Participants during the morning training session.
The Fiji National University’s (FNU) National Training and Productivity Centre (NTPC) has launched the country’s first-ever Innovation Training at its Nabua Campus this week.
The Programme is led by George Wong, a renowned Productivity Specialist and Asian Productivity Organisation (APO) Consultant on Productivity, from Singapore.
Mr Wong, sharing lessons from Singapore’s transformation into one of the world’s most competitive economies, urged participants to embrace innovation as a driver of growth and resilience.
“People are the greatest asset of any country. With the right mindset, discipline, and innovation, people can transform society, enterprises, and even an entire nation,” he said.
“Innovation is not just for large corporations or advanced countries. It is for everyone. Technology is only an enabler—true innovation begins with people, with the mindset to manage change, adapt, and transform.”
Wong encouraged participants to collaborate, share ideas, and adapt solutions to their local context.
“Remember: no one succeeds alone. Small nations, small enterprises, small teams—we must collaborate, build ecosystems, and learn across sectors. The more you share, the more everyone gains,” he said.
NTPC Director Industry Training, Salaseini Ligamamada (left), with trainer George Wong
NTPC’s Director of Industry Training, Salaseini Ligamamada, said the training reflects the University’s mission to drive innovation-led growth in Fiji and aligns with the Government’s National Development Plan.
“Innovation does not always come from million-dollar labs or high-tech cities,” she said. “Some of the most impactful innovations happen in local communities—in schools with limited resources, in clinics without electricity, and in markets where people work every day to make ends meet.”
Ligamamada added a call to action.
“Innovation is not just about technology—it’s about mindset. We must empower young people to ask ‘why not?’, encourage leaders to take risks, and build networks of trust between communities, entrepreneurs, educators, and policy-makers.”
Over the five-day programme, participants will:
Wong left participants with a powerful reminder:
“If you do not innovate, you will evaporate. That was the message our leaders gave us in Singapore decades ago, and it still holds true today.”
The training concludes on Friday, 22 August.