Govt to make locally produced goods more attractive

THE Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Olusegun Aganga, has disclosed Federal Government’s plan to make made in Nigeria goods and products attractive to local consumers in order to boost the economy.
   To achieve that, however, “we must ensure that what we produce locally have great standards that can attract local patronage. If you don’t patronise made in Nigeria goods, where will the job opportunities come from?”
   He said that henceforth, policies on industries would be backed with relevant legislation to make them enforceable just as the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) is collaborating with the ministry towards compliance with best practices in the manufacturing sector.

   Aganga, who spoke at the weekend during his pre-commissioning visit to the cold roll mill project of Kam Industries Nigeria Limited in Ilorin, said government has come up with its industrial revolution plan, “the most robust aspect of the plan is a policy with the ability to diversify our economy and revenue source.
   Under the plans, he said, the government would ensure that the locally produced goods are affordable without compromising standards, just as he stated that the enabler to continuously bankroll the established vehicle plant in Nigeria has been put in place in collaboration with the Ministry of Iron and Steel.
   Worried that 97 percent of consumed sugar in Nigeria is imported, Aganga said the vast arable land in the country has enough capacity to grow enough quantity of sugarcane for the nation’s consumption needs.
   Commissioner for Industry and Mineral Resources, who represented the Kwara State Government at the visit, said the state was dedicating electricity lines to industries in the state to boost industrial growth.