Small and Medium-scale Enterprises in the Niger Delta lack the appropriate technology to convert the non-oil, agricultural and mineral raw materials into finished products. DAYO OKETOLA examines the initiatives in place to help surmount the challengesSmall and medium-scale enterprises in the Niger Delta will be unable to convert agricultural and mineral raw materials into finished products without appropriate, suitable and adaptable technology.This, according to experts, means that increased self-reliance, youth employment, increased foreign exchange earnings through the export of finished products instead of raw materials, and increased opportunities for investment in rural areas will continue to elude indigenous SMEs in the oil-rich region.Therefore, tackling this problem was the crux of the Engineering without Borders Conference on Appropriate Technology for Development in the Niger Delta, organised by the Partnership for Development in the Niger Delta in Lagos, on Thursday.Apart from its huge oil and gas deposit, experts who gathered at the conference say the Niger Delta has immense agricultural potential. Some of the non-oil raw materials available in the Niger Delta include cassava, maize, rice, pear, fish, fruits, poultry cashew, cocoa, bamboo and oil palm produce.While the cassava resources can stimulate the growth of local processing industries for fufu, garri, chips, flour, glucose, starch and pellets, massive furniture, building and craft industry can be built on the regions huge bamboo resources.With appropriate technology, experts say, the palm oil raw materials can also fuel the growth of a robust palm oil, vegetable oil, soap and wine industry in the Niger Delta. Besides, they say the mineral raw materials available in the Niger Delta include glass, clay, salt and limestone.They further note that glass sand can produce glass and silicon dioxide industries; clay, pottery and ceramics; salt, industrial salt; while limestone could metamorphose into cement, construction, lime, glass, fillers and abrasives industries.The Director-General, Raw Materials Research and Development Council, Prof. Azikiwe Onwualu, in a paper titled, Appropriate Technology: The Efforts of Raw Materials Research and Development Council, however, laments that a recently conducted techno-economic survey by the RMRDC showed a dearth of technology required to exploit and process the nations abundant agricultural and mineral resources.According to him, appropriate technology involves the application and adaptation of the right knowledge, experience and skills to convert raw materials into finished goods.Considering the serious and negative economic implications of the absence of appropriate technology, Onwualu says governments, private sector, and non-governmental organisations, among others, must come together to empower SMEs to adopt appropriate technology to drive development in the Niger Delta and the entire nation.The Project Director, Partnership for Development in the Niger Delta, Mr. Denis Flemming, says his organisation has been in the forefront of creating social and economic development opportunities in the Niger Delta.This, he says, is being done through dynamic and innovative programmes and multi-stakeholder partnerships focused on poverty alleviation and the promotion of peace.PIND, according to him, is funded by the Chevron Corporation through its five-year, $50m Niger Delta Partnership Initiative.He states that PIND is funded solely by Chevron Corporation in the United States and not through its joint venture operating budgets in Nigeria.Besides, he says PIND has donor partnerships with international organisations that are supporting the cause of transforming the SME landscape in the Niger Delta.The organisations, according to him, include the Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit, which is assisting in developing PINDs Economic Development Centre in Warri.PIND is also working with the United Nations Development Programme which is supporting development of a social sector investment plan for the Niger Delta.Others include the United States Agency for International Development, which is backing a joint portfolio of projects supporting agricultural development, peace building and institutional strength in the Niger Delta. Also, PIND works with the United Kingdom Department for International Development, which is jointly supporting economic analysis and value chain development in the oil-rich region.On how his organisation contributes to economic growth in the Niger Delta region, Flemming says PIND identifies range of economic sectors for potential support based on the nexus of income and employment growth opportunities, potential for broad impact on the poor, and potential for stimulating systemic change.He adds that the Niger Delta-focused organisation has selected oil palm, cassava, and fisheries for further analysis. Also relevant to PINDs programmes, Flemming says, is the analysis of selected economic sectors while identifying systemic constraints to growth opportunities for the poor.He reiterates that projects are identified, developed and supported in partnership with donors, implementers and other stakeholder organisations with the objective of creating opportunities for sustainable and equitable economic development in the Niger Delta.This, he says, is done via programmes that promote micro, SMEs and agricultural development.Flemming says parts of the strategic objectives of its programmes include fostering stability in vulnerable and conflict-impacted communities in the Niger Delta and promoting analysis, understanding and awareness of socio-economic needs in the region.On the efforts his organisation is making to help Niger Delta SMEs overcome appropriate technology deficiency, Flemming highlights that PIND is funding an oil palm pilot interventions programme with NIFOR and PRESCO in Edo State.The organisation, according to him, is funding the building of an Economic Development Centre, an Appropriate Technology Centre, community projects, and aquaculture pilot interventions with Ufuoma Cooperative in Warri, Delta state.Funding has also been channelled into appropriate technology community projects in Bayelsa State, and local capacity building programme in Imo and Akwa Ibom states.He adds that Rivers State has benefitted from PIND funding in the areas of cassava pilot interventions, local capacity building programmes and appropriate technology community projects.On how the RMRDC is helping to solve the appropriate technology conundrum, Onwualu says the council has embarked on a programme Capacity Building in Process Equipment Design and Development which seeks to encourage local designing and manufacturing of equipment, plants and machinery which are lacking but found to be crucial to the processing of local raw materials.Also, upgrading existing indigenous technology, thereby promoting local engineering design is very crucial to the programme.Specifically, he says the RMRDC has challenged and commissioned several local engineering firms to fabricate and instal whole process plants for kaolin processing, talc processing, fish smoking, amongst others, in different parts of the country.
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