NACETEM Developing Capacity of Nigerians for Local Boat Building
The National Centre for Technology Management (NACETEM) is developing a culture where Nigerians with capacity to build boats can do so locally. Dr Olushola Odusanya, Director General, NACETEM disclosed this in an interview on Tuesday in Abuja.
“To build a boat, you need welders, foundry experts, fibreglass reinforcement experts who make fibreglass boats, perhaps aluminum smelters among others,” he said.
According to him, there are hundreds of welding skills with global certifications, and that NACETEM was talking to the International Institute of Welding, for welders to be issued certificates in various categories.
He said once a welder was certified, he would be added to a database and once there’s a job opening, such welder would be notified. He hinted that the centre decided to choose something new in their first year, which is marine and blue economy because it solved income generation, food and new business.
“We haven’t even mapped our resources in the marine environment, so, there’s a huge gap there and we want to fill this gap with technology. That is why we keep talking about fibreglass boat building, foundry practices, welding and connecting it to ICT, to socio-economics, realising that our waters are under- fished, ” he said.
The NACETEM Boss pointed out that Nigeria was endowed with numerous pond resources and shrimps, stressing the importance of building shrimpers, and fish trollers.
He said skippers needed to be trained in Nigeria, as well as first and second engineers, marine engineers who were currently being trained overseas, which would save significant amount of foreign exchange.
According to him, building the capacity of such people will enable them to be sent or drafted to areas where Nigeria’s value lies.
Odusanya emphasised that what technology could do for Nigeria was huge, and to build a boat had so much to do with technology, adding that the way to quickly start was through ICT. He also gave update on their plans and strategies towards attainment of goals and objectives. Bitcoin Relapses after Topping $63,000
