NSE charges govt to establish technology hubs for knowledge transfer

The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) has charged the three tiers of government to establish technology hubs to facilitate knowledge transfer, create manufacturing clusters and encourage cooperation between academia and industry to boost production in the country.

In a communiqué issued at the end of its 56th National Engineering Conference, Exhibition and Annual General Meeting of the Society in Abuja, it urged the government to provide enabling policies and enforcement that ensure transparency in regulations impacting manufacturing, simplify regulations and procedures under ‘Made-in-Nigeria’ products, set stable, long-term policies on tariffs and insulate strategic industrial policies from political interference.

Its President, Tasiu Gudari-Wudil, who read the communique, said: “Green energy remains the only possible way to address both the energy shortage and at the same time ensure sustainability. Thus, the conference urges the government and relevant stakeholders to properly harness, manage and commercialize appropriate energy mix as well as develop guidelines for eco-friendly production and the promotion of green certification for the manufacturing sector.”

NSE stated that MDAs, educational institutions, research institutes and other relevant stakeholders such as the organized private sector, donor agencies, civil society organizations, and professional bodies should, as a matter of policy, increase investments directed at education and training programmes to equip the workforce with the required skills needed by the evolving manufacturing sector.

The Nigerian engineers’ umbrella body also urged the government to collaborate with regional and continental bodies such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) for strategic alliances, trade agreements, and export diversification to enhance the competitiveness of Nigerian manufactured goods on the international stage.

On the difficulties manufacturers face in sourcing finance, the NSE called for cooperation amongst government, organized private sector and other relevant stakeholders for innovative financing mechanisms, such as venture capital, public-private partnerships, soft loans and tax incentives for investments in manufacturing to attract the necessary capital for sectoral modernization, research and development, and technology acquisition.

According to the Society, the government and relevant stakeholders should develop policies and incentives that specifically target rural MSMEs, such as tax breaks, subsidies, and grants for start-ups, simplify and streamline bureaucratic procedures for business registration, licensing and compliance, encourage the private sector to collaborate with civil society organization to leverage their resources, expertise, and networks in supporting rural MSMEs.

It explained: “Conference observed that the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are well-suited for promoting rural development through local rooting and diversity, entrepreneurship and job creation, local supply chains and markets, inclusive growth through community participation, sustainable practices/cultural preservation, technology adoption/customization, economic diversification and regional development.”

The Society charged the government and relevant stakeholders to pre-select and prioritize dominant economic activities in designated rural areas with comparative advantage, identify the value chains, develop proper and sellable business cases and plans that explicitly illustrate financial and economic opportunities for pursuing them and assisting with appropriate interventions.”

While the NSE acknowledged the recent efforts of the government in the rehabilitation of the Ajaokuta Iron and Steel Complex, it observed that the complex requires accelerated reactivation, rehabilitation and modernization to drive the much-needed industrialisation of the country.