President Bola Tinubu has announced the establishment of the National Engineering and Innovation Fund.

Tinubu made this known at the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) 2024 International Engineering Conference Exhibition and Annual General Meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, November 19, 2024.

The president was represented by the Minister of State for Works, Bello Goronyo.

He said: “I am proud to announce the establishment of the National Engineering and Innovation Fund.

“It is a new initiative designed to provide grants and resources to engineers and technologists working on solutions for Nigeria’s unique challenges.

“With this fund, we aim to support local innovations, encourage entrepreneurship, and ensure that Nigeria remains at the forefront of engineering advancement in Africa.

“It is also aimed at strengthening regulations and standards. This is because a commitment to quality and safety is at the heart of responsible engineering.”

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He promised to work closely with the NSE and other regulatory bodies to ensure that only licensed and qualified professionals were entrusted with critical national projects.

He urged the engineering community to continue exploring solutions in solar, wind, and other renewable energy technologies for access to reliable, affordable and sustainable energy.

Also speaking at the event, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, commended NSE for the continued commitment and support to the development of agriculture in Nigeria.

Kyari said: “As we all are aware, Nigeria’s food security and climate resilience face pressing challenges that demand innovative and sustainable engineering solutions.

“Some of these engineering tools include emerging technologies, innovative concepts, further reduction in post-harvest losses and increased usage of agricultural machinery for enhanced productivity and efficiency”.

Kyari urged engineers to work on affordable and adaptable machinery that suited Nigerian crops and terrains, encouraging mechanised farming to increase efficiency and productivity.

He also called on engineers to design sustainable storage facilities and processing technologies to minimise post-harvest losses, especially those that could be deployed in rural communities.

The Star