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From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
The House of Representatives Committee on Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring has restated the Federal Government’s commitment in encouraging local manufacturers towards sustainable economic growth in the country.
The House Committee Chairman, Hon. Boma Goodhead, made the disclosure in Onitsha, Anambra State during the weekend when she led a delegation of the committee members on an oversight function to Zobis Cables Nigeria Limited, at its factory site.
Goodhead expressed deep satisfaction with the remarkable industrial strides recorded by the cable manufacturing company and its adherence to the principles of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act, through deployment of modern production technologies, and its ambitious drive toward value addition and import substitution.
She said, “Our oversight visit today reaffirms that Nigeria has what it takes to produce world class industrial materials locally, and to meet the technical demands of oil and gas, energy, and construction sectors. What we have witnessed in Zobis Cable is a strong demonstration of Nigerian ingenuity, technical excellence, and commitment to national industrial growth.
“The scale of investment here shows that indigenous manufacturers are ready to compete globally if given the right policy support, visibility, and access to oil and gas value chain.”
The federal lawmaker noted that what is happening in Zobis Cable aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s renewed national drive for industrial transformation through the Presidential Directives on Nigeria First Goods and Services initiative.
“The president has made it clear that under his administration, all ministries, departments and agencies, particularly those in oil and gas, power and manufacturing sectors, must prioritize the patronage of locally manufactured goods and services as a strategic path to sustainable economic growth, job creation and technological self-reliance.
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“The House Committee fully supports this presidential vision and will continue to provide the legislative muscle and oversight framework needed to ensure its full implementation across Nigeria’s industrial ecosystem.
“This visit is, therefore, part of our legislative mandate to promote, monitor and strengthen local content participation nationwide. By shining a spotlight on companies like Zobis Cable, we are sending a clear message: the era of dependency on imported cables and electrical materials must give way to a new phase of Nigerian industrial self-reliance and home-grown technological advancement.”
Goodhead assured Zobis Cable and other indigenous manufacturers that the National Assembly would continue to provide the necessary legislative and policy backing to enhance local production, attract further investment, and ensure that Nigerian products receive due recognition and patronage from major operators and regulators in the oil and gas industry.
Also speaking, the Anambra State Commissioner for Industry, Mr. Christian Udechukwu, expressed the delight and satisfaction of the state government with what Zobis Cable is doing in the state, adding that the Soludo administration is proud of the state’s industrial capacity. He added that Anambra is expanding its industrial policies and industrial development base.
Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer of Zobis Cable, Mr. John Ezeobi, identified paucity of funds as a major hindrance to manufacturing in Nigeria.
He said that local manufacturers need government assistance in the area of funding so that manufacturers could beat so many hindrances in the business. He also said that with adequate funding, every manufacturer could have the capacity to generate electricity to move on with production without any hindrance.
The industrialist also hinted that with adequate funding, local manufacturers could bring down prices of cables as a way of discouraging importation and encouraging local manufacturing.
He thanked the House Committee on Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring for the visit, and further expressed that such visit would afford local industries such as Zobis Cables, the opportunity to acquaint themselves with companies in the oil and gas sector that could patronize local products such as cables and electrical materials, instead of importing them from abroad and patronizing substandard products.
