|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Ogbonnaya Onu, minister of Science and Technology, has applauded the ingenuity of Aba entrepreneurs, especially the shoe, belt, bag and garment makers, saying that the entire country is proud of the beautiful work they are doing in helping grow the country’s economy.
Onu made the commendation at the ‘2nd Validation workshop on National Leather and Leather Products Policy in Nigeria’, held at the Binez Hotel, Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State.
The minister in his keynote address observed that a well thought out policy on leather and leather products can create new window of opportunities that would help transform leather technology into a key element in the country’s drive to diversify the economy and stimulate self-reliance.
Onu, who was the 1st elected governor of the old Abia State, explained that Aba has made so much contribution to the socio-economic and political development of Nigeria and promised that his ministry and the Abia State Government would partner to promote science and technology in the State.
“For me, Aba represents fond memories of my tenure in office, some 26 years ago, more than a quarter of a century, as the first elected Governor of Old Abia State.
“I recall that it is in Aba that several talented young men and women arrived in the recent past and worked hard in trade, commerce and manufacturing and rose to become highly successful businessmen and women.
“This city tells the story of how the entrepreneurial spirit can fire the human capacity to overcome and succeed. Indeed, this city has produced so many billionaires, who started from the scratch, relying on their personal abilities and drawing strength from their unyielding resolve to defeat poverty. Though difficult in the beginning, but in the end, they succeeded,” he said.
“I am happy to say that Aba is Nigeria’s home of the use of leather. The legendary Made-in-Aba Shoes, sandals, slippers, hand bags, belts, among several other leather products, tell the story, load and clear that Aba is unarguably Nigeria’s leading centre of indigenous manufacture of finished leather products.
“Indeed, it is to the credit of this that virtually on a daily basis, several artisans create hundreds of thousands of products from leather in virtually all sectors of the formal and informal value chain, thereby helping to create stimulate growth in the economy. In the process, they create jobs, wealth and reduce poverty,” he further said.
According to Onu, “I have come to tell the people of Aba that Nigeria is proud of the beautiful work you are doing in helping grow our economy, by producing many of the things that we need here in Aba.
“You must also be proud of yourselves. You must be proud of what you do. Your products should carry the ‘Made-in-Aba’ label. Yes, some of people may not patronise you initially, but as the quality of your products continue to improve, the world will take notice of you. This will happen; it is only a matter of time. I want the world to know you and know Aba, the Enyimba city.”
He reiterated the appropriateness of the validation workshop holding at this time of the country’s development, which he observed would enable the country to sharpen and strengthen the processes that would enable it develop a sustainable leather products policy.
“Such a policy will help strengthen the objectives of the new National Science, Technology and innovative roadmap (2017-2030), by providing the enabling framework that will quicken Nigeria’s industrialisation process and also strengthen our capacity to convert our rich agricultural products into viable goods and services for both domestic consumption and export”.
GODFREY OFURUM, Aba
