The Federal Government has said it is set to support serious local investors and producers of high quality marble and granite products in order to scale up their production.
Abubakar Bawa Bwari, minister of state for mines and steel development, stated this Tuesday during a tour of OFL Fujian Stones Marble and Dimension Stones factory in Mararaba, Nasarawa State, according to a statement issued Thursday by Olayinka Oyebode, special assistant on media to Kayode Fayemi, the minister of mines and steel development.
Bwari, who was at the company as part of the nation-wide tour of mining sites and host communities said government was impressed not only by the high quality of the company’s products but also in its capacity to contribute to significant reduction in the country’s importation of about four to five million square meters of granite products annually.
“We have been giving all our local investors moral support, we want to start giving them financial support, to enable them increase their capacity and productivity. This is a good example, we can attest to the significant progress this company has made since our first visit last year,” he said.
The minister assured that many of such “serious investors” would benefit from the Federal Government’s N30 billion intervention fund, as well as from the World Bank loan, once they apply and meet all requirements.
“Through this we hope to bridge the importation gap and work towards self sufficiency,” he noted.
The minister also urged the company to ensure that Nigerian workers in the company are well trained and positioned to become experts in the field, thereby reducing overdependence on expatriates.
Makoji Aduku, managing director/CEO of Fujian Stones, attributed the success of the company to the enabling environment created by the ministry of mines and steel development for local investors and mining operators.
He also appreciated the sincerity of the Chinese partners who brought in state of the art technology and machinery and a well trained workforce which, he said, could replace the expatriates in the near future.
Aduku said the company was projecting a million square meter production mark in the nearest future, and solicited government patronage of their stones, which he described as among the best in the world.
He noted that the company is now investing on its indigenous workforce to ensure knowledge transfer which would also aid their future expansion plans.
Aduku lauded the present “Buy-Made-in-Nigeria campaign” of the Federal Government, which he said the ministry of mines and Steel Development was championing.
He said the campaign has also helped to boost patronage of locally produced dimension and industrial stones.
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