The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has canvassed for the application of local contents in all engineering projects undertaken in the country.
He stated this in Abuja at a book launch on “Engineering and Sustainable Rural Development In Nigeria” which was authored by Engineer Ahmed Amshi.
Lawan, according to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ola Awoniyi, also made a strong case for rural dwellers.
He said, “I believe in the local contents and I think it is high time we insist on the local contents when it affects our engineering projects in this country.
“After all even if we don’t insist on the local contents, those big companies use Nigerian engineers.
“The bulk of the work, the real engineering work, is done by Nigerian engineers. So we must insist on local contents.”
Lawan promised to take up the issue of local contents at the Senate as a good ambassador of the engineering profession.
He noted that Nigerians have always given a good account of themselves anywhere in the world and in all fields of endeavour.
He urged Nigerians to believe in themselves as they are the only ones who can develop Nigeria.
He said, “Nigerians are the people to develop Nigeria. Nobody else will help us develop our country.
“Nobody will get us out of our misery, our challenges but ourselves. So we should believe in ourselves,” Lawan said.
Commenting on the title of the book, Lawan said for Nigeria to develop at all, the process must start with the development of the rural areas.
He said the bulk of the population resides in the rural areas.
He said, “Therefore if there is anything we have to do, it’s for us to target the rural areas.
“Our farmers deserve every intervention. Our farmers and those in rural areas deserve every kind of subsidy.
“Other countries have achieved greatness because they face the reality of development.
“They subsidise farming, particularly for those that have chosen to stay in the rural areas.
“Therefore as a government, we don’t have too many options but to face the reality that the rural areas have to be attended to properly,” Lawan said.
