Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has emphasized the importance of collaboration between the federal and state governments in driving innovation and technological progress. He stated that “such partnerships are crucial for the development of Benue State and Nigeria as a whole,” expressing optimism that working together with federal agencies would accelerate innovation and technological progress in the state.
The governor is currently undertaking a three-day working visit to the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology in Abuja, with a focus on strengthening collaboration with the Federal Government in the fields of innovation and technology.
Represented by his Deputy, Dr. Sam Ode, Governor Alia met with the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr. Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh, along with key officials from the ministry and its agencies. The primary goal of these meetings is to foster partnerships between Benue State and the Federal Government to boost technological development and innovation within the state.
The Governor’s visit has included strategic discussions with the Minister, Dr. Tochukwu Udeh, the Director General of the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), Dr. Lady Edith Amudinbi, and the Director General of the National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI), Dr. Kazeem Raji. These talks aimed to explore avenues for collaboration and technology transfer to support Benue’s developmental goals.
The engagement continues on Wednesday (today) with a scheduled visit to the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), and the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), headed by Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi and Mr. Khalil Suleiman Haliru, respectively. This further intensifies the commitment to building strong federal-state partnerships in advancing Nigeria’s technological landscape.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday by Ior Ikyereve, Deputy Chief Press Secretary, Office of the Deputy Governor, the visit is a testament to Governor Alia’s commitment to leveraging technology and innovation to drive economic growth and development in Benue State.
