President Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday, applauded the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure’s (NASENI) drive to halt oil theft using technology, saying it is a legacy his administration will bequeath to Nigeria.
This is as the agency established about 31 years ago, it was working to roll out high technology solutions to end crude oil theft, and pipelines vandalisation, as well as aerial surveillance for rail tracks monitoring, among other giants strides
Buhari in his address at the commissioning of the Technology and Innovation Complex at NASENI headquarters, Idu Industrial zone, named after him, stated that the agency, under his administration, was being repositioned to become a technology and innovation hub for national development.
“This is one pivotal legacy of this administration. With this complex and the available facilities, the future of our national competitiveness among global economies is promising. We will ensure that these advanced science and engineering core facilities will assist our nation in the attainment of African Union’s 2063 Agenda and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, 2030,” he said.
He noted that NASENI was unable to attain its potential over the years, but assured of his administration’s determination to reverse the trend.
“NASENI has a long history of establishment and has been in existence for over 30 years. But the agency has continued to face challenges mitigating against the realisation of its full potential in line with the Act that established the agency.”
He said the agency “under my chairmanship, is undergoing a reinvention and transformation to become a technology and innovation hub for our national development.
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“Consequently, we have strategically repositioned NASENI to develop local capacity in machine building and fabrication, which is critical to Nigeria’s industrial development.”
He said as part of its achievements, NASENI is now domesticating foreign technologies and product development through backward integration.
He applauded the agency for attracting foreign donor supports, including “the recent attraction of 250m Czeck Koruna or $10.5m research and development grant to Nigeria is evidence that our transformation is achieving results in building a competitive agency.”
He noted that NASENI, under his watch as the chairman of the governing council, has lived up to its expectations and has performed well.”
“The agency has invented useful and historic intelligence and defence-related equipment and devices and has engineered, in collaboration with reputable organisations, Armoured Personnel Carrier with advanced features and Mine Resistant Ambushed Protected APC, among others,” he stated.
Buhari also expressed delight that NASENI was advancing in agricultural self-sufficiency, energy, power and home-grown technology programmes through the fabrication of machinery, equipment and devices.
According to him, the agency “is currently implementing smart irrigation projects for multi-crop season farming; the national tractor recovery, rehabilitation and redeployment innovation, in collaboration with Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending,” stressing that the “assembly of two helicopters towards first Made in Nigeria helicopter and the development of solar cells for 100 percent solar module production, using local raw materials, are among patriotic contributions to Nigeria’s transition to a manufacturing economy.”
In his address, the executive vice chairman, acknowledged Buhari’s commitment to the deployment of science, technology and innovation (STI), noting that it was the first time a Nigerian president was visiting the agency.
