From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu has said that Nigeria and the Kingdom of Belgium will deepen their already existing relationship for mutual gains in the development of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI).
Onu made this disclosure when he received the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to Nigeria, Amb. Daniel Bertrand, in his office on Friday in Abuja.
The Minister briefed the Belgian envoy on the role of his Ministry to spearhead the transformation of Nigeria’s economy to a knowledge and innovation based one.
He further highlighted the efforts of the Federal government to improve Nigeria’s manufacturing capacity and the agricultural value chain.
Onu said that the Federal Government is working hard to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty by the turn of the decade, adding that through more investment in Science, Technology and Innovation (STI), the per capita income and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Nigeria will improve.
He assured the envoy that Nigeria is a prime destination for investment and expressed optimism on interested Belgian investors.
The Belgian Ambassador to Nigeria, Amb. Daniel Bertrand said that Nigeria is Africa’s prime destination for investments, as it is the largest economy in Africa and a regional leader in Science and technology.
He further said that Nigeria has a lot of business potentials, as business people from his country are interested in investing in Nigeria.