In response to President Muhammadu Buhari administration’s move to provide 10 million jobs for the unemployed youths, the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) Tuesday agreed to work with Abia state government to support Aba entrepreneurs and other small industries.
A statement by the press department of the agency said the agreement was at the instance of the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of NASENI, Prof. Maiwalima Mohammad Sani Haruna who led the management team on a working visit to Governor Victor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia state to seek areas of possible collaboration.
In his presentation to the governor, Prof Sani Haruna said NASENI offered to collaborate with Abia state government in priority interest areas for the benefit of people of the state, adding that “NASENI ‘s approach in the vision of President Buhari’s Administration is to enable local ownership, job creation, technology advancement and sustainable industrial revolution through bridging technology gaps to economic diversification.”
He noted that NASENI could coordinate the proliferation of technologies developed either within or outside of its development institutes.
“Technologies so developed in the areas of spares, components and systems engineering are to be transferred to entrepreneurs and SMEs for production of goods and services for rapid technology development,” he stated.
He however called on the governor to allocate the metallurgical complex at Umuakolika, established since 1976 but not functional, to NASENI so that it could situate new development institute there, revive the complex, rehabilitate and install some of its machines to make it functional for wealth and job creation for Aba people.
Responding, Governor Ikpeazu noted that the Nigerian youths are very talented and must be encouraged, adding that when an inventor sees his innovations in the hands of the authorities he will be motivated to do more.