The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) stressed the need to advance local production and grow Nigeria’s manufacturing sector.
The agency pushed this line of thought at a Focus Group Meeting held in Osogbo, Osun State.
The engagement, part of a nationwide series of stakeholders’ consultations geared toward championing Made-in-Nigeria products and accelerating homegrown technological innovations, featured Dr Sam Olawoye of MAN, Engr. Oyeropo Abdurasak of SON, Mr Sunday Babalola of Nigerian Machine Tools, Mr Lateef Adeoye, and Engr Olusegun Odejobi of PEDI as panellists.
Speaking in the forum, the executive vice chairman of NASENI, Mr Khalil Suleiman Halfiu, who was represented by Engr Olusegun Odejobi, the deputy director of technical services at the Prototype Engineering Development Institute (PEDI), reiterated the agency’s strategic shift from research to the commercialisation of locally developed technologies and products.
He emphasised the agency’s dedication to collaboration, noting that Nigerians should ask NASENI first in all sectors, including renewable energy, IT, or mechanised tools when seeking innovative solutions. He added that NASENI is ready to partner with others to bring ideas to life.
“We have developed tangible innovations – solar-powered irrigation pumps in Bauchi, laptops, water dispensers, electric tricycles, and more – all designed to scale and deliver lasting impact on our economy,” he stated.
Odejobi also stressed the importance of partnerships across sectors to sustain progress, saying, “No single entity can do it alone. The solutions to our challenges lie within. Let us embrace this national assignment as a slogan and a duty. Let us build a future where the world knows what we produce and buys from us,” he said.
The panellists addressed barriers hindering local manufacturing, including low consumer trust in Made-in-Nigeria goods, poor quality standards, and limited access to production financing.
They also shared strategies to scale production and enhance locally manufactured products’ patronage.
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