The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), has hailed the Senate’s call on the Federal Government to ensure one per cent remittance from Federation Account into its account annually.
This is contained in a statement issued by Mr Olusegun Ayeoyenikan, the Deputy Director Information of NASENI, on Wednesday in Abuja.
The Senate had made the call following submissions of Prof. Mohammed Haruna, NASENI Executive Vice-Chairman, before its Joint Committee on Finance and National Planning.
The submission was made at the public hearing on 2021-2023 Medium-Term Expenditure Frameworks (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP).
Ayeoyenikan in the statement said that Haruna identified lack of adequate fund as major challenge being faced by the agency toward transforming Nigeria from its resource-based to manufacturing economy.
“Since establishment in 1992, NASENI never received a Kobo from Federation Account, despite the law which stated that the National Treasury is its source of revenue and shall be increased to two per cent by year 2000.
“The Senate Committees said that NASENI Act should be implemented by the Executive in terms of funding through the office of the Accountant General of the Federation, effective from September 2020.
“The Committee directed NASENI to design a blueprint on way forward with the funding being expected from the federation account, including expected targets and benefits of its technologies and industrial development of the nation,’’ it said.
The statement said that Haruna, who led a team of management Staff of the Agency to the Public Hearing, expressed the Agency’s gratitude to the Senate for the directive on the agency’s statutory funding.
“The Agency will not relent in its efforts to transform the Nigerian economy from resource-based economy to a knowledge-driven or a manufacturing-oriented economy,” Haruna stated in the statement.
The statement also quoted the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Sen. Solomon Adeola, as saying that the Executive should challenge NASENI to come up with new innovative solutions. (NAN)