My dream to create anything is not for myself alone, but to impact others. Nigerian youth need to rise up to the reality and take their destiny in their own hands. As an industrial designer and one with the knowledge of mechanical engineering, one of my visions is to transfer that knowledge to the interested young ones, BINTA SHAMA reports.
What’s new?
Like I mentioned earlier in my discussion with you sometime last year, I said Nigeria can equal China in few years to come via support and push from government, through the private sector and even stakeholders in the line of my work. But, so far, there has been no support aside from that of the Lagos government that is trying to partner with my company to set up a means of creating jobs for the unemployed. It will interest you to know that I am more determined than ever to see this come to play by making sure that our youths are engaged in this kind of ability.
We have come a long way to sit down idle doing nothing. You see, the incumbent administration has opened the eyes of many Nigerians to take the bull by the horn by going out of the ordinary to get what they want or else get hungry. Unlike before where you find everyone so relaxed and waiting for things to be done for them.
Coming up training sessions
My dream to see the opportunity with the Lagos state government become a reality has put me in a state to see that I train youths who might eventually work with me in the long run as long as they are qualified and as well become independent business owners of themselves. For me, if what I desire is being cooked, I rather take another turn by improvising and making sure that something else is working pending when an aid comes my way from wherever destination. Asides wanting to make money, I really want to see others especially the young minds come out of their comfort zones to do the needful by learning and adding to the society, which is the very reason for this training.
It is an empowerment programme, starting between July and August, this year and it will cover a very practical session where the class will be broken to the tiniest bit of explanation to grasp what will be thought. You might say the fee is high due to the situation of the economy, I tell you that what I am charging is peanuts compared to what I have acquired overseas and also being a practical session, where there will be provision of venue, machineries, electrical, etc. All of this still balls down to expenses you know. At the end it will employ people and favour them.
Existing invention
Looking back to Ijodo invention, I have had series of requests and proposals to invent more tractors, but I turned down such offers because it has been at the minimal quantity. One might think the rejection is out of pride, but I speak with every humility, it has been due to capital intensive and profit loss, because this tractors cost 3million naira to produce compared to how much you acquire a newly imported one, my profit inclusive and where there’s a requests for a tractor, it will be difficult to produce it because the company will be running at a loss which has been the case for a while now. It is better to mass produce in number of like a hundred or two, then that will make sense. I have an internal list where if by the time I finish compiling interested names, I could call on them later to enquire of their interest so I can sum it all up for manufacturing tractors in lump sum.
Supports
Like I mentioned earlier, the Lagos state government has shown interest in my work which I moved my tractor from Benue to Lagos that has fetched me attraction of such. The Commissioner for agriculture was impressed with my project and mention meetings with stakeholders concerning it before conclusion. As much as there are issues to tackle within the federal and states levels, the government can go outside the usual thinking box to facilitate a loan to encourage such idea. I actually proposed to them to give simple facility of students in secondary schools that may have interests in this field in order to teach them. But I am hoping for a positive result soon.
To be candid, our government has the very capacity to accomplish this task if only we can be encouraged in a manner to patronise and engage in the training of these youngsters.
I have had external interests from South Africa and the United Nations, but lack of support from my government has made my work look so inferior. Actually if my government doesn’t recognise what I am doing here, it will be difficult for an outsider to appreciate it.
Motivating factor
I am not giving up on trying but looking for the opportunity I can impact the younger ones. My son 13-year son, Terhemba, in JSS3, does a lot of these drawings; he works on the computer and builds parts. If a young child of his age can come up with this talent and interest at early stage of his life, I tell you there is a possibility for every undergraduate and graduate of engineering to partake in this programme in order to perfect their skills. Most countries depend solely on their innovation sector, why can we not as a nation imbibe same? We should have it at the back of our minds that innovation is a path to job creation for the unemployed, more pride and respect for Nigeria and also a means of wealth for all citizens to enjoy from.
FG offers savings bonds for June
The federal government yesterday offered for subscription two-year savings bond at 10.34 per cent and three-year savings bond at 11.34 per cent, the Debt Management Office (DMO) has said.
According to the offer circular obtained from the DMO website, the two-year bond will be due in June 2020, while the three-year bond will be due in June 2021.
It, however, did not state how much was offered, but added that the maximum subscription was N50 million at N1,000 per unit, subject to minimum subscription of N5,000 and in multiples of N1,000.
The website said that the bond was fully backed by the full faith and credit of the federal government, with quarterly coupon payments to bondholders.
The savings bond issuance is expected to help finance the nation’s budget deficit.
It is to also part of the federal government’s programme targeted at the lower income earners to encourage savings and also earn more income (interest), compared to their savings accounts with banks.
The circular also said that the offer will close on Friday.
