Samuel Bello, Abuja
The Federal Government has agreed to work together with the Indonesian government on the development of science and technology to strengthen Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and produce products that can compete both at local and foreign markets.
The two governments reached the decision when the Acting Executive Vice Chairman of National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Aliyu Adnanat, during the weekend, welcomed the Indonesia Ambassador to Nigeria, Harry Purwanto to NASENI headquarters in Abuja.
According to the NASENI Boss, “if no SMEs or entrepreneurs come to take up patents and technologies produced in research institutes, then something must be wrong with the approach we are using. There is therefore need to change the approach and strategy”.
He said that the agency would henceforth focus on its primary target of reaching out to the SMEs to know what they actually need before going into production of any equipment or machines.
Adnan promised that the Agency would appoint a desk officer to work with Indonesia Embassy to develop a MoU that would enable both parties know areas to build capacities and improve on what would be beneficial to both countries without discarding existing collaborations under previous administration of NASENI.
“We will strengthen the existing relationship with Indonesia and keep it alive in order to move to the next level to allow joint programmes that is beneficial to both parties, especially focusing on SMEs in developing science and technology that will not only create wealth for the nation but tackle unemployment and eradicate poverty.
“NASENI is returning to its primary mandate to focus on Science and Technology that would impact directly on SMEs. We will no longer dwell on projects that do not make impacts directly on the people.
In his remarks, Indonesia Ambassador to Nigeria, Harry Purwanto, stated that the Indonesian government is ready to work on any project especially in sharing offices, workshops and other areas that can develop both countries.
“We are bound on exploring things that can develop the two countries or beneficial to both countries. We are here to explore areas we can enforce and synergize our capacity and cooperation with NASENI,” he said.