Onu restates FG commitment to promote made in Nigeria products

Uyo – Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, the Minister of
Science and Technology on Thursday restated
the commitment of the ministry to promote the
patronage of made in Nigeria products and
services.
Onu said this while declaring open a two-day
dialogue and sensitisation programme with
stakeholders on the promotion of made in
Nigeria products in Uyo, Akwa Ibom.
“The Federal Ministry of Science and Technology
is indeed committed to ensuring that we
patronise made in Nigeria products and
services,” he said.
He said that the ministry had produced a road
map that would create a synergy with the Civil
Society of Organisations (CSOs) for the growth of
the country.
Onu said that several investors had shown
interest to invest in the products and services
that would encourage Made in Nigeria products.
He said that the ministry would partner with
CSO coalition to inform Nigerians to support and
ensure patronage of indigenous products and
services.
“The CSO is very dynamic in the country, we
want to work with you through your
representative NGO network.
“Please always attend to us and always support
us to promote made in Nigeria products and
services, ” he said.
Onu was represented at the occasion by Mr E. J
Udoh, the Director, Science and Technology
Promotion, Federal Ministry of Science and
Technology.
According to him, the ministry will host the
second Technology and Innovation Expo in
Abuja in March 2018.
He urged the CSOs to bring entrepreneurs into
production and services that would promote
made in Nigeria products during the expo.
Dr Lanre Adebayo, the Director General, Centre
for Applied Policy and Social Advocacy (CAPSA),
Abuja, said that Nigeria was importing almost
everything before the present government came
to power.
He said that Nigeria imported N67 trillion worth
of raw materials in the past 10 to 15 years.
“But when this government came on board one
of the things it did was to reverse this trend by
coming up with economic, growth and recovery
plan,” he said.
He said that so far, the plan was successfully
reversing the trend where Nigerians import
virtually everything.
Adebayo said that if this plan was sustained, the
government would revive the economy to
eventually bring about growth in the country.
“Government hopes to revive the economy by
seven per cent and it is also one of the means
to take the country out of recession.
“Our proposal is to dialogue and sensitise
ourselves on promotion of made in Nigeria
products,” he said.
He said that when we promote made in Nigeria
products, it would save our foreign exchange.
Mr Udo Ekpenyong, the State Commissioner for
Local Government and Chieftaincy, said that
President Mohammadu Buhari’s administration
had encouraged businesses to thrive.
Ekpenyong, represented by Mr Godwin Inyeng,
Senior Special Assistant to the Commissioner,
expressed optimism that the recession would be
over before the end of year 2017.
He said that Nigeria needed proper legislative
framework to protect local producers and
encouragement through patronage in the coming
years.
Inyeng said the law, when put in place would
attract a lot of of benefits to the Nigerian
economy including better employment
opportunities and poverty alleviation.
He said that the law would also offer the much
needed protection for local industries.
Posted in General news |