NASENI Archives - Leading Reporters

The first made-in-Nigeria helicopter is near completion and ready for its test flight, the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has announced.

NASENI affirmed that the project which did not start from the scratch was built from already existing aeronautical advancements.

The project manager for NASENI’s Aeronautics and Air Vehicle Development Institute in Kaduna, Kareen Aduagba made the disclosure at a Focus Group Engagement organised by the agency on Wednesday, February 26.

Aduagba said the agency is working on both made-in-Nigeria helicopter and several Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).

He said, “Some of our components were sourced from developed countries in Semi Knock Down (SKD) and Complete Knock Down (CKD) formats. Through engineering and scientific expertise, we are assembling and integrating these components.”

According to Aduagba, the project is currently in its final stage and the test run will take place soon.

“We are now in the final stages, and very soon, we will conduct the first test flight of Nigeria’s first indigenous helicopter,” he said.

The Governor of Nassarawa State, Engineer Abdullahi Sule has commended the giant strides achieved by the National Agency for Science and Innovation (NASENI) in promoting Scientific Engineering Innovation and solutions in Agriculture, Power, and Educational advancement in Nigeria.

Engineer Sule while speaking in Abuja on Wednesday at a facility tour to the Agency stated that the activities of the agency is commendable and indeed not a waste of national resources.

“I had a different concept of what NASENI was until today.

“And I think with what I have seen Nigeria is definitely making the right decision by taking 1% of our federation account to boost the activities of Naseni.”.

According to Engr. Sule, agriculture is the main source of income to more than 80 per cent of the state population and major industrialists and business owners have made the state a hub for their agricultural businesses and investments due to the large expanse of land that the state has.

He further stated that ” Flour Mills of Nigeria is today getting ready to acquire 20,000 hectares of land, 10,000 hectares for flour and 10,000 for sugar

“Dangote has acquired 68,000hectares of land for sugarcane and with that we should be able to produce 400,000 metrics tonnes of sugar locally”.

He added that today, Nigeria does not even produce 50,000 out of the 1.2 million metric tones that Nigeria consumes, by the time they produce 400,000 metric tones in one location in Nigeria that is already one-third of the size of what Nigeria produce annually.

By the time this is done, they should be able to produce 96 megawatt of power and 48 of this will go the national grid for Nigeria to use.

In addition to that, we will be to produce ethanol for our gas and apart from the animal feeds they will be able to employ not less than 30,000 Youths directly.

While pledging for collaboration with NASENI, the governor requested that zonal institute for Agricultural equipment be moved to the capital city, Lafia.

“Am impressed with what NASENI is doing and I strongly believe we can collaborate with NASENI on Science and Engineering Infrastructure”.

“I want to commend Mr. President for appointing the idea of your zonal institute for Agricultural equipment and I want to call on President Muhammad Buhari to site the regional one for north central in Lafia.”.

Earlier the Executive Vice Chairman, NASENI, Prof. M. S. Haruna led the tour to various facilities in the agency.

NASENI

FG announces near-completion of first made-in-Nigeria helicopter

Nassarawa Government Applauds NASENI on Engineering Innovation