The Plateau State Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) has partnered with the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) to review the state’s science and innovation policy to drive technology-led economic development.
The Commissioner for Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Cletus Shurkuk, disclosed this on Wednesday during a working visit to the NIPSS headquarters in Jos alongside senior officials of the ministry.
Shurkuk said the collaboration would focus on reviewing the state’s existing STI policy to align it with emerging technologies, innovation priorities and broader economic development goals.
According to him, the current policy has become outdated and is no longer adequate to address modern challenges, including revenue generation, innovation management and technology-driven socio-economic transformation.
He appealed to NIPSS to provide technical support, policy expertise, and institutional capacity-building throughout the review process to ensure the development of a comprehensive and implementable policy framework.
The commissioner expressed confidence that the partnership would strengthen institutional capacity, improve policy implementation and enhance the ministry’s contribution to sustainable economic growth in Plateau State.
Shurkuk also stressed the need to identify, nurture and commercialize homegrown innovations while creating platforms that would enable innovators to attract investment and safeguard their intellectual property rights.
Also speaking, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mr. Peter Bot, underscored the importance of staff training, digital literacy and human capital development for the effective implementation of science and technology programs across the state.
Bot added that the policy review would prioritize value addition in agriculture by promoting food processing industries that can reduce post-harvest losses, create employment opportunities, and boost the state’s economy.
The Director-General of NIPSS, Prof. Tayo Omotayo, represented by Prof. Kyanta Tanyigna, urged the ministry to ensure the revised policy incorporates key areas such as digital transformation, innovation commercialization, research and development, intellectual property protection and stronger inter-agency collaboration.
He also called for broad stakeholder consultations involving government ministries, federal agencies, development partners, research institutions and local government authorities before the policy is presented for final approval.
Both organizations agreed to exchange and jointly review a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) ahead of its approval and formal signing by the appropriate authorities.
The meeting ended with a commitment to establish a joint technical team, begin the policy review process once approvals are secured, and deepen collaboration to advance science, technology and innovation in Plateau State.
