NASENI to Partner with Indonesia on Empowerment Scheme

Abuja, MINA — Plans are underway by the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) and Indonesia to leverage on science and technology for the empowerment of Nigerian entrepreneurs. The Guardian reported.

The Acting Executive Vice Chairman of NASENI, Dr. Aliyu Adnan, who stated this while receiving the Ambassador of Indonesia, Harry Purwanto, in his office, said NASENI under his watch would focus on development of projects and programmes that create jobs, eradicate extreme poverty and enhance high performance of Nigeria SMEs.

He added: “The new NASENI we all desire is one which uses engineering principles to create jobs, address poverty in Nigeria and also empower Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to produce products which can compete both at local and foreign markets.”

A statement by Olusegun Ayeoyenikan, deputy Director, Information and Protocol of NASENI, quoted the NASENI boss as saying the organisation must return to its original focus.

He said: “The primary mandate of NASENI is to empower Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) through impartation of technologies, engineering principles and practices for the production of equipment that will meet international standards as well as sustenance of a flourishing local capital goods or industry.”

While commending the Ambassador for visiting and seeking stronger ties with the Agency in areas of science, engineering and technology capacity building, the NASENI boss said that the Agency will keep the existing relationship between it and Indonesia alive and also move it to the next level.

“We will strengthen the existing relationship with Indonesia and keep it alive in order to move to the next level to allow joint programmes that is beneficial to both parties especially focusing on SMEs in developing science and technology that will not only create wealth for the nation but tackle unemployment and eradicate poverty”, he said.

Adding “NASENI is returning to its primary mandate to focus on Science and Technology that would impact directly on SMEs. We will no longer dwell on projects that do not make impacts directly on the people”.

He also noted that partnering with Indonesia would mean developing capacity on science and technology orientations that would improve SMEs operations such that Indonesian government will bring on board capacities that would boost Nigeria’s science and technology development (T/RS5/RS1)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)