The Executive Vice Chairman of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, Prof Mohammed Haruna, has expressed regret over the lack of patronage from government Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
Haruna spoke to journalists while he received an Award of Excellence and Labour Friendliness from the NASENI branch of the Academic Staff Union of Research Institute in Abuja on Thursday.
He expressed optimism that the Executive Order Five on prioritising the procurement of locally manufactured goods and services issued by President Muhammadu Buhari would lift the fortunes of the agency.
The NASENI boss said that except the wealth of the nation started coming from the science, technology and innovation, the social, economic and security challenges of the nation would hardly be resolved.
Haruna called for a substantial local solution to the country’s security challenges, adding that faithful implementation of the executive order would change the architecture of innovation, manufacturing and business in the country.
Speaking specifically on NASENI, Haruna said many MDAs had been ignoring its products in the past, adding that with the implementation of the presidential order, government agencies who prefer purchasing goods and services from abroad would be restrained.
Some of the products of the organisation include solar panels produced by one of the centres of the agency as well as electronics and science kits for secondary schools.
Haruna said with on-going efforts at the National Assembly, the Executive Order Five would soon be passed into law, adding that this would institutionalise the patronage of local products by government agencies.
Source: Punch
