FG plans committee to drive industrial growth

John Enoh, Minister of State Industry, Trade and Investment, says the Federal Government will be setting up a multi-level stakeholders steering committee and workgroup which will aid intervention in addressing bottlenecks against industrial growth in the country.

The minister said the steering committee would his office and stakeholders synergise, identify and address pressing issues inhibiting industrial and Small Medium Enterprises (SME) growth across Nigeria.

The minister stated this on Wednesday in Lagos during an interactive session with industry stakeholders and the organised private sector.

Enoh said the country could not make meaningful progress if pressing challenges affecting the sector were not tackled while expressing optimism that the multi-level steering committee which would have him and the Manufacturing Association of Nigeria (MAN) president as co-chairmen, would identify and proffer solutions to challenges in the sector.

“The workgroup would have me and the MAN president as co-chairman and the members would cut across strategy players of the sector.

“I believe this workgroup would identify the challenges of the sector and provide answers, and solutions for industrial growth in Nigeria”.

“They would meet quarterly within the next three months. We must organise another meeting soon to see this workgroup and see the progress that can be made.

“The ministry calls for partnership between government and stakeholders and I’m calling for resilience”.

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Speaking further, the minister said there was a need for inter-ministries collaboration towards effective tackling of some of the pressing issues affecting trade and business growth in the country for meaningful results to be achieved.

“I have found out that a lot of the work in this sector leads to other sectors; there must be deliberation with other sectors, I mean inter-ministries sectors collaboration for the plans to work”.

Also speaking at the event, Francis Meshioye president of MAN, listed numerous challenges plaguing trade and manufacturing in the country, while lamenting epileptic power supply as one of the biggest challenges slowing down manufacturing.

He said there was an urgent need for investment in the power sector, saying that the current power companies failed to keep their promise to invest in equipment and improve power supply across Nigeria.

Ajayi decried multiple taxation of companies across the country and called for government policy to compel Nigerians to patronise products produced within the country.

Chairman of the organised private sector, Taiwo Adeniyi, appreciated the minister for the town hall meeting and pledged to work with him towards eliminating pressing challenges affecting trade and manufacturing in the country.