Prof. Ayo Olalusi, Dean, Department of Agriculture and Engineering, Federal University of Technology, Akure, has called on the Federal Government to subsidise prices of equipment used in the fabrication of locally made tools.
Olalusi stated this at the 3rd Indigenous Fabricators Stakeholders’ Workshop organised by Project Development and Design Department, Federal Institute of Industrial Research (FIIRO) for fabricators in the country.
He said that the fabrication industry was at the lowest in the country due to lack of government patronage and support for local fabricators
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He said that locally fabricated machines were not competitive, particularly with the imported machines because the government needed to do more for the sector.
He urged government to help the industry with sustainable policies that would help the growth of the industry
According to him, our fabrication industry is at the lowest presently, we have challenges.
“Our machines are not competitive, particularly with the imported machines, because our fabricators have their own limitations in terms of the equipment we use in fabricating
“If you have the same equipment that the engineers in China, Germany and America are using, we will have the capacity to compete with imported machines,” he said .
The don urged the government to develop the nation’s steel industry, describing it has the bedrock of the country’s development .
“Agriculture in Nigeria have a lot of support but you will discover that when we produce a lot of food and there are no equipment to process it, the food will perish and there will be a lot of wastages.
” For many years, in the early 70s and 80s, when we started Ajaokuta steel industry, till today, it has not been completed
“There should be a stakeholders meeting that will fashion the way out for the steel sector,” he said.
Dr Oluyemisi Asagbra, Acting Director General, FIIRO said awakening excellence in indigenous fabricators would lead to self reliance in locally made tools
She said that the workshop was strategically put in place to sensitise and enhances the drive for local content inclusion in engineering equipment design and fabrication.
“I will like you to know that this workshop is essential and timely, particularly at this time when there is a high inflation rate in the country.
“The situation has led to increases in the cost of importation of foreign goods and products from outside the country and has further increased the cost of production among small and medium scale enterprises in the country.
“In addition, entrepreneurs have been pushed to the wall and most of them can no longer withstand the financial implications that come with the over-dependence on foreign goods for their businesses,” she said. (NAN)
