By Adefolarin A Olamilekan
The dawn of a new year, as always, presents an opportunity to take stock of events of the past year’s and strategize for a more economic productive year activities. Unfortunately, this past years was indeed very challenging to Nigerian’s especially with food surging inflation in prices,unemployment’s,COVID-19 pandemic and insecurity.
In today world that we live in, complex engineering technology innovations is the biggest sector that generate employment.
A look at the Asia Tigers and Asian Combs economy focus implies.
The demonstrations of technology to enhance the stability and sustenance of there economy as priority.
Over the years as a nations we over look this angle of global capitalist and developmental state core strategy for economic development.
For us the challenges our country is facing today from poverty, unemployment, insecurity, corruption, and other related challenges.
Required innovative engineering technology such as been resolved by its.
Following President Muhammadu Buhari’s approval and presentation of the 195 pages National Development Plan 2021- 2025. A part of this documents details the focus of the nations on usage of local technology in crude oil and gas explorations.
We considered this as laudable and foremost to economy development.
This also goes with earlier Presidential Executive Order on Science and Technology as well as the President Buhari directive to the National Agency for Science Engineer Infrastructure (NASENI) to be at the fore front technology linkage to economic development.
Meanwhile, the Amended and signed Financial Act 2021 is empowering NASENI with 1% funding from consolidation accounts.
To this end the pride of our local technology’s and development of Nigeria economy is not far fetch.
Interestingly, as ideas and innovations technology of various areas of interest for Nigeria such as agro allied machines and equipment for mechanized agriculture, power energy, health, laboratory equipments, military vehicles, weaponry and ammunition, water infrastructure, construction equipment, ICTs soft and hardware, solar and wind energy products, automobile’s parts and many others.
We are much aware that with our local technology. Security equipment can be manufactured here in Nigeria.
Armoured personnel and bullet proof vest and others are already been produced. If this could be sustain, it would help us improve and acquire many more technologies for the development of Nigeria economy especially in the energy, security and agricultural sector.
Agro allied machines and equipment from that would not just help our farmers to improve there farm mechanization but would enable them overcome inequality and develop the potential that exist in the country side to create economic resilience and sustainability.
Other areas our technology could work and furthered aimed is helping local farmers in food production and increase productivity.
Meanwhile linking our raw agricultural produced from primary, secondary and to tertiary manufacturing sectors supply of finished products and semi finished products. Is a big plus from our home grown innovative engineering technology.
However, the level of optimisms about our local technology should be scale up, as a form of patronage and acceptance.
As we look forward to better economic outing in 2022. We must however be mindful of our obligations as a nations. Charging our policy and decision makers.
To see the applicability of local technologies innovation. As part of our economic strategies to revive the sickly economics system of import dependent. For us this cannot be over emphasised and we call on all patriotic citizens to remain steadfast in our commitment to upholding our local technology.
Nevertheless, our modest way forward is, first to
enhance institutional capacity and strengthening our productions in the Nigerian economy system
Secondly, we must as a nations deliberately seek a paradigm shift in deploying technology’s amongst others to create jobs, address poverty in and also empower Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). This is fundamental in so the Nigeria manufacture products can compete both at local and foreign markets
Thirdly, while we recognise and appreciate the role research institutions play in economy developments. There is no doubt that, the enormous task of building a veritable and modern technology system for the country remains unfinished. As a developing nation, we must continue to innovates, incubates,experiments and research to enhance our research output to meet local, regional ad global standards.
At the same time improve on the requisite skills and capacity needed to adequately fulfil our technology mandates
Fourthly, a comprehensive review of the scientific and technological methodology is needed. In line to it fully embrace local contents. These efforts would further flourish our cottages industries and collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
As we expect support from federal, state and local government levels.
In addition, we must ensured advocacy efforts to properly sensitised regarding the imperatives of local technology’s in addressing our economic needs to prevent misinformation especially in a political season we are today.
