The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has lamented that Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) lack the capital to mass-produce its prototypes.
Mohammed Haruna, the Executive Vice Chairman of NASENI stated this on Thursday in Abuja during the ‘Business Stakeholders Advocacy Engagement Project 2020’, which promotes buying goods produce in Nigeria.
He noted that as an agency that produces engineering equipment, they had a role to play towards advancing the vision of patronising made-in Nigeria goods, but said the challenge had been that after producing the prototypes, the SMEs lack the capital to mass-produce.
Represented by Tom-Shaka Joel, Haruna said after spending huge amount of money on research and development to produce the prototypes, the SMEs lack the necessary funding to produce them in large quantities for consumers.
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The NASENI boss said no nation develops depending on the importation, stressing that for the buy Nigeria initiative to grow, the government must create the enabling environment and begin to encourage people like Innoson Motors.
In his goodwill message, Dogo Muhammed, the Managing Director of Gouria Rice, said the border closure by President Muhammadu Buhari had paid off, adding that we have come of age to eat what we produce.
He was of the view that importation had done collateral damage to Nigeria’s economy.
Jide Adeniji, the Chief Executive Officer of El-Shammah Ventures Limited, lamented that Nigeria imports toothpick despite the huge natural resources at its disposal.
He said Zamfara state has gold so do other parts of the country, adding that no part of the country that is not productive.
In his address of welcome, Chimene Paul, the convener of the initiative, said Nigeria remains the highest importer of essential and non essential goods in Africa.
