The Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Uchechukwu Ogah, has appealed to business community in Nigeria to support Federal Government’s efforts with business ideas and strategies for sustainable rapid economic growth and development in Nigeria.
Ogah made the appeal while performing the closing ceremony of the 32nd Enugu international trade fair in Enugu recently, said that the Federal Government is currently developing regional mineral projects in the six geo – political zones of the country aimed at developing economic activities in the zones.
Ogah stated that the lead/zinc processing cluster located in Ebonyi State would be used to harness the abundant lead/zinc deposit in the State. while the barite processing cluster being developed in Cross-River State would meet the needs of the oil/gas sector and for export of Nigerian mined and processed barite.
He further noted that the Federal Government is funding the detailed exploration and development of Salt and limestone deposits in Ebonyi State for industrial purposes and as input material for local fertilizer production respectively.
He said that as his ministry ruminate on the very apt theme of 2021 Enugu International Trade Fair, which is “Promoting New Technologies, Business Ideas and Strategies for Rapid Economic Growth and Development in Nigeria” stakeholders, business community and investors in the zone are challenged to consider the following opportunities as their contributions for the economic development of the country.
“New technological solutions using the abundant talented human capital in the zone;
Coal for efficient Power generation and other industrial uses ,Virile Cement industry supported by available raw materials and market base;
Petrochemical industry companies with natural gas line extension into the zone;
Mechanised agro-business ventures to meet local needs and for export purposes”
According to the minister all these indices must be supported by a conducive business climate devoid of incessant criminal activities and insecurity to thrive.
He commended the leadership of Enugu international trade Fair for their indomitable spirit to organise this year’s Fair in spite of the daunting challenges of the second wave of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
“These are not easy times, but economic activities must go on. So, I have no doubt in my mind that our exhibitors, entrepreneurs, investors, consumers and indeed all members of the business community that attended this Fair must have reaped bountifully the enormous opportunities showcased on this platform” he noted.
” It is a valid proposition that challenging times provide opportunities for innovation, new thinking and new ways of doing things the pervasive economic disruptions induced by the COVID-19 epidemic since last year have challenged nations to innovate the way forward”.
Ogah said that some counties are adopting ways to survive the challenging global economic disruptions by evolution , fostering of the industrial sector through innovations in the digital economy.
According to him the Federal Government has remained resolute in providing the necessary buffers to stabilize and grow the economy using new ideas and strategies using diversification agenda on two key sectors of Agriculture and Solid mineral developments”
Nevertheless the Bishop of Enugu Ecclesiastical Provence Emmanuel Chukwuma said that the poor condition of the Enugu international trade Fair has contributed to the low attendance of the participants.
He therefore call on the federal and and south East governors to construction the trade fair ground to look like those ones built in Lagos and Kaduna.
Chukwuma challenged the South Eastern governors to pull resources together and developed the trade Fair in Enugu for the interest of the people, he wondered why South East governors are not attending the Enugu fair or take it serious despite the fact that the people of south east are fully in commerce all over the world.
