From Molly Kilete, Abuja
The National Agency for Science and Engineering infrastructure (NASENI), Wednesday, signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU), with the Nigerian Navy to train one hundred navy engineers in mechatronics, electrical,marine, mechanical and naval architecture.
The MoU according to the NASENI Executive Vice Chairman, Professor Mohammad Sani Haruna, would go a long way to save the country of huge foreign exchange by producing locally what is needed.
He commended the Nigerian Navy in its research and development programs and pledged NASENI’s support to participate actively in the projects of building her own ships.
He said “The most important component of this working together with the Nigerian Navy is to save the country’s foreign exchange and produce what is needed locally and to enhance security. Because when we develop our equipment locally,it is in itself security”
In his address at the occasion, the Chief of the Naval Staff,Vice Admiral Auwal Gambo while commending the contributions of agency in changing the dynamics of engineering and facilitating research and development initiatives at every sector of human endeavor in Nigeria, said the MoU, is geared towards refining Nigerian Navy local shipbuilding construction efforts and fabrications For the maritime industry.
According to him, “this indigenous shipbuilding effort has enhanced presence of the Nigerian Navy at sea. Which led to significant reduction of piracy incidents culminating into delisting of Nigeria from list of International Maritime Bureau (IMB),Which ultimately reduced high insurance premium which is known as. Risk premium. And the risk premium is usually factored into shipping costs due to prevalence of piracy incidences around any part of the world.
He said “These high costs are passed on the consumers, you and I. These enables shipping companies recoup their losses, as it were. Now the good news is that… The insurance premium has been reduced from 5000 United States dollars. To 946 United States dollars”.
Also speaking, the Chief of Naval Engineering, Rear Admiral Rear Admiral Suleiman Dauda El-Ladan said “the partnership is aimed at harmonizing our capacity as well as to utilize the available manpower and infrastructural capacity for the Nigerian Navy, as well as that of NASENI to take ownership of engineering and technical development for this our great country and Nigeria”.
El-Ladan, while noting that the document was developed by both the Nigerian Navy and NNASEN, pointed out that under Article 5 of the document, there shall be constituted a Joint Implementation Committee as a standing committee for implementation of the terms of this MOU.