By Mercy Peter
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has declared that the industrialisation drive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration is yielding measurable results, with government policies translating into tangible projects, employment opportunities, technological innovation and economic growth across the country.
The Minister stated this on Tuesday during the Presidential Media Team Tour of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) headquarters in Abuja, describing the initiative as part of the Federal Government’s commitment to transparency, accountability and citizen engagement under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
According to Idris, the National Renewed Hope Media Tour was conceived to provide Nigerians with firsthand access to key projects and programmes being executed by ministries, departments and agencies, enabling citizens to independently assess the implementation of government policies.
He said the administration believes that transparency is strengthened when government institutions maintain active engagement with the public, while accountability is enhanced when citizens are able to verify progress for themselves.
“The objective is to allow Nigerians to see how government policies are being translated into tangible projects, jobs, innovation and opportunities across the country,” the Minister said.
Idris described NASENI as one of the Federal Government’s strategic institutions driving Nigeria’s industrial transformation through science, engineering and technology.
He noted that the agency’s interventions span critical sectors, including local manufacturing, renewable energy, agricultural mechanisation, digital technology and skills development, all aimed at boosting local production and reducing Nigeria’s dependence on imports.
The Minister said President Tinubu’s vision is to reposition Nigeria from a consumption-driven economy to one anchored on production, innovation, value addition and exports.
“Our vision is clear: to move Nigeria from being primarily a consumer nation to becoming a nation of producers, innovators and exporters,” he stated.
He explained that industrialisation, technological advancement and youth empowerment remain central pillars of the Renewed Hope Agenda, adding that the administration is creating an enabling environment that encourages investment, entrepreneurship and sustainable job creation.
Idris commended the management and staff of NASENI for their efforts in advancing indigenous engineering and technological solutions capable of strengthening Nigeria’s productive capacity and enhancing the country’s competitiveness.
He also praised members of the Presidential Media Team for supporting the Federal Government’s openness by providing factual, balanced and firsthand reports on major government projects and programmes nationwide.
The Minister subsequently declared the Presidential Media Team Tour of NASENI officially open.
Earlier, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NASENI, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, said the agency is implementing a practical industrialisation strategy centred on local manufacturing, technology transfer, healthcare innovation and the commercialisation of research outcomes.
Halilu disclosed that NASENI’s interventions currently cover eight strategic industrial sectors, with projects spread across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones and the Federal Capital Territory.
He explained that the agency’s approach focuses on developing products specifically for the Nigerian market, assembling them locally, increasing local content over time and establishing globally competitive manufacturing facilities.
According to him, the strategy has enabled NASENI to establish more than 20 factories within a relatively short period.
“Our goal is to build sustainable industries by designing products for the Nigerian market, assembling them locally, gradually increasing local content and creating factories that can compete globally.
That is how we have been able to establish more than 20 factories within a short period,” Halilu said.
