Kemisola Owonikoko
The Executive Vice Chairman of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, Dr. Bashir Gwandu visited the Czech Republic Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency Zdenek Krejci.
The aim of the visit was to discuss potential business collaborations and gather information on the failed Delta2 project.
During the courtesy, Dr. Gwandu expressed his interest in understanding the reasons behind the Delta2 Project’s failure, as it was initially intended to benefit Nigeria’s technology companies, entrepreneurs, and overall economic development.
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The Delta2 Project was a bilateral collaboration between the Nigeria government, represented by NASENI, and the Czech Republic government, represented by the Technology Agency of Czech Republic (TACR).
The project aimed to foster growth and expansion of infrastructure, manufacturing, and innovation i n Nigeria, ultimately leading to the development of Made-in-Nigeria technologies and products.
Dr. Gwandu informed Ambassador Krejci that the new administration at NASENI is fully committed to driving Nigeria’s industrialization agenda and attracting new investments.
He expressed a desire for collaboration with the Czech Republic government to ensure the domestication of technologies through partnerships. NASENI’s main goal is to increase local production capabilities reduce importation and create job opportunities for millions of Nigerians.
“We want a relationship that is beneficial to our country. We have a lot of companies we are reaching out to. We want to work with the Czech government and companies. We want them to come here and start producing and domesticating technologies. We want to industrialize Nigeria,” Gwandu said.
He also emphasized NASENI’S readiness to partner with czech companies in order to accelerate Nigeria’s industrialization efforts. The agency is actively working on new initiatives and welcomes foreign companies, including those from the Czech Republic, to set up factories and industrial bases in Nigeria.
Ambassador Krejci expressed his appreciation for Dr. Gwandu’s visit and the NASENI team’s efforts to inquire about the Delta2 project. He assured them of his country’s readiness to collaborate on scientific co-operations.
“We await your new initiatives. In our country we have a grant agency and a technology agency responsible for scientific cooperation and also the academy of sciences which will be beneficial to you.
“We have about two or three companies that are ready to work with you and three universities working with tropical agriculture. I think they deserve your cooperation,” he said, adding that they are ready to work with NASENI to make the new initiatives fruitful.
Both parties expressed their enthusiasm for potential future collaborations, with the aim of achieving fruitful outcomes from the new initiatives.
BV.
