The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Evelyn Ngige has stated that major economies, particularly in today’s developed world are driven by the industry, trade, and investment sectors.
She made the observation at the opening of the 14th Meeting of the National Council on Industry, Trade and Investment (NCITI) holding at Command Guest House, Bauchi.
The Permanent Secretary said that “We must therefore redouble our efforts towards turning our industry, trade, and investment sectors into the main engine of growth of the national economy for the common prosperity of all Nigerians”.
According to her, “The first step towards this end, is to recommit ourselves to delivering on all decisions and resolutions reached during this Council Meeting for the development of this all-important sector, which has the potential to deliver the greatest good to the national economy and all Nigerians”.
Evelyn Nigige said that “As of this morning, the Council Secretariat has received well over 70 Memoranda from various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies for deliberations and consideration”.
“I want to therefore urge us to thoroughly examine these Memoranda with a view to making appropriate recommendations that will further strengthen the sector to deliver economic growth and development through industrialization and increase investment in the local economy for employment generation and wealth creation”, She added.
Speaking further, She said, “as you are aware, the National Council on Industry, Trade and Investment is the highest Policy Advisory Body in the sector, under the Chairmanship of the Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment”.
“The main purpose of the Council meeting is to brainstorm, strategize, deliberate, and recommend policies and programmes aimed at addressing challenges facing the sector”, she added.
The Permanent Secretary also said that “This Council could therefore not have been held at a better time than now when efforts are being made by the current Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to diversify the economy from its present overdependence on the oil and gas sector”.
According to her, “In the next two days, our job here as Technical Officials will be to deliberate on all the Memoranda received and recommend appropriate decisions for presentation and consideration by the Ministerial Council on Thursday, 10th November 2022”.
Evelyn Ngige stressed that “It is important to note that decisions reached by the Council will be escalated for the consideration of the Federal Executive Council, after which the implementation of the decisions will be coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment”.
She concluded by saying, “On this note, I urge us all to remain positively committed and engage meaningfully in order to achieve the aim of this meeting, which is to entrench a viable industry, trade, and investment sector for Nigeria’s robust and sustainable national growth and development”.
Earlier in her opening remarks, Bauchi State Commissioner of Commerce and Industry, Dr. Zainab Baban Takko said that the State has keyed into numerous Federal Government Programme
initiatives bordering on Commerce Industry and Investment.
She added that the present administration in its desire to promote commercial activities in the State and to derive economic and development benefits, the 1st Bauchi National Trade Fair in 2019 and 2020 in collaboration with the Bauchi State Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (BACCIMA).
The Commissioner said that “Due to the enormous success recorded by the fair, the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment approved the upgrading of the status of the Bauchi Trade Fair complex to International Standard. This was a great source of joy to the Government and people of Bauchi State and an encouragement to us to do more in this regard”.
She also said that “It is worthy to note that Bauchi State was the first to implement the decision of the Presidential Committee on African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCTA). As you all know, (AFCTA) is a Federal Government policy which was signed and ratified by fifty-four (54) African Countries, including Nigeria”.
She explained that “The Presidential Committee was formed to enlighten stakeholders (public and private sectors) on the immense trade business opportunities that AFCTA presents and to mobilize them for participation in the market”.
“In its drive to revolutionize agriculture from the traditional subsistence practice to a modern, scientific-based, commercial and profit-driven activity, Bauchi State Government has keyed into the Nigerian Agribusiness and Agro-industry Development Initiative (NAADI) policy”, She added.
According to her, “The Government of Bauchi State sees NADDI as an important initiative meant to escalate entrepreneurship in the agribusiness space and support the growth of agro-allied industries that rely on raw materials from the agricultural sector”.
Zainab Baban Takko added that “We are working through this initiative to expand domestic production of agricultural output, strengthen the value chain in the sector, promote industrial linkages and export production”.
She assured that “All required support and logistics were provided by the Government for the programmed take-off of the programme (NADDI) which was officially commissioned by the Honourable Minister of State, Ambassador Maryam Yalwaji Katagum on the 5th July 2021. The office has since. commenced operation”.
The Commissioner concluded that “Bauchi State Government, through the Ministry of Commerce and Industry is saddled with the responsibilities of policy initiation, promoting, coordinating, regulating and implementing government-approved policies, strategies and goals with respect to facilitating the growth of Industry, Trade, and Investment flow to Bauchi State”.
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