Determined to fast track the made-in-Nigeria technologies and products’ strategies, the federal government has inaugurated the Presidential Implementation Committee (PIC) on Technology/Information Exchange between Nigeria and Czech Republic.
The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) represents the federal government side while the Czech Republic is represented by the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic (TA CR) on Delta-2 Project on the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two countries.
A press statement issued by the Deputy Director, Information of NASENI, Mr. Olusegun Ayeoyenikan, Thursday, said the federal government inaugurated a committee to carry out the assessment of the submissions by Nigerian companies to ensure the successful take-off of projects to ignite a process of fostering growth and expansion of infrastructure, manufacturing and innovation in Nigeria, leading to Made-in-Nigeria technologies and products.
According to the Chairman Presidential Implementation Committee on Transfer of Technology between Nigeria and Czech Republic (PICTT), Dr. Mohammed Dahiru, over 200 Nigeria companies so far have applied to take part in the Delta-2 project, following public call for proposal on May 18, 2022.
He disclosed that the purpose of hoisting the federal government’s on-going technology transfer agreement with Czech Republic is to diversify the economy of Nigeria from oil.
Speaking at the official inauguration of the committee in Abuja, Dr Dahiru said the committee’s terms of reference is the instrument of implementation of the MoU between the two countries, which recognises the pivotal and critical roles of the PIC and NASENI.
While inaugurating the committee, the Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive of NASENI, Engr. Prof. Mohammed Sani Haruna, who is also the co-chair of the presidential committee, recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari on 30th November, 2020 inaugurated the Presidential Implementation Committee on Technology Transfer/Information Exchange between Nigeria and the Czech Republic, noting that the three focal areas for the First Phase of implementation by PICTT were Agricultural Equipment, Machinery, Production and Processing, Mining Equipment, Machinery, Production and Processing and General manufacturing, with emphasis on micro, small, and medium enterprises.
Professor Haruna said the Delta-2 Programme is the cooperation model of the TA CR, running from 2020-2025 through which TACR sponsors applied research and innovation of manufacturing companies and innovative institutions. CZK 250 million (250 million Czech Koruna, approximately equal to US$ 10.5 million) has been allocated as research fund by the Czech government on behalf of the federal government, NASENI will supplement this with US$ 10 million.
Professor Haruna therefore urged the committee members to ensure that the important projects leading to Made-in-Nigeria technologies and products are selected from the companies to transform Nigeria and to jump the industrial revolution revolution in the country.
The chairmen of the various assessment committees include; Engr. Professor Michael Faborode (Agriculture), Professor Mosto Onuoha (Mining), Mr Dike Aguonye (Technologies for SMEs Development) and Engr. Prof. Suleiman Aruwa heads the Advisory Committee.
