The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has expressed concern over the low patronage of Nigerian-made products, citing affordability and public perception as key barriers. During a stakeholders’ meeting in Akure, Ondo State, Mr. Joseph Alasoluyi, Deputy Director of Engineering at NASENI, lamented Nigerians’ preference for foreign goods over local alternatives.
Alasoluyi emphasized NASENI’s efforts to promote local production, noting that the agency had trained over 50 participants in producing handmade products as part of its push for greater local patronage. He also pointed out that NASENI was established to promote science, technology, and engineering as the foundation for Nigeria’s development, with a current network of 12 institutes across the country to support these goals.
Alasoluyi highlighted President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to increasing local production and supporting Nigeria-made products to generate employment. NASENI’s strategic mandate, defined by its “3 Cs” – Creation, Collaboration, and Commercialization – aims to create innovations, collaborate with partners, and commercialize solutions for economic benefit. Notable achievements include the development of solar irrigation systems, CNG conversion centers, and locally made laptops, among others.
Meanwhile, Prof. Samuel Oluyamo, Deputy Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, criticized the federal government for insufficient funding of research in universities. He argued that many academic innovations remained unused due to a lack of support for commercialization and infrastructure. Oluyamo called for stronger ties between research institutions and industries to scale innovations into mass production, which he believes is crucial for technological growth.
He also commended the efforts of TETfund in supporting research but pointed out that the federal government’s overall commitment to funding research and development remained inadequate.
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