The First National Conference on Science, Technology and Innovation Communication (STICOMMS 2026) was conceived as a strategic national platform to interrogate the persistent gap between scientific knowledge production and its translation into policy, industry uptake, and societal benefit. It underscored the growing recognition that science, technology, and innovation (STI) can only drive national development when they are effectively communicated, ethically governed, and institutionally embedded. Convened at the African University of Science and Technology (AUST), Abuja, brought together policymakers, scientists, academics, industry leaders, development partners, media professionals, civil society actors, and students from across Nigeria and beyond.