Government will continue to promote made in Nigeria goods, says Saraki

Government’s efforts at promoting local manufacturing got a boost on Monday as a trade fair showcasing made in Aba products dominated business activities in Abuja.

Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu who presided over the opening ceremony disclosed that there are 15,000 shoemakers in Aba, who produce 300,000 shoes per day, while one million of those shoes find their ways to Europe and other parts of the world on a weekly basis. The exports are estimated at about N1 billion weekly.

The governor said the state is happy that Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has approved the garment making industry of the made in Aba sector.The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, represented by Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah said that the Senate would continue to do everything to promote made in Nigeria goods.

He said that the Senate had taken it upon itself from last year to amend the Procurement Act to ensure the local manufacturers benefit from the over N2 trillion government expenditure on procurement.

“On our part, we in the Nigerian Senate, and the National Assembly will continue to do everything within our mandate and powers to ensure that our domestic manufacturers and service providers have the enabling environment that they need to thrive,” Saraki said.

Na’Allah said that “If there is anytime Nigeria needs the Igbos, it is now.”According to the Senator, the ingenuity of the Igbos have enhanced Nigeria’s production capacity over the years.

Initiator of the fair, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who represents Abia South Senatorial District was happy that the idea was spreading across the country like wide fire adding that it was a no go area in 2013 when he floated the idea.

He thanked the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (SMEDAN) for remaining steadfast to the idea of promoting made in Nigeria, just as he encouraged other lawmakers to situate their zonal intervention projects in SMEDAN.

Director General of SMEDAN, Dr. Dikko Umar Radda, said that small and medium enterprises are responsible for 84 per cent of the Nigerian labour workforce.