By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

Patronage is the only way to encourage and promote local inventors and innovators, the Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, has said.

He made the remark at the National Innovation Workshop organized by the Senate Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI), held at the International Conference Center, Awka weekend.

Speaking on the theme of the event, “Promotion of Local Inventors of Science, Technology and Innovation”, Soludo cited Anambra State as one of the safest states in Nigeria and home of STI.

The Governor described STI as the new way of life, saying: “Anambra is the place for practical innovation. Anambra is the home to Nigeria’s first Automotive Industrial Park that will be located at Akwaihedi, Nnobi and Uga.

According to him, the state government is on the verge of completing the first phase of the development adding that a bigger fundraising of over $250 Million will kick off the project,

The Governor said: “We are mainstreaming STI to fundamentally become a way of life particularly in our schools. Every teacher will have the enabling technological tool to be able to impact our children.

“Part of our vision is to make Anambra the digital tribe of Nigeria. The most important thing that all of us can do to promote STI and research is to patronize local inventors.

“Everywhere else in the world, the Government and people patronize their own.”

Using Anambra as a standard, Soludo said that homemade products from the state are highly promoted, noting that if the product is produced and innovated here in the state, government will patronize the producer.

He said: “When you look at me, the shoe I am wearing is made-in-Anambra. The cloth I am wearing is hand made by women in the Akwete community, Abia State. These women are innovators and inventors. The only way to promote Akwete is to patronize the innovators.

“Since I started the Akwete revolution, the pricing per unit has increased and many more people have been employed in Akwete production.

“If they innovate, invent and nobody patronizes them, it goes to nullity.

“When you come to Anambra Government House, we are not offering you imported wines. You will drink palm wine and eat food made in Anambra.

“When you wear the things that are imported abroad, you are creating jobs abroad because they will employ more people in order to manufacture those goods and ship them to you. And we will be crying about unemployment.

“The only car that is actually manufactured and not assembled in Nigeria is Innoson made in Anambra and that is the car the Governor of Anambra is driving.

“Hopefully, when this kind of event is organized next year, we should be able to showcase products made in Nigeria,” the Governor stated.

While commending the Senate Committee led Senator Uche Ekwunife for organizing the workshop, Soludo prayed the message will sink in every nook and cranny of the country, even as he harped on the need for every state in the country to build the foundations for STI.

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