PHCCIMA tasks government on entrepreneurship, local production

The Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (PHCCIMA) has urged government to intensify efforts towards encouraging entrepreneurship development and local production strategic plan a conscious effort towards economic stimulation, wealth creation and employment generation.

President of the Chamber, Dr. Emi Membere-Otaji, represented by the first deputy President, Chief Nabil Saleh, while speaking at the opening ceremony of the International Christian Business Exhibition and Conference IC-BEC 2017, in Port Harcourt, said Make in Nigeria is a direct invitation, with a promise of incentives to foreign investors and partners to set up manufacturing sets/base in Nigeria and make Nigeria their production hub.

Membere-Otaji in a statement, maintained that Make in Nigeria is a more direct message that Nigerian government is open for business as a country and to discourage capital flight.

According to him, in adopting a Make In Nigeria economic strategic plan, Nigeria is investing in an end game with a win-win outcome because it will promote home-made goods as a substitute for the imported good, and reduce pressure on foreign currency demand, which ultimately increases capacity and competitiveness for export earnings.

“Make in Nigeria effort will also reposition Nigeria as a producing economy in the medium to long term once power and other infrastructural support come on stream and also expand capacity for job creation and structured funding of new sectors that have grown without government support”, he said.

The PHCCIMA helmsman added that “efforts to encourage Make in Nigeria goods and development of entrepreneurs and enterprises has been part of the cardinal objective of Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce as an organization; we have contributed in no small measure in encouraging and mentoring business enterprises – supporting ventures and providing opportunities that has contributed in invigorating our local and national economy.

“PHCCIMA has been frontal in providing relevant business information, encouraging business linkages, and networking and facilitating foreign direct investments as part of value for our teeming membership”.

In his keynote presentation, Dr. Sam Ohuabunwa said Nigeria has underperformed in her 57 years of existence, adding that little wonder they are brandished the third most miserable economy in the world, with 75% poverty rate and ranked 152 on the world’s least human development index.

To address these concerns, he said the nation needs to identify entrepreneurship as capable of helping to reverse the trend, adding that government must take a critical step to engage in entrepreneurship development, research and global competitiveness.