The Chief Executive Officer of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Mr. Khalil Halilu has said that the Agency is projecting to lift 2.5 million Nigerians out of poverty within five years, through technology transfer and its various programs.
Halilu disclosed this at a media parley on Wednesday in Abuja. He stated that the anticipated outcome of technology transfer to Nigeria’s economy includes reducing import bills by 25% to 37.4 billion dollars by 2030 through partnerships that would encourage the local manufacturing of the top 10 highly demanded items.
He said that the organization projects the generation of more than three million jobs by 2030 through focused technology knowledge transfer to 300,000 Small and Medium Enterprises(SMEs).
- “We hope to increase import to N53.6 trillion by 2030 through value addition and strategic partnership to foreign markets,” he said.
Economic transformation
By facilitating access to technology and international markets for transactions, Halilu believes NASENI would transform Nigeria’s economy. According to him, the Agency is also building the capacity of SMEs by partnering with them to produce 35 of its market products, which was achieved within his six months in office.
- He listed the products to include electric tricycles, laptops, phones, lithium batteries, solar home systems, and solar irrigation equipment, saying that three of the products have already been launched.
- According to NASENI’s boss, the achievement of producing the products within a short period was made possible through its initiative of deploying existing structures and technologies of local SMEs as partners to accelerate the outcomes and address local needs.
- He said that NASENI is partnering with the Rural Electrification Agency to deploy its renewable energy technologies, particularly solar resources, in rural communities aimed at illuminating the areas.
Leveraging solar energy
The NASENI boss said that Nigeria could leverage its power challenges to develop solar energy technology as an alternative source of power, and also develop the minerals required for renewable energy transition such as Lithium, which the country possesses.
He added that the organization had signed an agreement with a Chinese firm to build a Lithium Iron plant worth 150 million dollars, as part of Nigeria’s efforts to meet the global upsurge in energy transition.
NASENI is also working with local partners and has deployed no fewer than 5000 solar home systems in Nasarawa State with the aim of scaling up the intervention to other parts of the country.
According to Halilu, the organization, under its National Tractor and Vehicle Recovery program, is reviving 55,000 broken-down tractors which would also include converting them into cleaner energy of Compressed and Liquefied Natural Gas.
He said that they were also working to revive armoured personnel carriers and abandoned weapons, which was necessary to ensure they did not end up in the wrong hands.
The CEO said that the organization had launched a special fund scheme called Developing Engineering Leaders through Her (DELT-HER), to encourage women’s inclusion in the engineering sector.
