11th November, 2022
By Sylvester Thompson
The Federal Government has approved a national policy on welding and welding-related fields with urgent implementation as part of the efforts to fast-track industrialization and sustainable development.
This is contained in a statement issued by Josephine Ademu, Chief Information Officer (Press) of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) and made available in Abuja on Friday.
Dr Adeleke Mamora, Minister of STI disclosed this at the North-West zonal dialogue in the STI ecosystem on the establishment of Technology Incubation Centres (TICs) in Kano.
Represented by M. J. Bassey, Director of, the Chemical Department of the ministry, Mamora said the policy would arrest the present outsourcing of welding jobs brought about by emphasis laid on foreign welding certification.
He said the approved policy was in line with the implementation of Presidential Executive Order NO.5 which will boost local content in production.
Mamora called for the identification of other important areas for effective regulation, credible certification and accreditation, to achieve the country’s goal.
He maintained that this would give the desired credence to Nigeria’s certification and accreditation outcomes.
The minister enumerated the benefits of the innovation centres including the provision of an enabling environment for the emergence of tech giants.
It will also increase the performance of researchers, peer review of researchers for effectiveness and learn new approaches to research through interactions.
Others are an increase in patents, a platform for the presentation of results of reverse engineering, Innovative discoveries and Inventions.
The rest include the emergence of commercial research and development companies and improved research funding through grants from businessmen and Industrialists among others.
NAN