The Senate, on Tuesday, March 21, passed into law a bill seeking for the establishment of a body that would be responsible for generating and catalysing industrialisation in Nigeria.
The bill, entitled: Project Development Agency Bill (SB. 1097), which was sponsored by Sir Frank Chukwuma Ibezim, the senator, representing Imo North, is also primed to carry out industrial research from the laboratory stage to the pilot plant stage.
Ibezim had urged his colleagues in the hallowed Red Chamber to pass the bill, as the proposed agency would also render consultancy services to governments, industries, and individuals.
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It will be recalled that PRODA had existed for the past four decades without any legal backing, hence the imperativeness of this bill.
Leading the debate, Sen. Ibezim highlighted some of the benefits of the bill, including conducting research in engineering machinery and equipment, industrial materials and processes to pilot plant stages, including engineering design, development, and fabrication, and in particular conducting research into materials science and technology as well as metallurgy, foundry work, plastics, and synthetic fibres; the processing of ceramic materials and other solid based minerals for industrial use, including the development of ceramics, glass, and mineral technologies; the processing of Agro produce into various bye-products through the development of appropriate technology and machinery requirements; carry out mechanical engineering including engineering design, fabrication, machining, and other processes; and to carry out coal conversion and utilisation.
Other benefits as posited by the Distinguished Senator are: to carry out chemical plant development; carry out electrical and electronic elements particularly electrical generators, motors, transformers, switchgear, batteries, and other equipment; undertake an economic evaluation of research results to establish their viability in micro, small, medium and large enterprises development; carry out training in specialized technical areas and award proficiency certificates; establish a specially advanced technology center with a post-graduate degree awarding curriculum in science and technology in collaboration with an accredited University; carry out technical, analytical and consultancy services for existing and planned industries; and to handle any other related matter as may be determined by the Minister or President.
With its passage, all eyes are now on President Muhammadu Buhari to assent and sign this revolutionary bill into law and enable the agency to operate optimally, as it would have been armed with a robust legal framework that would strengthen and reposition it effectively to discharge its statutory responsibilities.
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Meanwhile, the Senate has referred another bill being sponsored by Ibezim for the establishment of an Information and Communications Technology Institute in the South-east to the committee for public hearing.
According to Sen. Ibezim, “The ICT institute, when established, will carry out scientific and applied research in modern information technology applications to optimise learning processes and some support systems. It will also provide dynamic learning infrastructure with quality education through rigorous teaching and research methodologies in information and communication technology, ICT, to provide academic programmes for professionals and experts in the field of ICT, electronics, software engineering, and telemedicine.”