WE SHOULD ENSURE SUPPORT TO STAMP OUT SUBSTANDARD GOODS-Dangote.

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  Story by Dili Utomi.TT

• The business end of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria’s 50th annual general meeting came to an end on Tuesday with papers presented by various industry bigwigs.

The president and chief executive officer of the Dangote group, Aliko Dangote, GCON presented a paper titled “Agenda Setting For Industrializing Nigeria In The Next Decade”. In the paper introduction, Mr. Dangote noted that “No country in the world has ever industrialized or attained developed nation status without having a thriving manufacturing sector. Without a doubt, manufacturing is the heartbeat of industrialization and the bedrock for inclusive economic growth and development. Consequently, any journey towards industrialization must place strong emphasis on creating an enabling environment for manufacturing”. He concluded by saying that there is a need for governments at all tiers to ensure that they consult widely with relevant stakeholders when taking for reaching decisions in key sectors of the economy. Industrialization driven by manufacturing, posseses the capacity to facilitate enduring economic growth. The transition mechanism entails the availability of required resources, adoption of appropriate technology, provision of favourable operating environment, human capital development, stable macroeconomic environment and adequate infrastructure. With the collective efforts of all stakeholders, it is feasible to move Nigeria from “developing nation” to “newly industrialized nation” status within the next ten years.

Many industry personalities participated in the AGM, a question was asked Mr. Dangote about the vexatious issue of substandard goods and the CEO answered that the problems should be tackled at the level of the importer as government should not be chasing retailers all around. He said that there should be concerted efforts by all to stamp out the menace of substandard goods. Mr. Dangote added that we must as a matter of industrial survival, stamp out the smuggling of goods into the the country.

The president of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Eng. Mansur Ahmed in his closing remarks said that though all the recommendations in the blueprint for industrial development have not been implemented by the government over the past ten years, but another one called the blueprint 2.0 better known as “The Blueprint For The Accelerated Development Of Manufacturing In Nigeria” is launched to give clearer direction on the way forward in our quest for proper industrialization of the country.

In a goodwill message by the president of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, he noted that the programme timing conflicts with the ministerial retreat currently happening in Abuja and would not be able to attend, but sends the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria “Warm regards and wishes” and a successful election in their quest to elect new crops of leaders.

There were exhibitions of different goods by the participating companies at the various stands at the Oriental hotel hall of the trade fair section. One of the participating companies is the Sona group of industries which comprises of nine different manufacturing companies. The group’s chairman and chief executive officer, Mr. Arjan K. Mirchandani spoke about the multiple chains of the Sona group in creating industrial raw materials for other industries which is exactly what a large part of the Sona group does. He also detailed his passion for agriculture as a huge source of industrial raw materials and for various goods.

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