The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), has extolled the Senate’s call on the Federal Government to ensure one per cent remittance from Federation Account into the agency’s account yearly.
Mr Olusegun Ayeoyenikan, the Deputy Director Information of NASENI, made this known in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.
The Senate had followed submissions of Prof. Mohammed Haruna, NASENI Executive Vice-Chairman, before its Joint Committee on Finance and National Planning on 2021-2023 Medium-Term Expenditure Frameworks (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP).
Ayeoyenikan in the statement quoted Haruna to had identified lack of adequate fund to be major challenge being faced by the agency, to transform Nigeria from its resource-base to manufacturing economy.
“Since establishment in 1992, NASENI never received penny from Federation Account, despite the law stated that the National Treasury was its source of revenue and to increase two per cent by year 2000.
“The Senate Committees said that NASENI Act must be implemented by the Executive in terms of funding through the office of the Accountant General of the Federation, effective from September, 2020.
“The Committee directed NASENI to establish blueprint on ways forward with the funding being expected from the federation account, including expected targets and benefits of its technologies and industrial development of the nation.”
Prof. Haruna, who led a team of management Staff of the Agency to the Public Hearing, expressed the Agency’s gratitude to the Senate for the directive on NASENI statutory funding.
He said the agency will not relent in its efforts to transform the Nigerian economy from resource based economy to a knowledge driven or a manufacturing oriented economy.
He said although the agency had been adequately equipped with human and technical capacities to do much, it was daily confronted with the challenges of “No fund.”
Furthermore, he noted that the 28 years of no statutory funding would end as stipulated by the law, which set up the agency in 1992 (and the Law as amended also in 2004).
According to him, it had become apt for NASENI and its 10 Development Institutes, as issue about lack of funds to carry out statutory functions would become a thing of the past.
Also, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Sen. Solomon Adeola said the Executive should challenge NASENI to come up with new innovative solutions.
“Challenge NASENI to drive the Nigerian economy in the direction towards modernisation or reforms of the national economy, through technology and innovations.
“The Act which set up NASENI in 2004, also had stipulated that the provision of one per cent of funds accruing to the Federation account should be the funding mechanism of the Agency.
“These provisions, he affirmed, were all laws of the hallowed chambers of the Nigeria National Assembly, and therefore, must be obeyed to the latter,” Adeola said.
The lawmakers of the upper Chamber at the public hearing had cited NASENI’s proof of potential to turn around the Industrial and technology fortunes of Nigeria positively.
They said although such potential were research and development, design and manufacturing of capital goods and technologies, it was unfortunately there was no awareness about NASENI’s lack of adequate fund.
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