NASENI gets certification for made-in-Nigeria helicopter

• Military seeks agency’s support on locally made weapons
National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has received certification from the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for construction of the first made-in-Nigeria non-commercial helicopter.

Executive Vice Chairman of NASENI, Prof. Mohammed Sani Haruna, disclosed this, yesterday, when the Director General, Defence Research and Development Bureau (DRDB), Air Vice Marshal Ubrufih Uzezi paid him an official visit at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.

Uzezi solicited the support of NASENI on the manufacturing of locally made weapons to boost the fight against insurgency. According to him, technological challenges in military operations have made it necessary to look inward for the production of warfare equipment.

He said DRDB needs support on reverse engineering, identifying subject matter experts within and outside Nigeria, solar energy, Artificial Intelligence and the fabrication of components.

“Because of the way we are focused, it is important that we must work with NASENI. The agency has capability and reach that no other institution in Nigeria has. The capacities and competencies they have are things we can leverage on, to get our own research efforts, especially in military technology development, ongoing.

Haruna said President Muhammadu Buhari had directed the agency to work closely with security agencies in the manufacturing of warfare equipment. He also commended the President for approving 0.5 per cent of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for research and innovation.

“If we don’t work with other agencies such as DRDB, we wouldn’t know what is needed. We will learn from them and they also will learn from us. That is the way to move the nation forward,” he added.