Nigeria ‘s president, Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday pledged commitment to revamping the country’s poorly rated business environment as he urged the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) to partner with government on policies that would deliver the economy out of present acute challenges.
The President in his 44th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), on Thursday in Abuja assured on the Federal Government’s commitment in Partnering them in diversifying the economy through advancing the manufacturing sector and promoting a friendlier business environment.
Speaking on the key efforts of the Federal Government in revamping the economy,Buhari said,”The federal government’s strategic plan was to boost manufacturing activities in the country is supported by the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP) and the National Enterprises Development Programme (NEDEP).These programs, present a clear road map towards an industrialized Nigerian economy.
We are working on improving the patronage of locally made goods, bridging the gap between skills required by industry and those provided by our educational institutions and access to finance for our Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises (SMEs). We recognise that MAN and the other Organised Private Sector (OPS) groups are our key stakeholders in this journey and we will continue our engagement with you”The President said.
Also in his remarks,the President expressed high concerns that the dramatic fall in crude oil and other commodity prices has had a serious negative impact on world economies, especially countries like Nigeria which depended on one commodity for its export earnings,while also assuring of Federal government’s committed efforts in revamping the economy working with the Manufacturers.
According to him,”This Administration is convinced that the key to our quest for economic diversification and therefore survival lies in Agriculture and the Manufacturing sector”
While expressing confidence in capacity of a strong manufacturing sector in fast-tracking the economy,the President expressed high hopes that manufacturing sector will create more jobs and wealth for our people.
It will usher in sustainable economic prosperity because we will produce what we consume as a nation and generate foreign exchange by exporting any surplus”
While assuring on effective implementation of policies on the part of the government,Buhari said the government is focused on implementing necessary policies and strategies aimed at unleashing the full potentials of manufacturing in Nigeria.
Pledging further on Federal Government’s collaboration with MAN,he said, “We will rely heavily on your ideas and inputs at all stages of formulation and implementation of new industrial policies. For our part, we will remove bottlenecks and create a more business friendly environment.
Meanwhile,Frank Jacobs while commenting on the theme of the conference which is ‘Diversifying the Nigerian Economy: the Role of Government in Manufacturing’ said, MAN would continuously work with the Federal government to harness all the benefits the manufacturing sector avails to the Nigerian economy.
