Federal government on Thursday bemoaned the over 6 trillion spent on importation of goods and services that can be locally produced,declaring that Nigeria should not be seen as a dumping ground.Okechukwu Enelemah, Minister of Industry Trade and Investment said the federal government has been working tirelessly to ensure Nigeria is not a safehaven for importation of products that could be locally produced,stating that,’Never again shall Nigeria be a dumping ground for imported products’
According to Enelemah, everything possible will be done by government to ensure that the country does not become dumping ground, particularly for those goods that could be produced locally.
“In 2015 alone,over N6.7 trillion was spent on Importation of goods and services for whcih the nation can produce locally.N1.09 trillion was reportedly spent on imported foods and drinks,N1.5 trillion on spare parts;N123.01 billion on shoes and clothes,and N399 billion on household items”Aisha Abubakar,the Minister of state for Industry,Trade and Investment said at the National Press Launch of the Campaign for Patronage of Made-in-Nigeria Products held on Thursday in Abuja.
The minister also informed his audience that the federal government has been engaging the organised Private sector accordingly,to ensure that their concerns are adeqautely addressed.
He said,”The Presidential enabling business Council has been working assiduously to address bottlenecks for industrialists in the country.The MSME council has also been moving round the country to address challenges of the small scale industrialists.Business registration processes,access to finance,and registration of their business with agencies such as NAFDAC,SON are adeqautely being addressed.
Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information said the federal government would also expand the campaign for the made in Nigeria products to other parts of the country such as Kano,Aba,and other key commercial cities.
According to him,”The Present administration is keen on encouraging made in Nigeria products and services,and had gone a step further to address constraints by local industries throught the MSME clinics”
