INTERVIEW

David D. Diekedie, the liaison officer Yenagoa Technology Incubation Center {TIC},a renowned  administrator and public figure highlights in this interview about the activities of  Technology Incubation Center Yenagoa, stressing the  importance of manufacturing /entrepreneurship in nation building , also, nothing his operational challenges and other crucial matters with our correspondent, Phillip Eke in YENAGOA, ,excerpt

Sir, can you tell us your name?

my name is David D. Diekedie, hails from Igbedi Town in Kolokuma/Opokuma local government Area of Bayelsa state, the liaison officer technology incubation centre (TIC) Yenagoa, it is a parasatals under the federal ministry of science and technology, it is been managed and coordinated by national board of technology incubation centre. Abuja

Sir, can you tell us some of your activities in the states?

Well, technology incubation centre Yenagoa was established five years ago and our major mandate is to help nurture develop support science and technology innovation activities or related activities whether in the manufacturing production sector  some of the services we rendered includes: we provides what we called counseling services, we also provides technical services, a typical incubation centre should have a workshop/laboratories we provides asses to funding, we liaise with financial institutions and other government agencies or NGOs that provides loans for investment in manufacturing or entrepreneurship in technological oriented services. Recently, one of our entrepreneurs was given financial grant of N700, 00 under the presidential standing committee on science and technology grant; we also exposed innovation or manufacturing products to markets. We market their products, right now we are about doing capacity building sensitization workshop in Yenagoa in the ministry of science and Technology in Bayelsa state,

Manufacturing sector is very low compared to other states in the federation, like in Lagos, Port Harcourt, what do you think should be the motivating factors and how do we enhance the development of the sector in Bayelsa state?

Fine, that is a good question, we have to inculcate the habit of entrepreneurship especially in schools, to enable people to do the right thing, and we have partnered with some institutions to mentor our students on entrepreneurship so that when they graduate they can be on their own. As we celebrate sports, we can celebrate entrepreneurship, if we do the right thing, students can go to school, but as well come out with entrepreneurship skill. Secondly, government should provide the needed infrastructure, low level of manufacturing  is also caused by lack of infrastructure in the state, government should establish functional incubation technology centre, not just I work there, with the required equipment, a  functional incubation centre should have a workshop and a laboratory, other, states are trying their best, but in Bayelsa State more should be required, the forth coming  workshop/exhibition programme, the centre appealed to Bayelsa State Government to provide land while the federal government is so eager to build the structures,
many persons are ready for entrepreneurship and in the manufacturing sectors. “The lady that left just now” also, many persons are into cassava production, among others, but the support is not there. Also, Bayelsans and Nigerians should patronized our locally made products, not to make the habit of buying foreign goods, in that way our local sector can boom, Government should see as a point of duty to encourage entrepreneurship by buying this products from them by of encouragement. “We that work in incubation centre we often buy their products apart form marketing. We often buy their products apart from marketing, we just don’t market it, and we use their products. Finally, Government should provided adequate funding with little or no interest rate, if you can recalled entrepreneur was recently given a N700, 00 grant, it is a big support, we will guide the person to maximize it, government should provide the enabling environment, with this, a lot of competitions will spring up and that will as well boost the economy. People would be motivated, power is important, road network among others are important factors, and all this components compliment each other.

In running this your great office, can you highlight some of our challenges so far sir?

Indirectly, I have mention some of the challenges one of the major challenges is, we don’t have land of our own, where Yenagoa incubation centre can be built, that is why we believed that after the workshop/exhibition, we will appealed to government to provide land for the building of Yenagoa Technology incubation centre, federal government is willing to build the structures in collaboration with the state government. One other challenge we have, we don’t have logistics, am very sorry to say this because, and few of us used our personal cars for official duties within and outside the state. For funding, I will say we are managing, funding of the programme is very important in  meeting daily activities, we have to organize workshops once a while, staff training, provision of  office equipment, maintenance among others. So funding is very important. One other crucial challenge we have, we are in a global world, Information Communication Technology (ICT) We hope to get strong ICT base, we just have a Vsat, we need functional equipment in meeting ICT standard for improve working performance. The main thing getting a place of our own, build according to standard, the arctectural drawing of Yenagoa incubation centre is done. We need standard in everything. Federal Government is ready to provide the needed equipments, such as workshop/laboratory equipments with necessary staff, “the sky will be our limit”

Sir, can you tell us your stakeholders of this programme in achieving your vision and mission?

Fine, our partnership strength is very high; we are partner to Bayelsa State Ministry of Science and technology, ministry of trade and investment in Bayelsa state, formerly ministry of commerce and industry. Also, we have partnership with NACETEM, Yenagoa chamber of commerce and industry, also, in partnership with Raw materials Research Development Council (RMRDC) Yenagoa, we collaborates with financial institutions, for instance, we liaise with Banks for provision of loans for our entrepreneurs in the small and medium scale technology based firms.

On a serious note, what is your advice to Bayelsans for incoming entrepreneurs?

My advice is very simple number one, get the passion and the zeal of doing a business, plan properly, get the needed partners and network properly. Work closely with government agencies that are so in line with your business this will enable you to get support services such as counseling, grants or credit facilities, a attend Workshops/seminars in acquiring more knowledge. The present government is a restoration government, lead by Hon Seriake Dickson, he is a listening governor be very focus and the sky will be your limit.

Sir finally, can you tell us the technology incubation scheme and scope of the project been implemented in Bayelsa state?

The Program Scheme is classified into three (3) categories; pre-incubation: Facilitate (A). Product-based R&D (B). Trail Production (C). Professional support services in feasibility studies. (D). Proposal/business plan preparation, etc. These are activities of the entrepreneur prior to admission into the incubation program.In incubation, we facilitate the commercialization of technologies (R&D, inventions and indigenous knowledge). The incubation process begins with the admission of a value-added technology based enterprise into a technology Incubation Centre (TIP) and ends with graduation after two (2) to three (3) years Incubation period. At the TIC, share facilities like working spaces, office, central workshop, equipment and laboratory. Hands-on management assistance, access to finance, networking/linkage to knowledge and exposure to critical business, technical and legal support services that enhance the success of enterprise during incubation period are provided at subsidized rates. This is referred to as Resident Incubation. The second is referred to as the Non-Resident/Virtual Incubation. In this scheme, incubation service such as access to resources (knowledge providers, finance, linkages/ networking etc) are extended to Entrepreneurs outside the TIC.

Meanwhile, post incubation is a period we undertake Some intervention measures such as mentoring/advisory services. Linkages/networking to capital and  knowledge providers (local and international), etc is extended to graduates of the program to ensure sustained competitive growth and encourage innovation, and continuous improvement. The establishment of a Technology Park is an integral part of every Technology Incubation Centre because Tenant Entrepreneurs under the program graduate after 3 years to such a facility. While the scope of technology Incubation Programme is to nurture the development and commercialization of low Technologies manufacturing of simple equipment and machineries such as  Upgrading of traditional technologies Hand crafts etc. Medium Technologies includes, Manufacturing of electrical and electronic components and equipments; Chemical processes and manufacture of plastics items and the Manufacturing of scientific equipment, among others High Technologies; in this process Biotechnology Processing and Products; Information & Communication technology (Hardware & Software) Space Technology Artificial Intelligence Robotics. In Emerging Technologies, Advance Materials; Nano Technologies; Laser Technologies and Others are used in the process. I used this medium to tasks
Bayelsans to inculcate the habit of invention, manufacturing and acquiring entrepreneurship skill in making conducive leaving standard and also becoming employers of labor.