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Shettima Calls for Localization of Global Technologies to Solve Nigerian Problems

Shettima Calls for Localization of Global Technologies to Solve Nigerian Problems
…Laments Poor Maintenance that Leaves Nigeria with Over 26,000 Broken-down Serviceable Heavy-duty Equipment
By: Michael Mike
Vice President Kashim Shettima has called for the localization of global technologies in order to create durable Nigerian solutions to Nigerian problems, insisting that relevant agencies must be supported to point Nigeria towards a stabler nation and promising future.
Speaking at the official launch of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) Asset Restoration Programme in Maiduguri on Sunday, Shettima decried that data available shows that Nigeria currently holds over 26,000 units of broken-down but serviceable heavy-duty equipment and nearly 500,000 component scraps that can be restored or repurposed.
The Vice President however said this contrasts with the stark reality there is only 7,000 to 12,000 functional tractors in a country that needs 2.4 million tractor units to meet its food production goals over the next decade.
He lamented that: “For so long, Nigeria has been profiled as a nation with poor maintenance culture. This dysfunction cuts across both the private and public sectors, and we owe it to ourselves to say enough is enough.
“Enough of investing our scarce resources in ideas and projects that get abandoned halfway through. Enough of allowing our critical assets to lie in waste while we budget, year after year, for the problems they were procured to solve. This is why I’m excited about the purpose of this gathering.
“This initiative, NASENI Asset Restoration Programme, is a response to our cross-generational dilemma about what to do with abandoned and poorly maintained assets of the nation, of the people. It’s a powerful shift in how we think about value, sustainability, and innovation, and I believe that’s what we’ve promised the nation.
“The data at our disposal shows that Nigeria currently holds over 26,000 units of broken-down but serviceable heavy-duty equipment and nearly 500,000 component scraps that can be restored or repurposed. This contrasts with the stark reality that we have only 7,000 to 12,000 functional tractors in a country that needs 2.4 million tractor units to meet our food production goals over the next decade.”
He noted that these figures are a reminder of what must be done, a reason to have a national inventory of value waiting to be unlocked, adding that: “We must commend NASENI, through this Asset Restoration Programme, for stepping forward with this brilliant idea to mitigate a national tragedy.”
He said beyond this promise to refurbish hardware, NASENI has shown a great capacity to serve as a national nerve centre for technology transfer, homegrown engineering, and adaptive innovation,” stating that this is why NASENI must be supported.
He noted that: “We have seen NASENI at work, playing critical roles in our interventions in compressed natural gas (CNG) retrofitting, renewable energy technologies, and agricultural mechanization. We are reminded more than ever that we can’t create durable Nigerian solutions to Nigerian problems unless we localize global technologies, and relevant agencies must be supported to point us towards a stabler nation and promising future.
“The Asset Restoration Programme fits squarely within the broader vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration: to build a productive, self-reliant, and diversified economy. Our goal, therefore, is to ease this transition to expand the potential and productivity of Nigeria’s agricultural, industrial, and creative sectors through smart investments in infrastructure, skills, and innovation.”
He added that: “The Executive Vice Chairman of NASENI, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, has shown both vision and urgency in our collective quests for solutions. The direction NASENI is headed is one driven by action, impact, innovation, and awareness of what the nation needs. It takes clarity of purpose to embark on a mission such as this:”
Earlier, in his remarks, Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, said the restoration programme by NASENI is the response to a cross generational dilemma about what to do with abandoned and poorly maintained assets of the nation.
He said that NASENI has shown a great capacity to serve as a nation’s nerve centre for technology transfer, home grown engineering, and adaptive innovation.
Zulum said: “This is why we must support them. We are reminded more than ever that we can create durable Nigerian solutions to Nigerian problems unless we localise global technologies, and relevant agencies must be supported. The point is stable nation and promising future.”
The Executive Vice Chairman of NASENI, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, on his part, said the reason this programme matters is because the agency’s national survey revealed that Nigeria holds over 47,000 broken-down but serviceable agricultural and law enforcement assets,” adding that the cost to replace them would exceed ₦14 trillion.
He said: “Today is not just the launch of a programme- it is the ignition of a national movement. A movement built on possibility, practicality, and partnership.
“When we set out to design the Asset Restoration Programme at NASENI, we were not just looking for another project to tick off. We were confronting a reality: that all across Nigeria, from farms to security outposts, public assets worth trillions of naira had been written off, locked away, or left to rust- not because they were beyond repair, but because there was no clear system to bring them back to life.”
He added that this programme is one more step in NASENI’s mission to keep innovation at the heart of governance, stating that whether it is through clean energy, mechatronics, or the domestication of advanced technologies, NASENI is showing that Nigerian problems can have Nigerian-engineered solutions.
He said: “We are building local capacity, developing talent pipelines, and enabling technology transfer at scale. We are turning NASENI into a true national enabler—quietly but boldly proving that government can deliver, and that transformation is possible.
“No movement thrives in isolation. Let me express my deepest gratitude to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and to His Excellency, the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, for their endless support, their belief in our mission, and their constant encouragement that we must not only think big- but act fast.
“To the Borno State Government, and especially Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, thank you for being a trailblazing partner. Your support and leadership have helped us bring this vision to life here on Borno soil- turning your state into the first node in this national restoration network.
“To our implementation partner, MECA, thank you for bringing global expertise, systems thinking, and a can-do spirit that perfectly matches our urgency. You have proven that when we bridge public vision with private execution, incredible things happen,” he said.
Shettima Calls for Localization of Global Technologies to Solve Nigerian Problems
News
Troops neutralise ISWAP cameraman, seize propaganda camcorder in Bitta clash

Troops neutralise ISWAP cameraman, seize propaganda camcorder in Bitta clash
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of the Nigerian Army have scored a major psychological and intelligence victory against terrorists of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), following the killing of a group’s cameraman during a failed attack on Bitta town in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.

Zagazola Makama gathered that the troops not only repelled the assault but also recovered a sophisticated camcorder used by the terrorists to record propaganda footage.
Security sources confirmed that the insurgents had planned to use the failed operation to generate fear-inducing content aimed at glorifying their attack and disseminating false narratives through online channels.

The ISWAP cameraman was identified by the equipment he carried, which included a ruggedised camcorder and media pouches strapped to his vest. He was taken down in the heat of the exchange.

The camera contained footages that is now being processed for intelligence exploitation.
Troops neutralise ISWAP cameraman, seize propaganda camcorder in Bitta clash
News
Security forces arrest 13 illegal immigrants in Ogun, hand them over to immigration

Security forces arrest 13 illegal immigrants in Ogun, hand them over to immigration
By: Zagazola Makama
Security forces on Tuesday arrested 13 suspected illegal immigrants following a distress call from residents of Unity Estate in Pakuro, Mowe area of the state.
Zagazola Makama gathered that the foreigners, who hail from Cameroon, Togo, and Ivory Coast, were allegedly causing public disturbance in the neighbourhood, prompting residents to alert the police.
Police sources said that following the alert at about 11:00 a.m., the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Mowe Division swiftly mobilised detectives to the scene.
All 13 suspects were apprehended and after initial profiling, they were handed over to the Controller of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Ogun State Command, Abeokuta, for further investigation and necessary action.
The command assured residents that it would continue to work with other security agencies to ensure peace and order, especially in border communities.
End
News
Police launch manhunt after suspected abduction of two women in Abuja community

Police launch manhunt after suspected abduction of two women in Abuja community
By: Zagazola Makama
The FCT Police Command has launched a joint operation to rescue two women suspected to have been abducted during an armed invasion in the Aco Mbawpe area of Abuja.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday when criminal elements armed with dangerous weapons stormed the community and attacked a private residence.
According to a police sources, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Iddo Division received a distress call at about 2:10 a.m. on July 23, alerting them to the attack.
“Upon receiving the report, our patrol teams were swiftly deployed to the scene. Preliminary investigation revealed that the residence of one Fati Omale was invaded by the assailants, and she, along with another woman identified as Zainab Ibrahim, is believed to have been abducted to an unknown destination,” the police said in a statement.
In response to the incident, combined teams of Police Operatives from Iddo Division, the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, as well as local vigilantes and hunters, have commenced a massive search and rescue operation.
The joint teams are combing the surrounding bushes and hills around the Aco Mbawpe axis, a semi-rural settlement on the outskirts of the Federal Capital Territory, in a bid to locate the abductors’ hideout and ensure the safe return of the victims.
Police launch manhunt after suspected abduction of two women in Abuja community
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