By Yange Ikyaa
President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered speedy action to facilitate the establishment of a world-class transformer production plant in Nigeria in collaboration with the China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC) of China, with a view to accelerating stable power supply in the country.
The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Prof. Mohammad Haruna, disclosed this to newsmen recently in Abuja after briefing President Buhari on the agency’s third quarter reports from July to September 2022, with focus on its activities and finances.
Haruna, who said the project for the establishment of a transformer manufacturing plant in the country was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in China, further explained that President Buhari, who doubles as chairman of the governing board of NASENI, “is anxious to see the output of this product, its impact on the availability of power, because our power supply will never be stable until we produce some components locally, including transformer.”
The NASENI Boss said that the plant, when established, would produce between 6.5 and 10 megawatt transformers of all sizes and different capacities to meet local demand and Nigerian standard.
On revenue generation, the Executive Vice Chairman of NASENI noted that Nigeria had received requests from Uganda, Cameroun and Cote d’Ivoire for the supply of school laboratory equipment, adding further that all payments will go, as they normally do, directly to the consolidated revenue account.
His words: “The next question about 2023 NASENI budget and IGR. The funding of NASENI came from February 2022. And that is when our impact started to be felt even though there are uncertainties.
“Yes, we are generating revenue. Our solar manufacturing plant, a limited liability company of government, is revenue for the government and other activities like the production of the laboratory equipment for secondary schools and tertiary institutions.
“Just yesterday, we received orders from Uganda; they want supply of this laboratory equipment from us. That is a revenue source for the government. Cameroun and Cote d’Ivoire also are patronizing these products. They are revenue sources for the government. Payment for this goes directly into the consolidated revenue account.”
On collaboration with state governors, the NASENI Boss assured that his Agency will collaborate with state governments, explaining also that he regularly briefs them at National Executive Council (NEC) meetings on the Agency’s activities.
Haruna narrated that almost all the states in the country had asked NASENI to repair their grounded tractors.
According to him, “talking about collaboration with the state government, we are working together with the state government. For example, we attend National Economic Council meetings where we brief the governors on where we are, what we have done. There is a standing committee of Governors’ Forum working within the NASENI, and then state governments are presenting issues that are within the mandate of NASENI to attend to.
“And I want to tell you that even as I say we are only receiving one per cent of Federal Government’s share of the Federation Account, the National Economic Council has agreed that we will take the full one per cent and we believe that from the end of January, we should start that.
“So, we are in peace; we have requests. We have many state governments placing orders for things that NASENI is manufacturing. For example, we increased our capacity and transferred some of our staff to Taraba because of the request by the Taraba State government to meet the demand of the state.”
Valuechain gathered that NASENI has received different requests from Nasarawa State, making the Agency to increased capacity on solar homes. Haruna confirmed that, apart from Federal Government patronage, the Nasarawa State government has requested also for partnerships and collaborations.
He further informed that the research department of the Agency also collaborated with universities, polytechnics and monotechnics in the areas of research and training in their catchment areas.
According to him, students of universities were being trained at their facilities, adding that NASENI provides complementary teaching and practical training.
Within the period under review, the NASENI helmsman said the agency received N35.61 billion, which represented 80 per cent of money appropriated but utilized, N28.77 billion, leaving a balance of N6.80 billion as at the end of September 2022.