The Executive Vice Chairman/ Chief Executive of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Prof. Mohammed Haruna said that the agency is trying to revolutionise agriculture in the country so as to guarantee food security.
Haruna stated this in while conducting the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof Ibrahim Gambari round the Agricultural Machinery and Equipment Development Institute (AMEDI) in Lafia, Nasarawa State. The institute, which is for the North-central is currently under construction by NASENI.
According to him, three countries, namely Czech Republic, the Hashmite Kingdom of Jordan and Italy, are to partner with Nigeria’s agriculture on food transitivity and some Greenhouse implementation.
In his address, NASENI EVC said the agency was focusing on how Nigeria will transit from community based economy to a manufacturing economy. He said the agency’s inventions and technology tools will be applied to all aspects of our socio-economic endeavours.
He said: “NASENI is collaborating with partners from Hashmite Kingdom of Jordan, Czech Republic and Italy to equip this Institute and the other five Agricultural Machinery and Equipment Development Institute with state-of-the-art research and manufacturing facilities targeting the best and the highest technology in the world.
“All these are made possible by the grace of God and the deliberate priority of Agriculture by His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari. With these development all that is needed for modern farming in food processing, packing and preservation at to be locally produced by NASENI.
“ Science, Technology and Innovation have always been the sources of development and prosperity of all nations. The yardstick of measuring the willingness and readiness of Nigeria to transit from community based economy to a manufacturing economy is the degree to which NASENI’s role is applied to all aspects of our socio-economic endeavors.
“It is not magic but scientific. It was the method and it remains the only solution utilized by the developed world and the Asian tigers.
“NASENI is among the best legacies that President Muhammadu Buhari will be bequeathing to the next and subsequent administration in Nigeria.
Haruna disclosed that their target is that by January/February next year, God’s willing, the Lafia project is inaugurated because we have some of the machines they need to install and use for the operation of this institute.
“The good thing again, is that experts from the three collaborating countries have visited the site and made their own recommendation,. They have equally seen the progress of work”
On his part, Gambari said said the Agriculture Machinery and Development Institutes (AMEDI) will provide for the export of Nigerian agricultural products. He said the value of the AMEDI was to transform agriculture in the country.
“We want to commend NASENI for bringing into reality the concept which the Buhari administration approved for this institute sited in each of the six geopolitical zones of the country.
“We want to commend in particular the leadership of the NASENI for the commitment which we have seen in the foundation that by God’s grace, in January or February next year this will be inaugurated. I promise to report back to Mr. President, the enormous steps that have been taken to realize one of his key priorities of his administration.”
Apart from Nasarawa State, the sites for other AMEDI institutes are Adamawa ( North-east), Kebbi (North-west), Cross River (South-south), Imo (South-east) and Osun (South west). (ThisDay)