First of all, before delving into the subject matter which is, providing solutions to the "decline in the local inventions in Nigeria”. It will not be out of order to give a lucid explanation of what a major keyword in the topic, "invention" connotes.

As put by Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

“An invention is a unique or novel device, method, composition or process. The invention process is a process within an overall engineering and product development process. It may be an improvement upon a machine or product or a new process for creating an object or a result. An invention that achieves a completely unique function or result may be a radical breakthrough. Such works are novel and not obvious to others skilled in the same field.”

Furthermore, Cambridge dictionary defines invention as thus:

“Invention can be said to be something that has never been made before, or the process of creating something that has never been made before.”

Taking a cue from the above definitions of invention, we can infer that invention means creating anew, bringing into existence a novel device that has never occurred in time past. We can also infer that invention means the application of adequate knowledge to problem solving. As an adage says, necessity is the mother of invention; invention flows out of the mind with a longing desire to solve a recurring challenge. A problem that has brought mess and disrepute to a nation can be dealt a parting shot through invention. Readers will agree with me that for so long, there has been a dearth in the number of inventions we have witnessed, if at all, in our nation. Instead all we see are irrelevant media parades of inventions and after the various media parades, nothing is patented in our name and no problem is solved. I can't recall several times I have seen inventions emerging from our secondary schools’ students, universities undergraduates and many other citizens of this great nation. But the big question is: in what manner did government respond to such mind-blowing inventive feat?

Not too long ago, a student from a particular school in Bayelsa state invented an incinerator that can dissipate waste in a matter of seconds, the invention enjoyed good mention in the media and later, no meaningful support from any quarters accorded to such brilliant creativity . This points to the fact that skills and talent are everywhere in our nation, they only need to be nurtured, harnessed and supported.

Frankly, if truth must be told, local inventions ranks high as one of the key yardsticks deployed in measuring and assessing economy growth of any nation. Little wonder why countries like United States of America, China, Germany, and United Kingdom are the most developed nations in the world. They blazed the trail in the area of local inventions as well as sailing to the peak point of wearing the diadem of the “world

powerful” having break the ice with inventing series of life-transforming inventions.

In this regards, readers of this treatise will agree with me that there are myriads of challenges hampering the progress of Nigeria from becoming an inventive nation.

For the purpose of this piece, I would like to share some key challenges that have forced Nigeria to remain a stagnant nation which goes thus:

1. Poor funding: Poor funding is one of the grave headaches of local inventions in Nigeria. The truth is, in the absence of funding, an inventive mind will continue to wallow in the state of an abysmal failure, suffice to say, funding is the heartbeat of any resounding invention. Funding has been the major problem for the decline in local invention in this nation. For instance, the United States Department of Energy granted Elon Musk, founder and CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, a whooping sum of US$465 million in interest-bearing loans for the execution of his electric and self-driving car project. And now, the project has been patented. Early this year, the project was launched into the space and it was cross-examined and tested OK. Had funds not been injected in support of such project by the government, the project would have merely remained a pipe dream as it is usually witnessed in our clime. The then Supervising Minister of Science and Technology during the Goodluck Jonathan led administration, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, decried the allocation of less than one per cent of the national budget to the ministry.

2. Lack of exposure to sophisticated and ultra-modern equipment and steady power supply: As an undergraduate schooling in one of the tertiary institutions of this nation, without mincing words, I can categorically say that up to 80 percent of Nigerian educational institutions is broadly fraught with plethora of obsolete and outdated practical apparatus. When such archaic and dysfunctional facilities are being used to train students, the grave consequence could be imagined. Our educational cum technical research centers and institutions lacks facilities that can spur great and high flying inventions. Our facilities are outdated. All we see in our institutions are facilities that can’t help make academic research let alone further inventive project. A lecturer once told me of how he had to make a research tour to a research institute in the United Kingdom so as to complete his research for his Ph.D. thesis. That's so devastating and pathetic! On the other hand, absence of steady power supply has also contributed to the decline in local inventions in totality in Nigeria. When it comes to taking statistics of nations adversely affected by epileptic power supply, undoubtedly, Nigeria will take the lead. Nigeria remains the worst hit of power failure in the world.

3. Absence of invention-oriented institutions: In saner climes, there are special institutions apart from tertiary institutions funded by governments and some are funded by non governmental organizations(NGOs) established for the sole purpose of local invention, but in our clime, they seems to be one we can lay claim to in terms of invention-oriented institutions. Co-invention plays a fundamental role in invention and that is what invention-oriented institutions brings to the table. If there are invention-oriented institutions, like minds would attract and ideas will be marshaled out. Most inventions we are enjoying today are as a result of like minds coming together to engage in a brainstorming discussions on how to make inventions for the betterment of me and you.

4. Absence of sound government policies: Nigeria has continued to be in its present state of retrogressiveness in terms of local invention simply because of bad government policies. All we see are unnecessary power tussles over trivial issues, just like what we witnessed in the National Assembly recently over the stolen mace in the National Assembly.

Quoting Dr. Reuben Abati in one of his essays on public affairs:

“Ideas drive and build nations. A country without a deep and positive current of thought is bound to run into crisis. So it is with Nigeria where the lawmakers only become animated when they want to share money or play partisan politics. Try and compare the lawmakers of Singapore with that of Nigeria, for example. The difference is clear. The message is clear”.

Despite all these obvious challenges, there are talented and diligent Nigerians, who have invented a lot of devices that need public and government assistance or intervention.

After these challenges have been identified, solutions should be given because without outlining solutions to these challenges, we would continue to be in this same state of crying over spilled milk.

Outlined below are the solutions I think if properly implemented can serve as countermeasures against those problems highlighted above:

1. Adequate funding: Like I have outlined above, the major challenge that has contributed to the decline in local inventions in our country is inadequate or lack of funding. There should be a special board domiciled in the Ministry of Science and Technology, this board should be responsible for the disbursement of funds for inventive project that has been found worthy of innovativeness after a rigorous background checks. Also, the budgetary allocation to the Ministry of science and technology should be increased so as to pave way for a better funding of the board which is responsible for the disbursement of funds for inventive projects.

2. Investment in standard and quality equipment and facilities: Government should try and engage in public-private partnership (PPP) with the private sector, especially those in the field of Science, Technology and Mathematics (STEM) so as to get high-end equipments that aid intellectual capacity and scientific research. It is a truism that the government can’t do everything alone; there is a need for a synergistic embracement from those in the private sector.

3. Establishment of invention-focused institutions: Invention focused institutions should be established as an agency under the Ministry of Science and Technology. If there is an institution created for the sole purpose of invention, like minds would come in contact and share relevant ideas on how to forestall groundbreaking inventions.

4. Sound government policies: The executive arm and the legislative arm of government should work in tandem in making sure pro-invention policies are rolled out. Policies like initiating partnership with major invention foundations like Albert Einstein foundation, Ford foundations and other foundations around the world so as to drastically eradicate the problem of decline in local inventions.

Conclusively, I am very optimistic of better days ahead if government can consciously heed to the above highlighted solution.

God bless Nigeria!

Samson A. works and lives in Lagos. E-mail: samsonadejoro@yahoo.com

You have said it all