By Haruna Usman, Birnin Kebbi
Participants at a roundtable discussion in Birnin Kebbi have asserted that, the fear for low quality goods has been the major phobia driving away the citizenry from patronising Made-in-Nigeria products.
In continuation of its nationwide consultations on challenges and prospects of locally produced goods, the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, NASENI, organised such forum in Birnin Kebbi on Thursday, involving all strata of society.
Some contributors at the gathering are emphatic that, massive, incisive and sustained public enlightenment is desired among Nigerians to dissuade them to discard long time notion, rightly or wrongly, that Made-in-Nigeria products are of low quality, fake or badly fabricated.
The representative of NASENI, Engr. Muhammad Ndaman, appraised the mandate and mission of NASENI, saying the Agency houses 12 Institutes throughout the Federation, strategically located on marketing, Education, Agriculture, Electricity and other sectors.
“We have Scientific Development Institute, Enugu and Minna, creating laboratory equipment for science students at secondary and tertiary levels”,
” NASENI is also managing Agricultural Machinery Development Institutes in Katsina, Kebbi, Ebonyi and Cross River”,
“They are strategically established to modernise farming and agricultural system to meet the challenges of the sector’,
“There’s an Electrical Development Institute in Kogi and Electronic Development Institute in Awka as foundation of intervention in the power sector”,
“The Institutes are producing transformers, inverters, LED bulbs and other electronics’,
“On renewable energy, there’s NASENI Solar Ltd, at Karshi, Abuja, assembling and installing solar system”,
“Executive Vice Chairman of NASENI, Suleiman Aliyu, is committed to the attainment of the mission statement of the Agency”,
“He has created 3Cs, meaning Creation, Collaboration, Commercialisation, aimed at facilitating the achievement of the target objective”,
“NASENI is saddled with the development and maintaining dynamic strategy of empowering manufacturing to drive indigenous industrialisation, Job creation and national progress”, Ndaman said.
At the forum, NASENI unveiled a hybrid Hilux Vehicle using both electric and fuel as source of power, assembled locally by the Agency.
“NASENI signed an agreement with a reputable Chinese Manufacturing Firm which despatched semi and completely knocked down parts to Nigeria, that were put together by NASENI to produce this hybrid, fuel efficient and flawless Hilux Vehicle”,
“As part of the deal, China will transfer the technology to Nigeria, while NASENI will send its engineers for further training and in the course of time, Nigeria will begin the complete manufacture of the vehicle brand”, Ndaman added.
The Coordinating Programme Officer and member of the Consulting team, Mallam Sani Adamu, informed the gathering, that such Consultative Fora, were being held nationwide to promote Made-in-Nigeria goods, and holistically discuss and proffer solutions to the hurdles being face by local manufacturers and entrepreneurs.
Some participants at the forum, Engr. Abdulmutallib AbdULKARIM of Waziri Umaru Federal Polytechnic, Birnin Kebbi, and Dr. Badamasi of the Federal University, Birnin Kebbi, strongly advised the political class to imbibe sincerity of purpose and goodwill in encouraging the production and patronage of Made-in-Nigeria goods, as well as mobilise the public to shun the belief that foreign items are better in quality.
