Nigeria’s National Assembly has been applauded for taking steps to establish a National Research Institute for Chemical Technology to be located in Zaria in the Northern State of Kaduna.
A Bill aimed at achieving the goal sponsored by Hon. Musa Dacchung Bagos, a member representing Jos South and Jos East was laid before the National Assembly.
The bill, seeks to amongst other things advance chemical research in the country as a vehicle for stimulating industrial growth and reducing Nigeria’s dependence on imported chemicals and derivatives.
A Civil Society Organization (CSO), Partners for Legislative Agenda (PLAN) in a statement by its National Coordinator, Mallam Khalifa Adamu Bello described the National Assembly especially the House of Representatives under the speakership of RT. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila is pro-people and highly progressive.
“It is without a doubt that the leadership of the National Assembly especially that of the House of Representatives ably led by Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila as Speaker has been a pro-people’s assembly that has always initiated and passed bills with monumental impacts on individual welfare and advancement,” the statement noted.
The CSO observed with satisfaction the timeliness of the Bill bearing in mind the discovery of more oil fields in northern Nigeria and the drive for internal refining of petroleum as well as the innovations in renewable energy across the country. The Bill will therefore increase the value chain in the oil and gas sector, especially in the area of petrochemicals
“The research institute which the bill seeks to establish will provide a globally competitive and environmentally friendly research and innovation in the processing and conversion of indigenous raw materials into valuable chemicals and the optimal utilisation of petrochemical products for the development of chemical, biochemical and artificial fibre technologies for industrial applications in Nigeria. The worrisome trend where Nigeria imports even plastics will soon be a thing of the past”, the statement added.
Lamenting the embarrassing dependence of Nigeria on imported chemicals that could easily be produced in Nigeria using available agricultural raw materials like cassava and byproducts of Petroleum refining, the group expressed optimism that very soon Nigeria will be at par with global powers in chemical research and export with billions of dollars in revenue and millions of direct and indirect jobs
“Very soon, Nigeria will be at par with countries like Singapore and China in the production of chemicals and petrochemical products which are essential to our lives and industrial production. Ethylene, benzene, medical resins, medical plastics and food preservatives are some of the chemical products Nigeria imports in billions of Nigeria. The list is endless but we are happy to announce that there’s now hope for local production” the statement added.
Enthusiastic about the numerous country-specific gains the Bill will bring to Nigeria and Nigerians, the CSO highlighted numerous areas of application and relevance of a world-class chemical research institute
Part of the statement reads; “the importance of the research institute to enhancing economic activities for our people, industries and the nation at large cannot be over-emphasized, especially in the areas of local content development, employment, enrichment and restoration of barren agricultural lands, mineral exploitation and the conversion of other raw materials into useful chemicals for human and industrial use.
“The processing of commercial grade chemicals for laboratories, the derivation of secondary chemicals from petrochemicals, coal, solid minerals and other materials, the production of functional polymers and engineering plastics, characterisation and utilisation of processing of natural and artificial fibres. Others are; the development of chemical catalysts, chemical process designs, modelling and simulation, pilot plant fabrication and design of chemical analytical instruments and quality control amongst many others”.
While commending the President Buhari administration as well as the leadership of the National Assembly especially the House of Assembly for their proactive and pragmatic Bills, called for speed hearing and passage of the Bill to give Nigeria a strong footing in its derive to industrial development and import substitution as well as diversification of the economy.
