Concerned Civil Society Organisations of Nigeria (CCSN) Tuesday rejected the call to reduce annual grants to the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), urging President Muhammadu Buhari to increase the grant from 1% to 2%.
Nigerian governors had reportedly came up with some advises to the federal government, including slashing NASENI’s annual grant, in a bid to address the economic challenges and paucity of funds facing the country.
But the coalition of youth organisations, CCSN, in a statement jointly signed by various leaders, said such step will detract the technological breakthrough and advancement by the agency in the production of unmanned aerial vehicle and helicopters, which is making progress in the area of insecurity and agriculture.
The statement, jointly signed by president, Unified Nigerian Youth Forum, Comrade Abdulsalam Moh’d Kazeem; president, Arewa Youth Federation, Comrade Aliyu Moh’d Sani; convener, South East Youths for Sustainable Growth and Development, Comrade Elizabeth L. Uche, national coordinator, South South Youth for Peace and Stability, Activist Gabriel Emmanuel Abela and speaker, Oodua Youth Parliament, Abdulmajeed Oyeniye, said increasing the annual grants to NASENI will not only boost science, innovation and technology, but help address insecurity and food production across the country.
