Lalong restates commitment to develop agriculture

Gov. Simon Lalong of Plateau, on Wednesday restated his administration’s commitment towards agriculture sector development.

Lalong said this in Jos when the management of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) visited him.

He said the state government would partner NASENI to establish an agriculture machinery and equipment development institute in the state.

The governor said that the institute would enable the state to effectively harness its potentials in agriculture.

“As a government, we are prepared to collaborate with your agency to establish related intervention outfits in the state.

“This will help to effectively harness our rich agricultural potentials and achieve our government’s vision on agriculture.

“Hosting an agriculture machinery and equipment development institute will enable us to develop machineries for the processing and storage of the agricultural products,” he said.

Lalong further stated that the state was willing to host a hydro equipment and machinery institute given its potential in hydro power.

“By reason of our topography, we have the largest potential for hydro power in Nigeria,” he said.

The governor said that a technical committee had already been inaugurated to liaise with the agency toward achieving the objective.

“Our intention is to improve on our productivity level and boost human capital development, we recognise the role of science and technology in achieving this,” he said.

Earlier, NASENI Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Mohammed Haruna, said the agency was established to promote indigenous production of standard parts, goods and services, for the advancement of technology in Nigeria.

He said that NASENI was already collaborating with Innoson Motors to locally manufacture cargo tricycles which would soon be mass produced.

“We have embarked on several projects such as the production of solar panels and related components, laboratory and science equipment as well as hydro kinetic turbine,” he said.

The NASENI helmsman said that a technical committee would conduct facility tours across science-based institutions in the state to ascertain areas of need and possible intervention.