Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, has said that the country will begin local production of pencils in the next two years.
Dr. Onu disclosed this during a facility tour of Projects Development Institute (PRODA), Enugu State, where he urged the institution to improve its productive capacity in line with the current administration.
Explaining that it was wrong for the country to be importing pencils, he said the management of PRODA has assured him of producing pencils in commercial quantity in the next two years.
“It is unthinkable that 55 years after independence, Nigeria ss still not producing pencils when we have the human and material resources in the country.
“PRODA has to produce pencils for Nigeria and they have given me the assurance that this can be done and that with pencil manufacture here, we will be creating 400,000 new jobs.
“The Buhari administration is committed to creating new jobs and growing our economy,” he said.
“For the information of Nigerians, pencil is not produced anywhere in West Africa, so I am directing PRODA to realise this within the next years,” he said.
