By Dwelleth Morountodun
The President of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) Engr. Mansur Ahmed, has asserted that the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), is central to the delivery of Nigeria’s National Development Plans (NDPs).
The plans, according to him will require over N348.1 trillion investment with private sector participation expected at 85% contribution.
Speaking at the NASENI Day at the ongoing 2022 Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Expo, organized by the Federal Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation (FMSTI), in Abuja, the MAN President, who was represented by Mr. Nyananso Gabriel Ekanem, said over N3 trillion is expected to be expended in 30 years to bridge the country’s infrastructure gap.
Ahmed, urged NASENI to play lead role of leveraging on its expertise and capability to facilitate sustainable economic growth and development of Nigeria in line with the objectives of the NDPs (2021-2025) and beyond.
According to him, the six broad objectives of the NDPs, include: Economic diversification, investment in infrastructure, security and good governance, educated and healthy population, poverty alleviation and economic and social development across the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
While decrying the financial gap in infrastructural development, he said, Nigeria needed to spend N3 trillion over the space of 30 years in order to bridge the country’s infrastructure gap.
He said: “Significant financing from the private sector and multilateral funding are needed to address Nigeria’s infrastructure deficit. Nigeria is behind other emerging market peers and will require significant investments to bridge its infrastructure gap.”
He urged NASENI to leverage on its expertise and the large pool of human capacity to align its strategic directions with the objectives of NDPs, adding that the agency, may also need to rework its institutional structure, infrastructure need and resource plans in tandem with emerging requirements for the implementation of NDPs.
NASENI should take the lead role for leveraging the Nigeria science, technology and engineering infrastructure to fully facilitate sustainable economic growth and development of the country, he added.
He however noted that Nigeria is faced with many budgeting and financing challenges, which according to him include weak institutions and governance framework along with a low tax base which was hindering infrastructure investments.
In a remark, the Executive Vice Chairman of NASENI, Prof. Mohammed Haruna said the need to embrace and develop local capacity and capability for innovations leading to a manufacturing economy and growth could not be overemphasized.
He frowned at the Nigeria economy being at the mercy of a fluctuating commodity market alone.
The NASENI boss, said: “Science and Engineering Infrastructure drive all economies of the world. Our national economy will continue to be in stagnations except we invest in science and engineering infrastructure both in facilities and human capacity.
“Our manufacturing sector which ought to be a major driver of our economy is suffering because of lack of engineering and other social economic infrastructures”
Haruna, commended President Muhammadu Buhari for approving and granting all that the agency needed to reposition for a solid and sustainable industrialization of Nigeria including funding requirements.
“There are promising indicators already against the backdrop of a World Bank report of January 2022. Nigeria’s economy is expected to grow by 2.5% in 2022 and 2.8% in 2023. Based on the report, global growth is expected to decelerate markedly from 5.5 per cent to 4.1 percent in 2022, then 3.2 percent in 2023. In order to sustain this economic growth, Nigeria has no alternative than to continuously invest generously in research and development in the areas of Science, Technology and Innovation.” Haruna, said.
The former President of MAN and Chairman of the occasion, Chief kola Jamodu, also in his remark, after inspecting NASENI’s products that were on displayed expressed satisfaction in the capacity, ingenuity and innovations of products, adding that they can be compared to the best in the world.
While pathing NASENI on the back for its brilliant outing, he encouraged investors, entrepreneurs, and the general public to patronize NASENI’s local and indigenous technologies.
Mrs. Chinyere Amalu Ekwuazi, CIO, of the agency’s Corporate and Public Relations Department, fast-tracked the statement on behalf of the Deputy Director, Mr. Segun Ayeoyenikan.
