LAGOS: A robust drive has been kicked off by the Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO) to commercialize its research results. This was revealed yesterday in a one-day conference organized by FIIRO with indigenous equipment fabricators. According to Gloria Elemo, FIIRO's director-general, the conference was organized “in order to identify and accredit fabricators who can partner with us in the production of equipment prototypes.” This forum is meant to assist the company in identifying those fabricators that can meet up with our standards and specifications. She stressed, “This is necessary to speed up the pace of commercializing our R&D results and facilitate the adoption of our technologies by small, medium and large scale entrepreneurs in Nigeria.” Sources disclosed that FIIRI is now a partner with Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria. The institute has signed MoU to test the possibility of a program in the area of commercialization and capacity building, training and so on. The Director-General said her target is the commercialization of the company's research and development results and to push them into the market. FIIRO has achieved a lot since its existence in 1956. They boast of having over 50 commercializable research and development results, which are mostly lined on the shelf. Elemo argued, “Our drive is offer a solution to the quest for local content in Nigeria's business and industrial space. This we are determined to do vigorously. We will promote linkages with Nigerian industries – large and small.”
