The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has reiterated the need for Nigerians to believe in Made-in-Nigeria products and technologies.
Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Prof. Mohammed Haruna, stated this when he assumed duty at the agency following his reappointment.
In a statement on Thursday in Abuja by Mr Olusegun Ayeoyenikan, Deputy Director, Information and Protocol, NASENI, Haruna said that the agency was more determined to pursue the technological advancement of the country.
According to him, the agency will focus more on things that will transform the rural areas and Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs).
“The challenge the agency is facing now is that Nigerians generally do not believe in Made-in-Nigeria technologies or products.
“It is not only NASENI which suffers this public response presently.
“Once the agency is recognized by the entire nation, the issues of job and wealth creation will be solved,’’ Haruna said.
His re-appointment for a second tenure of five years by President Muhammadu Buhari was made public last week.
It could be recalled that organized labour, under the Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions (ASURI), had called for the probe of Haruna’s first tenure over an alleged false claim of scientific breakthrough.
The union also rejected a recommendation by the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, for the re-appointment of Haruna for a second tenure.
The union in a protest recently at the agency’s premises, appealed to the Federal Government to probe Haruna’s claims of developing an Unmanned Area Vehicle (UAV) as well as an E-Voting machine.
The agency’s core mandate is to establish and nurture dynamic science and engineering infrastructure base for achieving home-initiated and sustained industrialization through the development of relevant processes necessary for job creation and national progress.
