Minister Of Industry Commends NASENI Industrial Drive, Advocates Use Of Made-in-Nigeria Products
By Angeline Mgbele, Bureau Chief, Northern Nigeria
The Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment Dr. Jumoke Oduwole has commended the transformational strides of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) under the leadership of Khalil Suleiman Halilu.
In a press statement, e-signed by the Deputy Director, Information at NASENI Chima Akwaja today, the minister made the commendation, after inspecting NASENI facilities, including the NASENI Innovation Hub, NASENI technology site at the Abuja Technology Village, the NASENI Troment facility and another facility at Abuja Technology Park, Idu Industrial Area respectively.
The visit was part of a broader effort by the ministry to assess local industrial capacity and see high-impact projects that are accelerating the Federal Government’s Nigeria First Policy, an agenda focused on boosting domestic production, encouraging local consumption, and creating jobs through industrialisation.
At each stop, Dr.Oduwole commended the foresight and commitment of Mr. Halilu in promoting Made-in-Nigeria products. She was accompanied by the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Ambassador Nura Abba Rimi; the Managing Director, Nigerian Export Processing Zones Authority, Dr. Olufemi Ogunyemi as well as directors of the Ministry and Directors of NASENI.
Speaking during a chat with the media after the tour at the Agency’s headquarters, the Minister said the EVC/CEO of NASENI had earlier visited her ministry and briefed her on the activities of the Agency, and invited her to come and see.
Said she: “I have come and I have seen many things. What I am seeing today is not in terms of intents, not in terms of MoUs, not in terms of agreement or prospective investors but I have seen actual 100 per cent made-in-Nigeria products.
“I have seen happy investors. I have seen investors who were pushed to work quickly. I have seen investors who are setting the pace in the country, in the region and on the global patterns, loading the way.“
During her tour of NASENI facilities, the minister was shown round the NASENI product showroom at Abuja Technology Park, NASENI Troment factory that will be producing world-class drugs including HIV vaccines, etc and NASENI Innovation Hub and several products delivered by the Agency. She took a ride alongside the EVC/CEO in NASENI’s anti-ballistic missile armoured vehicle.
Dr. Oduwole further described the potentials seen in NASENI as a national economic transformation. and commended the NASENI boss for his vision and appealed to him to keep doing his best, especially on knowledge sharing, inspiration to younger generation as well as to keep the tempo of the Agency’s commercialisation drive, which no doubt supported domestic content development.
Earlier in his remarks, Mr. Halilu expressed appreciation to the minister, the permanent secretary and directors of the ministry for the visit and called for stronger collaboration with the Ministry to further boost productivity.
He also appealed to the media to embrace developmental journalism and disclosed that NASENI currently had over 40 market-ready products capable of competing favourably in the global market, with more innovations underway.
