By Esi-ife Arogundade
The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) Thursday raised concerns over the low patronage of locally made products by Nigerians.
During a recent stakeholders’ meeting held in Akure, the agency identified affordability and public perception as significant barriers to the acceptance of homegrown goods.
Mr. Joseph Alasoluyi, the Deputy Director of Engineering at NASENI, expressed disappointment that many Nigerians continue to favour foreign products over local alternatives.
“We are working diligently to turn this trend around,” he stated. He highlighted that NASENI had trained over 50 individuals in the production of handmade goods, aiming to boost the demand for Nigerian products.
Established to bolster science, technology, and engineering as cornerstones of Nigeria’s development, NASENI operates 12 institutes across the country.
Alasoluyi emphasized the agency’s commitment to enhancing the production and patronage of local products, an effort aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s vision of generating employment opportunities through innovation.
“The idea of this programme is to ensure we produce products using our indigenous technology. We want to encourage homegrown technologies,” he said.
Alasoluyi outlined the agency’s strategic framework known as the “3 Cs”: Creation, Collaboration, and Commercialisation.
This framework seeks to foster innovations through research, build partnerships to refine products, and commercialize solutions to enhance the economy.
Among NASENI’s notable achievements are the development of solar irrigation systems, CNG conversion centres, machines capable of producing up to 1,000 blocks per hour, as well as locally manufactured laptops and electric tricycles (Keke Napep), which are set for market introduction.
The deputy vice-chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Prof. Samuel Oluyamo, highlighted the challenges faced by researchers, attributing the limitations on local production to inadequate funding from the federal government.
He noted that many promising research initiatives remain unfinished due to financial constraints and poor collaboration between research institutions and the industry.
As NASENI pushes for greater support and recognition of Nigerian-made products, the agency hopes to reshape consumer habits and foster a stronger local economy.
