By Nuel Suji, Abuja.
The National Assembly is to fast track the passage of a bill into law that would upgrade the Nigerian Army Institute of Technology and Environmental Studies (NAITES) into a degree awarding institution.
Already , NAITES is awarding National Diploma in Technology and Environmental studies approved by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).
Declaring open a public hearing on the bill “NAITES Establishment Bill 2015” at the National Assembly complex today, Senate President David Mark underscored the importance of technology and Environmental studies needed to engender development.
Senator Mark canvassed that the institute and other military establishments needed to be encouraged in order to improve research and development in the country.
The Senate President stated : “The National Assembly will give legal backing to the institute. We must endeavor to pass the bill before the end of the 7th Assembly to enable the institute achieve its mandate.”
He noted that most of the breakthroughs in Science and Technology globally were pioneered by military Researchers and Engineers saying ” it is therefore imperative that we encourage our military institutions to carry out more research needed to aide development in the country”.
Earlier, the Chairman Senate Committee on Defence and Army Thompson Sekibo said the public Hearing was necessitated by the need to get public input into the bill.
