Bimbola Oyesola
The Federal Government yesterday, said it saved over 60 percent of jobs hitherto lost to outsourcing of raw materials for the cement and sugar industries outside the country.
According to the government, most of the raw materials for the production of sugar and cement are now sourced locally, saving Nigeria huge foreign exchange and jobs for the citizens.
Speaking on importance of the forthcoming 4th Edition of the Nigeria Manufacturing Expo (NME) and the 5th Edition of the Nigerian Raw Materials Expo (NIRAM) of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) scheduled to hold from Tuesday, March 12th through Thursday, March 14th, 2019 in Lagos, President of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Engr. Mansur Ahmed and the Director General of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Dr. Zainab Hamanga, explained that Nigeria’s backward integration efforts were beginning to yield positive results.
The MAN President said the Federal Government’s policy perspective 005 which was geared towards improving local raw materials has been well imbibed by many manufacturers in the country.
“Before now, our sugar manufacturers imported all their raw materials from abroad, but now three of the sugar companies have acquired expanse of land and are now into cultivation of sugar cane which is the main raw material for sugar”, he said.
He noted that the same goes for cement, which Nigeria presently has achieved 100 percent local provision and now exporting to other African countries.
Mansur said through local sourcing, the manufacturing sector has been able to increase its contribution to the nation’s GDP.
He said, “We are now seeing greater growth from non -oil sector than before. More than 60 percent of jobs were being lost to other countries when we imported sugar materials. But now, it means we are bringing back those jobs.
“In the same vein, we have achieved more than 400 percent success in local production of rice in the last three years.”