From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, has said the ministry is willing to support outstanding incubatees who are willing to use their acquired skills to contribute to economic development of the country.
The Minister said this when he received the Staff and Management of “A&Shine International” on Friday in his Office, Abuja.
The Minister said that “A & Shine International”, a Honey processing and packaging company, a product of National Board of Technology Incubation(NBTI) is helping the nation to produce locally, products that would have been imported from outside.
A & Shine International Limited is a honey producer and processor in the country and is into production of four different honey brands and has diversified into other products such as sesame seed, cake, chin-chin and others.
The Minister expressed satisfaction when he visited “A &Shine International” facilities in Kuje , Abuja, after seeing a wide range of products and equipment, used by incubatees on training in different skills.
He said that when the country produce locally as against importing from outside, we are creating jobs, strengthening the economy and reducing poverty to its barest minimum.
Onu further stressed that FMSTI is the home of start-ups in Nigeria with incubations centers in 36 states in Nigeria and FCT and the incubation centres make sure that research findings are converted by sending them to NBTI for commercialization by the entrepreneurs.
He expressed satisfaction that many companies/incubatees that started small as micro businesses have grown to medium size businesses all over the country .
Earlier, Chairman/MD of A & Shine Architect Adeshina Bukola told the Minister that the company is facing many challenges which include outdated Equipment, additional training facilities and purchase of new equipment to foster automation of the factory for capacity building, and general expansion.