As NASENI Moves to the Presidency…   

Now that the National Agency for Science & Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) is being moved to the Presidency, the president should use his powers to right the wrongs in the science sector, once and for all. In doing this, the president should take a look at the mandates of NASENI again. Also, what were the visions and recommendations of the founding fathers?

Those who conceptualised NASENI saw that the bureaucracy  in the civil service would impede the growth of science and technology and they felt that to have a sector that would really serve the people and produce result, the ‘red-tapism’ must be removed. They visualised a situation similar to what obtains in the private sector where decisions are taken fast, without any waste of time.

The establishment of NASENI was the-closest-to-the-ideal they could go. That is to say that NASENI was to replace the Federal Ministry of Science & Technology. It was not intended that the agency would be another parastatal under the ministry.   But because the government did not have the will to do the right thing or couldn’t resist the pressure of those who want to be science and technology ministers, the government turned full circle to retain the ministry.

The organogram of NASENI shows the agency’s importance. The chairman is Mr. President while the vice chairman is chief executive and director general. All the research and development institutes are supposed to be under the purview of NASENI.

As the name suggests, the National Agency for Science & Engineering Infrastructure is meant to provide science and engineering infrastructure to ensure that Nigeria has a solid National System of Innovation. Science and engineering infrastructure are different from basic infrastructure (roads, electricity, water, etc.). They comprise, for example, in the case of automotive industry—high capacity press for stamping body parts of vehicles, jigs and fixtures for making dies; foundries for mass producing of cast components like engine blocks, etc; pattern making expertise and facilities needed to produce molds, etc.

It is on record that the pioneer chief executive of NASENI, the late Prof. Gordian Ezekwe, was able to ‘engineer’ the multiplication of foundries from under 30 to over 140, nationally.

So NASENI is meant to provide infrastructure for sophisticated research and development and mass production. But it is not to dabble into actual research, development and mass production.

It is in the light of the above that we view the dabbling of the National Engineering Design & Development Institute (NEDDI), Nnewi into motor bike and tricycle research and development as questionable and a duplication of efforts.   From its mandate, all it should have done, if it had interest in automotive research is to provide the best design facilities (infrastructure) for the use of Centre for Automotive Design & Development (CADD), Zaria and others. NEDDI should have worked with the National Automotive Council to see in what areas the two bodies could collaborate.