From Okwe Obi, Abuja
Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu, has disclosed how Nigerians would expend N3 trillion on imports, before a change of government in 2015.
Onu disclosed this in Abuja, yesterday, at the 2017 conference and annual general meeting of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE).
He further stated that the era of awarding contracts to foreigners will soon end as Nigeria has what it takes to award contracts to local contractors.
“The country spends over N3 trillion importing. We want to put our engineers at the forefront of development.
“Our priority is to award contracts to local companies and where expertise is needed, we will seek consortium with foreign contractors including maintenance and management.
“The time to move from resource-based economy to knowledge-based economy is now. Our engineers, architectures, scientists are not sufficient for the development of country.
“We still consume what other people produce. If we can consume what we produce and produce what we consume, our economy will improve.
“Also, we working on a strategy to improve competitiveness; to promote local content,” he stated.
President of the association, Otis Oliver, said President Muhammadu Buhari should unbundle some ministries and bring on board more professionals at the ministerial level so that there would be effectiveness and efficiency in government business.
“We really have to expand and try getting more good hands into the system so that, from policy formulation, we get things right, because, if the policies are wrong and faulty, implementation is inevitably inhibited or compromised,” he added.