By Uche Onyeali
Federal government on Friday commenced the construction of the Sustainable & Emerging Technologies Institute, SETI, at the Bayero University Kano, BUK.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by the director of Information, NASENI, Olusegun Ayeoyenikan, and made available to AljazirahNigeria.
The institute, which is one of the initiatives of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, NASENI, is part of the federal government’s efforts to secure the socio-economic wellbeing of the future generation.
Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony, the executive vice chairman and chief executive officer of NASENI, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu said the new institute sits on 30 hectares of land in BUK.
According to Mr. Halilu, the institute will feature state-of-the-art facilities, including innovation hubs devoted to Artificial Intelligence and other cutting-edge technologies, complemented by reliable power supply.
“NASENI will fully build and equip and support the new Institute,” the EVC said.
Noting that the future of socio-economic development for nations rests on human creativity, innovation and cooperation, Artificial intelligence, robotics amongst others, Halilu said the establishment of SETI in Nigeria was to rapidly respond to the waves of young people globally revolutionising world economies with unprecedented emergence of socio-economic frontiers as by-products of innovations and ingenuities of these young minds.
“We in NASENI are firm believers in the potential of young Nigerians to be the prime catalysts of the type of transformation that Nigeria requires. And we will do everything within our powers to support them to fulfil this important responsibility.
“We are gathered here today to kickstart a project that will transform the lives and careers of future generations of young Nigerians.
“This is very much in line with our operating principles; what we call our 3Cs: Collaboration, Creation, and Commercialisation. These 3Cs are the principles that passionately drive us and guide the work that we do to ensure the industrialisation of Nigeria in line with the Renewed Hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he added.
The NASENI boss further disclosed that SETI would produce innovators, technologists and entrepreneurs who would make their mark not just in Nigeria but around the world.
“I’m eagerly looking forward to the day, not too long from now, when the institute’s first set of beneficiaries will astonish the world with what they’re capable of accomplishing. These stories will put not just BUK on the global innovation map, but also Kano State and the entire Nigeria” said Halilu.
Carrying out the foundation-laying ceremony the special guest of honour and Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji described the project as not only laudable but NASENI’s another way of fast-tracking the placing of Nigeria on the global map of innovation and industrialisation.
The minister described the project as an “ace project” and a pointer to secure a veritable socio-economic development for the nation.
In his goodwill message, the vice chancellor of BUK, Professor Sagir Adamu Abbas described the new institute as a vehicle for bringing together the three critical tripods for economic and sustainable development for nations, that is, the government, academia and industry.
He described the ground-breaking event as the beginning of Nigeria’s journey in pursuit of sustainable development, massive job creation opportunities for the youths, and that the BUK was delighted to be host to such laudable initiative and momentum.
