2nd Portugal-Nigeria Science and Technology Week

Portugal will host the second edition of Portugal-Nigeria Science and Technology Week from December 2 to 4. The event is organized and promoted by Agência Ciência Viva with the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), as part of the "GoPortugal – Global Science and Technology Partnerships Portugal" program and the Portuguese government's "Initiative knowledge for development, ikdf."

These meetings are part of Portugal's participation in the creation of the AIR Centre (Atlantic International Research Centre) in the Azores. The first edition was held last year in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria. This year, Portugal will host the Nigerian delegation, which will visit several national research centers.

The visit program will begin at the Pavilion of Knowledge on December 2 with a bilateral meeting between the Minister of Science, Technology, and Higher Education, Manuel Heitor, and his Nigerian counterpart, Ogbonnaya Onu. Over the following days, the Nigerian delegation, composed of leaders and researchers from various sectors of activity, will visit national research units, particularly those related to space science and technology, biotechnology, veterinary science and animal disease research, marine science and industry, production technologies and industrial cooperation, renewable energy, energy efficiency, and entrepreneurship.

Nigeria is Africa's second largest economy, with a population of almost 200 million. It is one of the countries participating in the creation of the AIR Centre, with plans to set up a hub for space technology applications.

The AIR Centre (Atlantic International Research Centre) was established in the Florianópolis Declaration, signed on November 20, 2017, in Brazil. It is based on an international and intergovernmental platform geared towards the development of research activities in the areas of climate, land, space, and oceans, together with the promotion of new economic activities and the creation of skilled jobs in the Atlantic regions.