VP CALLS ON STATES AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO PATRONISE MADE IN NIGERIA GOODS
The Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has made a call to state governments and Federal Government to patronise made in Nigeria goods. The call was made at the mega Nationwide MSMEs clinic held at the Eagle Square Abuja. He stated that Nigeria has arrived at a stage where it needs to be self reliant and the only way this can be achieved is when we patronize made in Nigeria goods and products.
He reiterated Governments commitment to boosting the activities of MSMEs as the drivers of this Made in Nigeria revolution. According to him, while going through the exhibition stands at the event, he came across young men and women who were producers and entrepreneurs creating products from what they have available. In his words “the future of our Country is in the hands of small businesses doing great things”.
The task for government, he said is to play its role of creating the enabling environment by developing and funding MSMEs through the intervention of relevant government agencies. He stated that government is taking the agencies to the MSMEs instead of MSMEs coming to the agencies so as to know their problems and there has been tremendous improvement to that effect on how these agencies are helping MSMEs find their feet.
According to the Vice President, Government agencies like NAFDAC, SON, CAC and Bank of Industry are a major feature of the MSMEs clinic which is currently going round all the states of the Federation, all in a bid to interact with MSMEs and have been directed along with others to interact with them and try to solve their problems.
Furthermore, the Vice President stated that to ensure that this is carried out seamlessly and to accentuate governments resolve in boosting the nation’s economy through small businesses, two executive orders were recently signed for the Ease of Doing Business and Local Content.
Accordingly, the Executive Order for the Ease of Doing Business has ensured that registration turnaround time with NAFDAC, SON and CAC has been greatly abridged and administrative costs greatly subsidized by up to 50%, while the Executive Order for Local Content has specified that States and the Federal Government patronize made in Nigeria goods and products . And to underscore this, the Nigerian Armed Forces are already in the forefront of patronizing made in Nigeria boots and fatigues.
The Vice President further revealed that One Stop Shops of all the relevant agencies will be set-up in all the states of the Federation to bring government intervention closer to those that need it the most in consonance with the Federal Government’s determination of knowing where SME’s are and knowing their needs and how to solve their problems.
Source: ISO
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