By Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Mohammad Sani Haruna, yesterday, said the Federal Government will establish three industrial parks in the country.
He said about N3.250 billion had been earmarked for the first phase of the parks which would be sited in Nnewi, Anambra State; Osogbo, Osun State and Igabi, Kaduna State.
He also said the centre of NASENI Helicopter assembly project and first made in Nigeria Helicopter was being relocated to Aeronautics and Air Vehicle Development Institute (AAVDI) in Kaduna.
Haruna made the disclosures when he paid a courtesy call on the commandant of the Nigerian Air Force Institute of Technology, Kaduna.
He said: “The Federal Government has planned to develop industrial parks for the automotive sectors in three zones of the country: Nnewi (Anambra State), Osogbo (Osun State) and Igabi (Kaduna State). Once fully taken up and equipped, the automotive park will be self-sustaining and a government revenue source. In the first phase of the project, the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning has earmarked N3,250,000,000 for takeoff and we appreciate the minister for the commitment and interest in the project. We are equally grateful to Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, for the allocation of 50 hectares of land and his magnanimity for granting waivers of all statutory fees for the title of the land.
“The project initiative is in line with the concept of Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment which initially proposed establishing the Automotive Supplier Industrial Park (ASIP) in these three locations in the country for technology evolution in the automotive sector. This is in line with the mandate of NASENI for provision and development of primary and intermediate capital projects required for machine and equipment design, fabrication, and mass production, in order to provide the enabling environment for sustainable industrialisation of the country. The project is being supervised for NASENI by the Hydraulic Equipment Development Institute (HEDI), Kano, an institute of NASENI for the agency. The project is intended to unlock the opportunities in auto sector as well as potential in the manufacturing industry with a view of creating employment, skilled labour in this region and the sub-Saharan Africa. It will earn foreign exchange for the country and stop importation of vehicle spare parts.”
He said major vehicle manufacturers from different countries have indicated interest to operate from the facility and that it would also provide the Nigerian Army Vehicle Manufacturing Company with the necessary support in the production of armoured vehicles.
The EVC sought for collaboration with the Nigerian Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), Kaduna.
He said NASENI’s project of first made in Nigeria helicopter was being relocated to AAVDI which would be in the same environment with AFIT.
The AFIT Commandant, Paul Jemitola, said the institute was ready to collaborate with NASENI .