Commissioner for Industry, Trade and Investment, Mrs. Kikelomo Longe made this known while meeting the new Center Manager, Technology Incubation Center (TIC), Abeokuta, Mr. Ifelayo Adejoro at the Ministry’s Conference Room, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta stating that efforts of the government on the full-reactivation of the three TICs which are located at Abeokuta, Odogbolu and Owode-Yewa was due to their expediency to the development of entrepreneurs especially start-ups who need to nurture their innovations before commercializing them.
Longe said the present administration would collaborate with the new leadership of the TICs to address challenges affecting the Centers to help in the actualization of the potentials of the Centers.
“We have set up a small working group that will actually work out details of re-activating and re-energising the three Technology Incubation Centers (TICs) in Ogun State to come up with solutions that could help achieve the set objectives of these centers. At the end of the day we want to have entrepreneurs of high potentials. We want to bring them out, help them commercialise their products and build businesses that will be able to stand the test of time,” the Commissioner said.
The Commissioner called on the new leadership to be solution-driven towards addressing the challenge of low capacity utilization at the Technology Incubation Centers (TICs) in the State stressing the low capacity utilization was unacceptable.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Industry, Trade and Investment, Chief Remi Ogunmefun said the omission of Technology Incubation Centers (TICs) from the MSMEs Fund was a colossal mistake stressing that the fund would have been a good means of financing the TICs so as to adequately encourage more innovations that could help MSMEs grow.
Also speaking, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Olu. Ola. Aikulola said the Ministry would incorporate some of its participants at the State MSMEs Business Clinics to utilize the various incubation units at the Technology Incubation Centers assuring the Ministry would continue to support the development of the TICs.
In his address, Manager, Technology Incubation Center (TIC), Abeokuta, Mr. Ifelayo Adejoro expressed his determination to attract more than 50 incubatees within the next six months so as to utilise all the incubation units at the TICs adding that the Centers would also help incubatees obtain necessary certifications as well as aid them in marketing their products or innovations.
