficiary of the programme.

It could be recalled that Nigeria and Czech Republic signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2014, in Prague by NASENI and TA CR on some critical areas of technology transfer and innovations which had resulted in the Co-Funding of Czech-Nigeria Bilateral R&D Project on Delta-2 Programme.

Speaking at the launch, the Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Engr. Prof. Mohammed Sani Haruna said the Call for Public Proposal for the Delta-2 programme is one of the projects to be implemented under the Agreement between the two countries.

According to Engr. Prof. M.S. Haruna, the priority areas of the MoU which includes Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, agricultural and Food Technology, Mining Industrial Development among others were unable to take off earlier due to bureaucracy until the Presidential Implementation Committee (PICTT) on Technology Transfer/Information Exchange between Nigeria and Czech Republic. PICTT was inaugurated by President Muhammed Buhari in November 2020.

He said, “The PICTT would be sourcing technologies from the Czech Republic’s manufacturing companies; tertiary; research; and development institutions. The sum of CZK 250 million (250 million Czech Koruna, approximately US$10.5 million) has been a allocated as research fund by the government of the Czech Republic, through the TA CR and will be supplemented by NASENI on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria to the sum of 2,000,000,000 or US5.7 million”.

“Technology acquisition and domestication through this collaboration will help in bridging technology gap between Nigeria and the advanced countries of the West and to facilitate Nigeria’s transition to a manufacturing economy. Indeed, deployment of technology is crucial to mitigate our socio-economic and security challenges.  The Delta-2 Programme is uniquely designed to catalyze technology transfer and mobilize positive interventions and investments among private sectors and relevant stakeholders in Nigeria and Czech Republic for technology advancement. The project seeks to mobilize investments to help developing countries like Nigeria meet their needs for environmentally sound technology”, he explained.

He, however, noted that the output of the collaborative projects are expected to yield patents, pilot plants, development of proven technologies, industrial designs, prototypes, functional samples, software, certified methodologies processes and specialized maps, databases, commercialization among others.

In his welcome address, the Chairman Presidential Implementation Committee on Technology Transfer/Information Exchange between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Czech Republic, Dr. Muhammed Dahiru said the Launch of Call for  Public  Proposals  which is simultaneously being hosted by the TA CR and at least eight (8) other participating countries is the first part of the project procedure/schedule on TA CR Delta-2 programme for Bilateral cooperation in Applied Research and Technology Transfer for Agriculture, Mining and General Manufacturing.

“Research and Development (R&D) proposals are now invited from Nigeria academic community, research and development institutions, as well as private companies or entrepreneurs and independent researchers on the three priority areas of Agriculture and Food Technology; Mining and Industrial Development; and General Manufacturing for SMEs Development”, he stated.