Youths are Nigeria’s greatest asset- Minister

The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu says the greatest asset available to Nigeria is the resiliency of the youths and their ingenuity towards innovation and invention for nation building.

Dr. Onu stated this at the unveiling of an indigenous made car, developed and manufactured by Auwal Hassan, a young Nigerian inventor in Abuja, Nigeria.

The Minister called on Nigerian youths to be innovative in locally producing goods and services that are usually imported, saying it would improve the Gross Domestic Product of Nigeria to create employment and reduce importation.

“Natural resources such as crude oil are not the nation’s greatest asset but investment in the young people and their brains,” he said.

Dr. Onu reiterated the commitment of the Ministry to partner and support young innovators in Nigeria.

He said the the benefits derived from locally produced goods cannot be overemphasised, which includes job creation for the young people, attracting investors wealth and opportunities to boost Government’s revenue.

“Money made from increased exports will further help government to build schools, colleges and Hospitals, provide security through which Nigeria will become stronger,” the Minister stressed.

The Innovator of the vehicle, Mr. Auwal Hassan solicited the cooperation of the Ministry to develop more  automobiles and other engineering feats such as the production of helicopters and the likes.

He said;” the vehicle has a speed capacity of 50 km/hr, five gear transmission and 6 horse power engine speed.”

The Director General of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure,(NASENI) Professor, Mohammed Haruna said the locally produced car was assessed by his Agency.

Professor Haruna said that ”the Agency would work closely with the innovator  to improve the standard of the car.”

Mercy Chukwudiebere