The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, on Monday commended the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure after inspecting NASENI facilities, including the NASENI Innovation Hub, NASENI technology site at the Abuja Technology Village, the NASENI Troment facility, and another facility at Abuja Technology Park, Idu Industrial Area, respectively.
The visit was part of a broader effort by the ministry to assess local industrial capacity and see high-impact projects that are accelerating the Federal Government’s Nigeria First Policy.
The agenda focused on boosting domestic production, encouraging local consumption, and creating jobs through industrialisation.
At each stop, she commended the foresight and commitment of the CEO of NASENI, Khalil Halilu, in promoting made-in-Nigeria products.
She was accompanied by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Ambassador Nura Abba Rimi; the Managing Director, Nigerian Export Processing Zones Authority, Dr. Olufemi Ogunyemi; as well as directors of the ministry and directors of NASENI.
Speaking during a chat with the media after the tour at the agency’s headquarters, the minister said the EVC of NASENI had earlier visited her ministry, briefed her on the activities of the agency, and invited her to come and see.
“I have come and I have seen many things. What I am seeing today is not in terms of intents, not in terms of MoUs, not in terms of agreements or prospective investors, but I have seen actual 100 per cent made-in-Nigeria products.
“I have seen happy investors. I have seen investors who were pushed to work quickly. I have seen investors who are setting the pace in the country, in the region, and on the global patterns, leading the way,” she said.
During her tour of NASENI facilities, the minister was shown around the NASENI product showroom at Abuja Technology Park, the NASENI Troment factory that will be producing world-class drugs, including HIV vaccines, and the NASENI Innovation Hub, as well as several products delivered by the agency.
She took a ride alongside the EVC/CEO in NASENI’s anti-ballistic missile armoured vehicle.
Oduwole further described the potential seen in NASENI as a national economic transformation.
She commended the EVC for his vision and appealed to him to keep doing his best, especially on knowledge sharing, inspiring the younger generation, as well as keeping the tempo of the agency’s commercialisation drive, which, no doubt, supports domestic content development.
Earlier in his remarks, Halilu expressed appreciation to the minister, the permanent secretary, and directors of the ministry for the visit and called for stronger collaboration with the ministry to further boost productivity.
He also appealed to the media to embrace developmental journalism and disclosed that NASENI currently has over 40 market-ready products capable of competing favourably in the global market, with more innovations underway.
