Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) Prof. Mohammad Sani Haruna has said the agency is training Nigerian youths in cutting edge technologies to prepare them for the fourth industrial revolution.
He said with the world shifting to automation remote sensing, remote control and wireless operation, Nigerians cannot be left behind.
The EVC spoke at the opening of the NASENI Skill Acquisition Training and Youth Empowerment for 100 candidates in Ilaro, Ogun state.
Represented by NASENI’s Coordinating Director, Finance and Account, Alhaji Ibrahim Baba Dauda, the EVC said the state was chosen because by its location, it is the industrial corridor for innovations, while also noting that it also shares borders with Lagos – the West Africa’s most populous productive and manufacturing centre.
“Development in cutting edge technologies or frontier technologies are the innovations that are shaping the fourth industrial revolution. They are no doubt disrupting many things and introducing constant changes and standards.
“These technologies include Artificial Intelligence (AI); Robotics; the Internet of Things (IoT); Big Data; Block Chain; Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing); Autonomous Vehicles; Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Gene Editing; 5G Network; and even Smart Grid and agitations for wireless electricity. Every aspect of human endeavour, Agriculture, Health, Industry, Transports, Hospitality and others require electricity albeit well advanced Electric Energy.
“Therefore, electrical installation, repairs and maintenance will no longer be metre conduiting, piping or trunking of cable channel and streaming overhead conductors only. It is beyond provision of lighting points and socket outlets.
“Rather it is about automation remote sensing, remote control and wireless operation. The practitioners’ knowledge needs either regular update to remain relevant and be able to get employment, remain employed or even create jobs for others,” he said.
Speaking on the choice of the state, Haruna said: “By its location, the state is the industrial corridor for innovations because it bothers Lagos which is the West Africa’s most populous productive and manufacturing centre and a viable link to the outside economic worlds.
“Therefore, preparing the youths and their skills in modern methods is a veritable strategy to open them up to rare opportunities of being ahead of others in this region in terms of skills, practical exposures to new tools, including trouble shooting which this training will give to them at the end or the one-week long exercise.”
Earlier, National Vice President Licensed Electrical Contractors Association of Nigeria (LECAN) Yinka Akintomide had urged participants to avail themselves of the knowledge and tools given to them at the training.
