The National Association of Small Scale Industrialists (NASSI) has advised the Federal Government to use its various intervention funds to boost local production of industrial machinery.
Olukemi Ilori, Coordinator, Lagos Island Chapter of NASSI, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos that technology independence was key to successful industrialisation.
“Most intervention fund from government is not directed to our own technological liberation in terms of machinery production. People still take this money outside the country to source for machines.
“The billions of dollars released by Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for procurement of machinery can be put to other uses, if we develop the ability to produce machinery locally,” she said.
She urged government to improve funding and training to research institutes and universities, to enable them to coordinate innovative research and development of technologies relevant to small and medium enterprises.
“Right now, we have a lot of students from the University of Ilorin with good technical skills, developing various products, but they have no support from government.
“People that fabricate block-making machines, pepper-grinding machines, are basically local artisans, who need more support from government.
“When you look at countries like Japan and India, they come to seek technology in Nigeria. Yam pounder is produced in Japan, while the technology was sourced from Nigeria. The Japanese do not eat pounded yam.
“When we empower our people, we will have our own technology secrets and our country will develop from it,” Ilori said.
She said that the benefits of developing Nigerian technology includes reduction in money spent on imported machinery, technology advancement, reduction in migration of skilled workers, and boosting job creation.
Nigeria’s Foreign Trade data for third quarter of 2016 from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) revealed that the country spent N475.6 billion on importation of boilers, machinery and appliances.
