Take advantage of incubation centres – Onu

Mon, May 27, 2019 | By publisher


Business

THE Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, has called on the Organised Private Sector (OPS), to take advantage of world-class products developed at the National Technology Incubation Centres nationwide.

Onu said this while inspecting chemical and petroleum products at Peace Petroleum Nigeria Ltd. as well as products at the National Technology Incubation Centre in Enugu on Monday.

He urged the private sector to come to the incubation centres to see world-class products that they could invest in and be sure of return on investment, while helping the government to create jobs and grow the economy.

According to him, the ministry and its agencies have taken the risk of research and innovation on these products at the centres, and what is needed now is for the OPS to mass produce.

“What I have seen here today in Peace Petroleum Nigeria Ltd. and the National Technology Incubation Centre in Enugu, show we have Nigerians with great research and innovative initiatives.

“They have developed their products even from our local raw materials here to the best standards and quality you can get anywhere in the world.

“I have 17 agencies under my ministry and all they do is research and innovation and we have countless number of well-researched and well-packaged products that need to be shown and sold to the world market.

“However, we need our entrepreneurs and OPS to take advantage of these products and engage in mass production and take these well-researched products inside our local markets and outside the country for other nations to enjoy.

“This is what President Muhammadu Buhari want, for us to be self-reliant and utilise our natural resources and raw materials to boost our economy, create jobs and boost our foreign exchange earnings.’’

He thanked Peace Petroleum Nigeria Ltd. for assisting one Messrs Joe Mary, in an investment agreement, which scaled-up the products incubated into mass production and distribution in and outside the country.

“This type of partnership is what President Buhari will want and always encourage among the OPS, so that we can build our cottage and small scale industries into large and great enterprises.

“’As well as create job opportunities for our teeming population,’’ he said.

The Vice Chairman of the company, Mrs Ifeyinwa Onyishi, extolled the virtues of President Buhari in encouraging Nigerians to be producers and make use of local materials in their production.

Onyishi said that when the new products of the incubatee comes in full stream, the company would employ over 1,000 hands directly, with a multiplier effect being felt by thousands of Nigerians as well.

“I thank the minister for being here today to see areas we need to improve upon, to ensure that 100 per cent standard is assured on all products from this factory,” she said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the minister and top officials of the ministry visited the lubricant,
Insecticide and chemical sections as well as the fabrication and packaging sections of the company.

The minister also visited the National Technology Incubation Centre in Enugu, where he was presented with some incubated world-class products, such as edible plantain flour, sorghum flour, soya bean oil, creams, adhesive, among others. (NAN)

– 27 May, 2019 @ 18:45 GMT |

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