NASENI and Guideline Geo Abem/Mala of Sweden have collaboratively unveiled equipment to staff of mining, water resources, environment ministries and other related sectors towards boosting accurate generation of geoscience data in the country.
This took place on Wednesday at the one day workshop organised by the two parties at the Technology Orientation Center, NASENI, Abuja.
While over 17 government agencies took part in the workshop, the total participants were over 160 persons.
The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) and CEO of NASENI, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, said that the workshop will advance geophysical and geo-technological instruments in the country which are essential for evidence-based planning and sustainable infrastructure development.
The collaboration, he said, is part of NASENI'S renewed strategic direction for international cooperation, technology transfer, and development of local capacity.
The EVC, representated by the Coordinating Director, Planning and Business Development, NASENI, Dr. Mrs. Noyem Onyechi, said "Our dedication to fostering a knowledge-driven and technology-powered economy remains steadfast.
"This workshop is aligned with NASENU's broader vision to enhance national competence in crucial areas such as proscience, infrastructure planning. environmental monitoring, and smart technologies which are key elements that support our mandate and Nigeria's broader developmental agenda."
Commending Guideline Geo Team for its commitment to strengthening the partnership with Nigeria and for its willingness to transfer knowledge while showcasing the practical applications of its instruments, he urged all participants to engage actively in the sessions.
According to him, it is an invaluable opportunity to explore ways to localize the technologies, build capacity, and foster impactful collaborations that will accelerate the adoption and deployment of the innovative solutions within Nigeria's infrastructure ecosystem.
In his goodwill message, the National President of NACCIMA, Engr Jani Ibrahim, represented by Garba Abdulrasaq, charged the participants to ensure they understand the training and the principles behind the equipment.
He added "The equipment will help to generate geoscience data for things to move on well."
The Special Adviser to the National President of NACCIMA and the project manager, Engr Awel Ibrahim, said "I'm providing project management services for the program. The program is actually a strategic, innovative framework developed by the National President of NACCIMA, Engr Jani Ibrahim, on how to collaborate between public and private sector to move the economy forward.
"Because all along, the economy has not been moving because there is no proper collaboration between the private sector companies, government, regulatory agencies, Research Institute, foreign investors, domestic as well as the organized private sector body like NASENI, the collaboration has not been well articulated.
"That is why, in spite of everybody will tell you, we have potentials. Nigeria has potential to do this or that, but yet we are hungry. So when he came on board, he now developed this strategic framework"
According to him, the workshop is a pilot program of the framework.
"We have gathered all stakeholders, government, regulatory agents across water, oil and gas, Solid Minerals, civil engineering, construction, who are the user who this is not only mineral exploration, but other engineering application in Environment, Water Resources, construction, we have gathered here for a stakeholder workshop for the company to display this technical thing in this innovative equipment they have been using.
"So we are here now to unveil this to the professional bodies in Nigeria, the regulatory agencies private companies for the purpose of entering an agreement that we are going to showcase this product and build, gradually, not just to come and sell it to Nigeria the way we used to do.
"We need to understand the operational use of the equipment so that we can have the capacity to maintain it and to domesticate the technology into the Nigerian environment.
On the participants, he said "The major agencies that came, included Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Ministry of solid Minerals development, Ministry of steel development, Nigerian upstream petrol, upstream regulatory agency, midstream regulatory agencies, Science and Technology, Ministry of Labour, about 17 government agencies. " he stated
The Chairman and CEO of Kursi Group, represented by Yahaya Abdullahi Shina, noted that the workshop was part of its meaningful contribution to the advancement of Nigeria's solid minerals and infrastructure development sectors.
The Guideline Geo headquartered in Sweden, he said, is globally renowned for its cutting-edge geophysical instruments and software solutions, including Electrical Resistivity Tomography and Seismic Systems and Magnetometry.
According to him, they are designed for sustainable mineral exploration, subsurface mapping, geotechnical engineering, and environmental risk assessment.
"From Mineral-rich greenfield terrains to urban planning zones, these tools are game-changers for geoscientists, mining companies, civil engineers, researchers and regulators." he said.
Unveiling the equipment in his presentation, the Guideline Geo Africa Sales Manager, Engr Dr. Darlington Mensah, disclosed that the organisation has been in the industry for over 100 years with major offices located across the world.
He listed the four areas of the organisation's operations to include infrastructure, environment, water deposit, and minerals prospecting.
The organisation's equipment, he said, are versatile, standalone systems with in-built GPS, 3G and WiFi connections.
Dr. Gbenga Olusunle, at the workshop, urged the organization to ensure there is after sales service centres across Nigeria to meet repairs and spare parts needs.
At the end of the presentation, there was demonstration of the use of the equipment at the workshop.