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• Says FG attracts $30b investment commitments, to create job centres nationwide
From Adetutu Folashade-Koyi and Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, on Friday, said that Nigerians would soon begin to see and feel the fruit of the actions and policies of the Federal Government geared towards revamping of the economy.
The minister stated this in Abuja, during the ministerial briefing organised by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, to inform Nigerians about the activities of government in different sectors of the economy.
She said that efforts are on to improve on the ease of doing business in Nigeria, by providing conducive environment for private sector operators to thrive, thus creating jobs and wealth across the path.
“Undoubtedly, risk of investment and business in Nigeria is higher than expected. Nevertheless, the government is determined to improve on what was met,” she noted.
She said the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has attracted investment commitments of about $30billion. She also said very soon the government will create job centres nationwide to address unemployment.
But she faulted claims that some multinational companies have been divesting from the country. She said Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) was not leaving Nigeria but it is instead expanding its investment in the Oil and Gas sector. To boost the economy, she said the Federal Government has mandated the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to “start 24-hour online registration of businesses.”
“We are working on improving the manpower needs of these foreign companies and other local ones, in line with the skill needs of the 21st century work environment. The youths are being re-skilled and up-skilled to tackle issue of unemployment and underemployment”
She described the decision of the President to remove fuel subsidy as a bold step that only a leader with good intentions could take to salvage the economy of Nigeria from imminent collapse.
She confirmed the launch of Nigerian Trade Policy 2023-2027, which is geared at stimulating the domestic economy by connecting Nigerian SMEs to the global value chain, thereby ensuring that Nigerian businesses have the capacity to be globally competitive. She announced that the Ministry of Industry will soon launch the National Trade Intelligence Unit in collaboration with other MDAs, that will serve as national coordinator and focal point for all trade related data and information in Nigeria. Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, in his remarks, explained that the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, is critical to the economic plans of the government.
“Its mandate is focused around six pillars of growth, which are; support and facilitation to improve ease of doing business; development of policies and reforms; increased access to financing; increased access to global markets; driving investments; and job creation which all play a significant role in the delivery of President’s eight-point agenda.”
