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Tag: National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI)

  • NASENI committed to strengthening local manufacturing

    NASENI committed to strengthening local manufacturing

    National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening local manufacturing and promoting Made-in-Nigeria products.

    It made this known at its Focus Group Engagement in Lagos.

    Held on Victoria Island, Lagos, the event brought together government officials, industry leaders, manufacturers, trade associations, lawyers and technology innovators to address challenges and opportunities in the industrial sector.

    Overseeing Officer at NASENI Lagos Office, Mr. Babajide Sawyer, highlighted how NASENI was leveraging technology to boost local production.

    Director General of the Commonwealth Institute of Advanced and Professional Studies (CIAPS), Prof. Anthony Kila, outlined six key factors essential for the success of Made-in-Nigeria products: Production – Scaling up to meet consumer demand; Product Quality – Maintaining high standards for competitiveness; Pricing – Balancing affordability with profitability; Awareness – Increasing visibility and consumer education; Availability – Strengthening distribution and accessibility; Partnerships – Building strategic collaborations for market expansion.

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    Emphasising the need for continuous improvement, he said: “People, products and processes that are better, are better because they’ve improved. There is no invention in the world that was born excellently. We must be deliberate about improving our Made-in-Nigeria products.”

    He urged local manufacturers to apply ‘’these principles to enhance product development and drive Nigeria’s economic growth.’’

    A major highlight was the panel discussion, which explored four critical areas: Challenges & Opportunities in Local Manufacturing; Policy & Regulatory Support for Local Producers; Financing & Investment for Industrial Growth and Market Access & Industry Linkages

    Moderated by Nduka Enweliku, the panel featured industry experts like Ndirpaya Hyeladzira – United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO); Chris Oputa – Director General, National Association of Small-Scale Industrialists (NASSI); Oke-Oghene Esin – NEXIM Bank; Oluchi Odimuko – Head, Sectoral & Regulatory Affairs, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN); Omolola Allinson – Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and  Ikem Isiekwena – Partner, Simmon Coopers.

  • Agency seeks NCAA support to develop made-in-Nigeria helicopters

    The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has solicited support from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to develop made-in-Nigeria helicopters.
    Prof. Muhammed Haruna,  Chief Executive Officer, NASENI, made the appeal on Wednesday in Lagos when he paid a courtesy visit to the Director General of the NCAA, Capt. Muhtar Usman.
    Haruna said NASENI had in the past manufactured an Agriculture Based Unmanned Area Vehicle (AB-UAV), tricycles commonly referred to as “Keke NASENI and the successful development of the “Gulma Drone ” in collaboration with the  Nigeria Air Force.
    He expressed confidence that the made-in-Nigeria helicopter project would be a success through the support of the NCAA and other stakeholders.
    Haruna said “Previously we have produced unmanned aerial vehicle. Our own version was commissioned by the Vice-President when there was technology expo in Abuja.
    “But we are not stopping there, research and development is continuing. What we are saying is that we want to copy other people’s technologies and to do this copying, we came here asking for guidance and support from NCAA.
     
    “It is our target and hope that before the end of 2019, our people should have mastered the art on how to do it. Research and Development is not one or two – day affair but we have facilities for reverse engineering.

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    “In fact we have a centre which we call rapid prototyping centre. Any machine that you want to reproduce, we have facilities, advance manufacturing equipment for that matter on how to give us something fast but then aviation is a high safety and security industry that certain things, we must wait for certification from here before we proceed further.”
     
    He said the agency had selected Dynali Helicopter Manufacturing Company of Belgium as a willing partner to fast-track technology acquisition and domestication.
     
    Responding,  Usman said aviation was highly regulated, international in nature and also involves safety and security.
    “That is why the NASENI came today for us to partner and work to ensure that international standard and recommended practices are maintained because aviation is high precision industry, it involves safety and security.
     
    “In the area of unmanned aerial vehicle, it is a fast evolving technology worldwide, we have issued our advisory circulars on the registration and the use of such equipment and also we have gone very far, in fact we are almost concluding the regulations for the use of unmanned aerial vehicle.”
     
     
     

  • NASENI, NERC to collaborate on metres distribution 

    The National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) will be collaborating for the distribution of metres in the country.

    Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) NASENI, Prof. Mohammed Haruna said that the agency has been doing some research on metres and will be collaborating with NERC for a way forward.

    According to him, metres found in the country are of different models and from different countries, with no standardization but a solution will be found with the collaboration.

    Speaking Wednesday in Abuja, at the renewal of his tenure inauguration, Prof. Haruna stated that now that he is back in office, his point of action will be accommodating everybody.

    He said that he is determined to put everything that has happened behind him and focus on things that will move the agency forward.

    It will be recalled that before the recent renewal of his tenure by President Buhari, a row broke out at the agency, which created a crisis of confidence among top directors and staff of the agency leading to a division.

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    Prof. Haruna while speaking with newsmen revealed that the agency is determined to get new products that will solve the economic and social problems affecting the country.

    His words, “The most important thing that we are starting with now that I am back in office is accommodating everybody, putting all that happened behind us and focus on things that will move the agency forward for the benefit of the nation.

    “We are determined more than ever to get new products that will solve the economic and social problems affecting the country, things that will benefit the general public that will transform rural areas for the progress of the country, which is our main mission.

    “NASENI has been doing some research on the area of meters, we intend to collaborate with the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) on the best way forward, their are variations of metres. Metres in the country presently are of different models and from different countries, there is no standardization but with the new team in NERC, we are sure that in collaboration with NASENI we will find a solution.

    “The major challenge we encounter is for Nigerians to believe in science and technology, for Nigerians to believe that the problem of the country’s economic predicament is lack of impute from engineering science and technology. We are grateful with the current administration that is putting science and technology forward for repositioning our economy.”

    Director, Technology Business Development, Nathan Pawa stated that the management of the agency is happy to have him back.

    His words, “I want you to know that government is all about continuity, the letter given to Prof. Haruna for a second tenure stated clearly that his tenure started from the 3rd of April 2018 that is immediately after the end of his first tenure, so whatever has happened between then and now is for the government to sort out not us.

    “To those of us in management, we are very happy to have him back because as you might have noticed, he has done so many things within a few years and now that he has five more years to work, I assure you that with the support of all staff, we are going to turn this place into a huge organizations that will be a source of good things for this country.”

  • NAF partners NASENI on training, maintenance

    NAF partners NASENI on training, maintenance

    The Nigerian Air Force ( NAF ) has completed the training of its 55 personnel in various fields at the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure ( NASENI ).

    The Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF Headquarters, Air Commodore Olatokunbo Adesanya, made this known in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

    Adesanya said the training, which took place at the seven centres in NASENI, was aimed at further raising the level of technical manpower in NAF through collaboration with relevant local institutions.

    The director added that the personnel were trained in various specialties, such as Lather Milling Operations and General Maintenance, Laser Cutting, Oxyacetylene Welding.

    They were also trained in Networking Tools and Techniques, Repairs of Electronics Circuits, Electronics Testing and Diagnostics, Cabling and Looming Techniques.

    “The intensive training in the various specialties lasted for various durations, ranging from 14 to 30 days.

    “The training has given the personnel the capacity to reproduce some spares locally as well as carrying out more in-depth repairs of electronics items that were hitherto shipped overseas,” he said.

    Accordingly, the partnership was expected to enhance the effectiveness of aircraft maintenance in NAF as well as boosting the Research and Development efforts of the Service.

    Adesanya explained that the training would have gulped huge resources in foreign currency, if conducted overseas.

    He explained further that the collaboration, afforded the service to complete the training of its 55 personnel with less than N6million.

    “The training is in tandem with one of the key drivers of the vision of the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, which is “Strategic partnerships with MDAs for enhanced Research and Development”.

    “The training was completed last week and the trained personnel have been deployed as appropriate,” Adesanya said.

    NAN

  • NASENI vows to tackle equipment maintenance challenges in Nigeria

    The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) says it will intensify efforts to address challenges of equipment maintenance and local sourcing of essential parts to strengthen national self-reliance.

    NASENI’s Executive Vice Chairman, Prof. Mohammed Haruna said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.

    Haruna said that such efforts were important in addressing the needs of educational institutions, hospitals, research institutes and industries in the nation.

    He said that the agency had over the years made modest achievements that rubbed on national development directly in some broad sectors including education, power and agriculture among others.

    He told NAN that some specific projects of the agency included the establishment of National Nanotechnology as the forth leg of national development policy on Science and Technology.

    Haruna said the agency had also established nine development institutes, developed efficient Deep Well hand pump for water solution and Centrifugal Pumps for irrigation purposes.

    He said that NASENI also designed and built a mobile cassava grater, rice thrasher and many other agricultural products as well as table top seed oil mill.

    He said that the mill was designed through reverse engineering for extracting of oil from seeds groundnut, cashew, palm kernel, neem seed, among others.

    According to him, reverse engineering involves taking an object apart to see how it works in order to duplicate or enhance the object.