With Nigeria striving to become a hub for research-driven development, partnerships like this can accelerate progress in key areas such as renewable energy and youth-led technology, while helping to build institutional capacity and improve its standing in global innovation rankings.

Nigeria and Cuba are strengthening bilateral cooperation in science, technology, innovation, and renewable energy. This follows a meeting between the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology and the Cuban Ambassador to Nigeria, Miriam Morales Palmero.

The meeting, announced on June 3, was hosted by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji. It revisited the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed during the minister’s and Vice President Kashim Shettima’s official visit to Cuba. Both nations agreed to begin implementing concrete collaborative actions based on the MoU.

“Cuba has shown the world what’s possible in biotechnology, public healthcare, and education. Under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Nigeria is charting a similar course—anchored on local manufacturing, youth enterprise, and research-driven solutions,” the Minister stated.

Discussions focused on potential collaboration in renewable energy and environmental technologies, climate-smart agriculture, STEM education and twinning programs, research and academic exchanges, and technology incubation and innovation fellowships.

The Minister emphasized the importance of accelerating implementation through a Nigeria–Cuba Innovation and Technology Working Group and announced plans to convene a Bilateral Science and Technology Summit within the next year.

Nigeria is increasingly investing in its digital and innovation infrastructure. The country is pushing to transform itself into a hub for research-driven development, with emphasis on local manufacturing, renewable energy, and youth-led technology entrepreneurship. However, gaps remain—Nigeria ranks 113th out of 133 countries in the 2024 Global Innovation Index (GII 2024), which ranks world economies according to their innovation capabilities. This highlights the need for stronger R&D capacity, better cross-border collaboration, and more institutional support for science and innovation.

The renewed Nigeria–Cuba cooperation offers a timely opportunity to address these gaps by fostering cross-border collaboration and leveraging Cuba’s proven track record in state-led innovation. The meeting reaffirmed both countries’ commitment to building resilient, innovation-driven economies, leveraging shared values and expertise to unlock sustainable progress in an increasingly digital world.

Hikmatu Bilali