The Minister of Science, Technology & Innovation, Ogbonnaya Onu (Dr) has said that the Ministry is willing to support outstanding incubatees, who are willing to use their acquired skills to contribute to the economic development of the country.
The Minister said this recently when he received the Staff and Management of “A & Shine International” in his office in Abuja. He explained that “A & Shine International”, a honey processing and packaging company and a product of the National Board of Technology Incubation (NBTI) is helping the nation to produce locally, something that would have been imported from outside.
According to him, “A & Shine International Limited” is a honey producer and processor in the country which engages in the production of four different honey brands and has diversified into other products such as sesame seed, cake and chin-chin, among others.
Ogbonnaya Onu expressed satisfaction with what he saw when he visited the “A & Shine International” facilities in Kuje, Abuja after viewing a wide range of products and equipments used by incubatees for training in different skills. He adhered that when the country produces locally as against importing from outside, the Government creates jobs, strengthens the economy and reduces poverty to its barest minimum.
Onu stressed that FMSTI is the home of start-ups in Nigeria with incubation centres in 36 States in Nigeria and the FCT. He indicated that the incubation centres make sure that research findings are converted by sending them to NBTI for commercialization by the entrepreneurs. He also expressed satisfaction that many companies/incubatees that started small as micro businesses have now grown to medium size businesses all over the country.
Speaking earlier, the Chairman/MD of “A & Shine Architect, Adeshina Bukola told the Minister that the company is facing many challenges which include: outdated equipments, additional training facilities and purchase of new equipments to foster the automation effort on the factory for capacity building and general expansion.