By Yunusa Abubakar
The Executive Vice Chairman, State/ Chief Executive of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Prof. Mohammed Haruna yesterday said the agency will soon complete a local agricultural machine institute in Imo State.
He said the establishment of the institute was part of steps to promote food security in the country.
Haruna, who made the disclosure during a visit to Governor Hope Uzodinma in Owerri, said with the pace of work, Agricultural Machinery and Equipment Development Institute (AMEDI), Mbutu-Aboh in Mbaise axis will soon be commissioned.
He said: “The Chairman of NASENI Governing Board, President Muhammad Buhari was inspired by the mandate of AMEDI Mbaise and swiftly directed NASENI to establish similar institutes in the six geo-political regions of the country to accelerate government efforts in food security for Nigeria.
“NASENI has responded immediately by proposing the establishment of AMEDI in the remaining five geo-political zones.
“It is therefore imperative that the institute in Imo State is a pacesetter for revolution waiting to happen in the agriculture sector.
He spoke on the objectives of NASENI to establish the agricultural equipment and machinery in all the six-geopolitical zones in the country.
He added: “The development of agricultural equipment and machinery and their production systems and the transfer of these capabilities to private sector satellite industries for mass production.
“The mission of the NASENI is to establish and nurture an appropriate and dynamic Science and Engineering Infrastructure base for achieving home initiated and home sustained industrialization process through the development of relevant processes, appropriate local machine design and machine building capabilities for capital goods and equipment manufacture, for job creation, national economic wellbeing and progress.
“The mission of NASENI was therefore well-crafted to depart from carrying out basic research performed in the academics without thought of practical ends.
“To achieve these lofty objectives, NASENI is empowered by its act to establish strategic mono-mandate institutes, centres and companies in diverse areas of technology needs of the country to practicalize its objectives such as AMEDI.
On his part, the Governor of Imo State, Sen. Hope Uzodimma said with the establishment of an agricultural equipment and machinery development institute in the state, a nuclear project will soon be commissioned in Nigeria.
He said he was excited that at last work has started on the project.
“We were here when he visited us last year and he promised us that he would continue work as soon as the environment is enabling for the construction of the facility in Aboh Mbaise and now they have come to continue with the project.
“If the project is completed it will not only provide job opportunity to the youths but it will be a base to launch the nation’s nuclear project.”
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