Vice President Yemi Osinbajo believes it is important for every government to create opportunities for its people, especially the young generation.
Professor Osinbajo made the emphasis in his remarks on Tuesday at the launching of the North-East Humanitarian Innovation Hub in Yola, the Adamawa State capital.
He noted that it was important for Nigerians to think about some of the issues affecting the country and be introspective to address them.
The Vice President, however, explained that the hub was designed to create an enabling environment that is conducive for such thinking and innovation.
“I want to say that l am totally convinced and so, l believe that the way forward for our country is innovation and technology,” he said in a speech released by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande.
“The young people who we see every day, who are able to do all these incredible things, represent the future of our country and represent it so dramatically, graphically that we are all confident that where we are going is indeed a place of great prosperity and abundance, having regards to all that we see today.”
To this end, Osinbajo said the Federal Government is really committed to working through with the innovation hubs, in line with its Social Intervention Programme.
He revealed that government plans to establish six innovation hubs across the country, adding that they would open a climate change innovation hub at the Pan-African University in Lagos in a couple of weeks’ time.
The Vice President said they have begun a school challenge – university and polytechnic innovations’ challenge – which would involve students from across the country.
He said: “As part of that, we are building six university connected innovation hubs across the country, starting with the University of Lagos. The building has already started.
“This is going to be really outstanding hubs with some four floors using containers and there is going to be a lot of innovation. Just the building and the concept alone is extremely innovative and, of course, it’s been done by the young men and women who will be using the hub itself.”
Professor Osinbajo informed the audience at the event that government was constituting a council which include the young men and women, to help shape effective policy around technology, innovation and creativity.
He, however, stressed the need for Nigeria to know and understand how such intellectual capacity can be taken within the framework of its law and the framework of the international law practice.
The Vice President thanked those who supported the government to ensure the success of the hub, especially the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
He consequently declared the North-East Humanitarian Innovation Hub open for the benefit of the people of the region and the Nigerian people.
