Phillip Eke

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 in YENAGOA, ,exerpt

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 N
700, 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.