Abdullahi Mustapha, the director-general of the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), has called on the organised private sector to invest in producing and commercialising indigenous technologies to improve the nation’s GDP.

Speaking on Wednesday in Abuja, Mr Mustapha made the call ahead of the upcoming 2024 Technology and Innovation Expo, which will be held in Abuja from March 11 to 15.

The director-general urged Nigerian investors to refrain from buying foreign technologies and to endeavour to visit the expo ground and check out sample indigenous technologies that would be on display.

“We have good technologies produced indigenously, that is why we are promoting the same for the investors to come and invest heavily,’’ he said.

Mr Mustapha expressed the agency’s readiness to showcase its breakthrough research at the expo.

“I use this opportunity to call on Nigerians to come to the expo ground and witness for themselves our research which is of international standard.

“We are looking at how the temperature will be because we intend to showcase some calves we have been breeding and their capacity to produce more milk,’’ he said.

According to him, NABDA will also display the newly commercialised genetically modified maize, Tela maize, biotech (Bt) cowpea(beans), their optimised bio-digesters, and COVID-19 test kits, all products of research.

He added that the expo would give the agency the opportunity to showcase its improved fisheries, which would be displayed in a band well decorated to carry different types of fish that were being bred.

(NAN)