The Research, Technology and Innovation (RTI) Division of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), on Friday, sought the support of the National Information Technology Development Agency on how to drive the petroleum sector with digital technology.
The visit was held at the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, Abuja.
The team was led by the Chief Innovation Officer of NNPC, Mrs Ugonna Betty Amaechi.
She disclosed that they were at the centre to seek NITDA’s assistance.
The assistance would be in reviewing some of its strategy, goals, priorities and progress, as well as provide guidance and enablement to succeed
Mrs Amaechi said, “Innovation is about creating new ways of doing things towards achieving performance efficiency and cost-cutting.
“It is something Nigeria has embraced, and for innovation to thrive there must be triggers which is why the RTI was formed,” she said.
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Amaechi revealed that RTI’s business thematic areas include; cybernetics and automation, downstream innovation, energy innovation, refining of petrochemical innovation, upstream innovation, and market research and service innovation.
She stated that the research aspects of RTI use creative, systemic and methodological principles of knowledge to collect, organise and analyse ideas for business growth, sustain development and solve problems within the NNPC.
She said they want to learn from NITDA’s wealth of experience.
Amaechi added that the focus is in the area of technology to drive business efficiency, quality service and performance excellence, using advancements in applied sciences, engineering and design in line with technology trends.
Additionally, in the area of innovation, the team leader said, RTI came up with the idea of looking at it more centrally from a human-centered approach.
She added that RTI intends to embrace human-centered innovation.
“Innovation happens when you explore”
In his remark, the Director-General of NITDA, Mallam Kashifu Abdullahi said; “Innovation happens when you explore.”
Furthermore, he added that “you need to be an explorer and exploiter at the same time before you become innovative as an organisation.”
Also, he opined that what makes an ecosystem is to have all stakeholders on board.
According to him, “To have a successful innovation ecosystem, it is important to have five key stakeholders which are; Academia, corporate organisation, entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists in order to provide funding for the ideas.”
He assured the RTI of the Agency’s supports to drive various initiatives.
NITDA boss added that “getting an idea from conceptualisation to impact is highly required to be an innovator that opens to new ideas.”
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