The Federal Government has pledged its readiness to support outstanding incubates willing to use their acquired skills to contribute to the economic development of the country.
The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, made this known when he received the staff and management of A & Shine International led by its chairman, Arc. Bukola Adeshina, in his office in Abuja.
Onu pointed out that the company, a honey-processing and packaging company, a product of the National Board of Technology Incubation (NBTI), is helping the nation produce a product that could have been imported outside the shores of the country.
The minister expressed satisfaction when he visited A & Shine International facilities in Kuje, Abuja, after seeing a wide range of products and equipment used by incubatees on training in different skills.
He averred that when the country produces locally as against importing from outside, it is creating jobs, strengthening the economy and reducing poverty to the barest minimum.
Onu further stressed that the FMSTI is the home of start-ups in Nigeria with incubations centres in 36 states in Nigeria and FCT, with the incubation centres making sure that research findings are converted by sending them to NBTI for commercialisation by the entrepreneurs.
He expressed satisfaction that many companies/incubatees that started small as micro businesses have grown to medium-sized businesses all over the country.
Earlier, Adeshina told the minister that the company is facing many challenges which include outdated equipment, additional training facilities and purchase of new equipment to foster automation of the factory for capacity-building and general expansion.
A & Shine International Limited is a honey producer and processor in the country and is into the production of four different honey brands and has diversified into other products such as sesame seed, cake, chin-chin and others.
