‘The Federal Ministry of Science and Technology should be mandated to ensure strict compliance with the order. Ministry, Department and Agencies of Government that fail to comply with the Executive Order should be sanctioned accordingly.’
Ostensibly bothered by non-commitment of branches of government to the success of the Made-In-Nigeria Goods project backed by Mr President’s Executive Orders 003 and 005 issued in 2017, the President of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria Engr. Mansur Ahmed, on Monday October 17, called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to sanction erring MDAs.
Ahmed was speaking at the 3-Day Made-in-Nigeria Exhibition being part of the activities to mark MAN 50th Annual General Meeting (AGM).
Engr. Ahmed argued: “The Federal Ministry of Science and Technology should be mandated to ensure strict compliance with the order. Ministry, Department and Agencies of Government that fail to comply with the Executive Order should be sanctioned accordingly.
“It is worthy of note that President Muhamadu Buhari has consistently maintained that Nigerians should consumed what they produce and produce what they consume. This three-day exhibition therefore is a demonstration of the capacity of the Nigerian manufacturing sector to produce what they consumed. What is left is for Government and Nigerians to consume what we produce.”
For him, to grow the economy, create jobs and increase contribution to government revenue, the manufacturing sector must be supported to scale production through increase capacity utilization and adequate patronage.
“On our part, I want to assure you that the Manufactures Association of Nigeria and the sector as a whole will raise to the occasion and ensure that its builds on the existing capacities and continue to improve on the quality and competiveness of its product.”
Said He: “You would recall that MAN has in the past four years organized this exhibition in furtherance of its patronage of Made-in-Nigeria campaign. The Executive Order 003 and 005 exemplified the commitment of the Federal Government of Nigeria to grow domestic production through the patronage of locally produced goods.”
Engr Ahmed believes the backward integration that manufacturers are currently involved in will help bring down cost of production that makes our goods uncompetitive in the market. He said our automobile manufacturing companies who bring in complete knocked down parts for local assembly should source some of their parts locally, citing that plastics, glass, etc, can be sourced locally.
