PanNigerianNews 
By Sunday Ben
A world interdsciplinary scholar and professional, Dr Dayo Sobowale, has said that it is possible for Nigeria to achieve production of mobile phones, saying, however, that the country and wealthy Nigerians have not maximised opportunities in that regard.
Sobowale, an engineer, lawyer, entrepreneur and educationist, is the Head, Department of Computer Engineering, Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, NigeriaNigeria and earlier lectured at Federal Polytechnic Ede, Osun State, Nigeria.
While delivering his lecture titled “Leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Improved Productivity in Electrical and Electronic Engineering Practice” at the investiture of the 5th chairman of the Osogbo chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (NIEEE), Engr. Yisau Ayinla Odebowale, in Osogbo, Osun State recently, Sobowale called on the Federal Government to give priority to technological development that could lead to the production of Nigerian made mobile telephones.
He maintained that the Federal Government could sponsors about 20 people to advanced countries for trainings and see to the application of the trainings in Nigeria.
He called on the political class and the academia/researchers in the field of engineering to thread the technological path of producing mobile telephones.
Using the event’s Distinguished Guest of Honour and Deputy Minority Leader of the Senate, Sen. Akogun Lere Oyewumi, as a point of contact to the government, Sobowale revealed that the humongous billion of naira spent by wealthy Nigerians in building hotels and other companies are far more than the cost of procuring machines and materials that could produce mobile phones.
He said, “You see, the problems with Nigeria are enormous and could be tackled by proactiveness in the approaches to national development and technological advancement. Let our governemts send just 20 people for training in technooogically advanced countries and see if they won’t be able to prove mobile phones. It is only if they are unable to produce on their return that I would believe that production of phones in Nigeria is impossible.
“It is highly unheard of that many brilliant studies by engineering scholars, and others, end up wasted on the shelves. In this area, there has been breakthrough between the town and gown. This country is blessed with many brains who could turn her story to glory.
“Have our successive governments ever asked on the ways to achieve production of mobile phones in Nigeria? The machines and other materials that could be used to produce phones are not as costly as amount spent by our billionaires in building big hotels running into billion of naira.
“It, therefore, high time the governments of Nigeria and our states strategised in this area.
“Let the governments try this and see if good results would come afterwards. And I am confident that there will be breakthrough in this.”
In his remark, Sen. Oyewumi, who was fascinated by the position of Sobowale, hinted that the Nigeria’s problem is not leadership, but the system itself.
Oyewumi thanked the organisers of the event and the guest lecturer, promising that he would take the position of Sobowale to the National Assembly and the Federal Government, at large.
