…As group seeks clear industrial policy
Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has called on the Federal Government to focus on development of agriculture and manufacturing sectors to enable it create over 65 percent jobs needed in the country. The association has also urged the government to provide a comprehensive national industrial policy to boost the nation’s industrial sector.
Speaking at the maiden edition of the MAN Ikeja branch quarterly manufacturers’ consultative forum, Godwin Oteri, vice president, MAN, Lagos zone, explained that lack of national focus on agriculture and manufacturing had weakened the country’s ability to create jobs, stressing that agriculture and manufacturing could absorb 65 percent of the workforce in the nation.
“In terms of demand creation, a population of 150 million people is a strength that is weakened by the high poverty level 80 recent of the people live on less than $2 a day,” he stated.
Oteri added that there was no national or regional industrial policy that was well coordinated with the required linkages for the economy and wealth creation, as the country had not been able to develop strong linkages to other sectors with the investments on ground.
“We have also neglected Research and Development (R&D) through focus on science and technology, which is the mother of innovation. Corruption is very prominent in our national life and this has hampered our integrity, transparency and development of various institutions,” he lamented.
The MAN vice president added that no nation could survive without an industrial policy in place, saying there was no country in the world without an industrial policy except Nigeria, as “there is no industrial policy to focus and drive the various industrial sectors, as an industrial policy will focus and drive the various industrial sectors.”
According to him, an industrial policy creates a climate of collaboration and cooperation between the government and the private sector, and “this is what builds the linkages and the institutions with the states and the Federal Government actively committed to it.”
On the country’s investment climate, to him the investment climate reflects the totality of the economic, social and political climate of the country, and that in the global world, the investment climate is about the overall competitiveness, attractiveness and demand pool inherent in the country, alongside good linkages to other sectors and the emergence of strong institutions.
He, however, highlighted some of the major constraints in doing business in the country as land ownership and acquisition bottlenecks, lack of infrastructure, corrupt institutions, difficulty in accessing bank credits and high lending rates, and government policy inconsistency in content and execution.
Some other challenges include lack of skilled labour arising from low human capital development, multiple taxations, protection of patent and intellectual property rights and security to life, and property issues.
These constraints combine to make the cost of doing business very high in the country, but ease business operations for only the brave, he noted
By Austin Imholele
Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has called on the Federal Government to focus on development of agriculture and manufacturing sectors to enable it create over 65 percent jobs needed in the country. The association has also urged the government to provide a comprehensive national industrial policy to boost the nation’s industrial sector.
Speaking at the maiden edition of the MAN Ikeja branch quarterly manufacturers’ consultative forum, Godwin Oteri, vice president, MAN, Lagos zone, explained that lack of national focus on agriculture and manufacturing had weakened the country’s ability to create jobs, stressing that agriculture and manufacturing could absorb 65 percent of the workforce in the nation.
“In terms of demand creation, a population of 150 million people is a strength that is weakened by the high poverty level 80 recent of the people live on less than $2 a day,” he stated.
Oteri added that there was no national or regional industrial policy that was well coordinated with the required linkages for the economy and wealth creation, as the country had not been able to develop strong linkages to other sectors with the investments on ground.
“We have also neglected Research and Development (R&D) through focus on science and technology, which is the mother of innovation. Corruption is very prominent in our national life and this has hampered our integrity, transparency and development of various institutions,” he lamented.
The MAN vice president added that no nation could survive without an industrial policy in place, saying there was no country in the world without an industrial policy except Nigeria, as “there is no industrial policy to focus and drive the various industrial sectors, as an industrial policy will focus and drive the various industrial sectors.”
According to him, an industrial policy creates a climate of collaboration and cooperation between the government and the private sector, and “this is what builds the linkages and the institutions with the states and the Federal Government actively committed to it.”
He, however, highlighted some of the major constraints in doing business in the country as land ownership and acquisition bottlenecks, lack of infrastructure, corrupt institutions, difficulty in accessing bank credits and high lending rates, and government policy inconsistency in content and execution.
Some other challenges include lack of skilled labour arising from low human capital development, multiple taxations, protection of patent and intellectual property rights and security to life, and property issues.
These constraints combine to make the cost of doing business very high in the country, but ease business operations for only the brave, he noted
By Austin Imholele
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