The Lagos State Government has committed N1bn to the Lagos State Science, Research & Innovation Council as the first tranche of a LASRIC Seed Fund to catalyze development in the state.
The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, disclosed this at the inauguration of the newly constituted Lagos State Science, Research & Innovation Council at the Lagos House in Ikeja, Lagos, recently.
The governor, represented by his deputy, Dr Kadri Hamzat, outlined six key areas of focus for the reconstituted LASRIC, which included promoting an environment conducive to innovation through increased funding, strategic collaborations, capacity-building initiatives, and a resolute focus on locally relevant solutions, among others.
He also challenged academics in the council to leverage LASRIC to better focus and translate their students’ research and theses into entrepreneurial innovations with global impact.
Sanwo-Olu said, “Over the past four years, LASRIC has created over 500 jobs by supporting innovative startups, aided over 70 research and development initiatives, and increased innovation activity within the state by over 250 percent.