In line with the Federal Government’s push to buy, patronise and invest in locally made goods, Shoprite stores has opened an exhibition to showcase its goods which are now 80 per cent made in Nigeria.
Several entrepreneurs from across the country attended the exhibition which took place at the Ikeja City Mall.
Meanwhile, the management of Shoprite stated that they are committed to encouraging more production and patronage of indigenous products and booting SMSE’s in Nigeria.
As part of efforts to address the challenges of unemployment and increasing internal insecurity Nigeria is faced with, Professor Oculi has advised the Federal Government to device ways to creatively engage the nation’s youths.
This was according to a Professor of Political Economy from Uganda, Professor Okello Oculi, while delivering a lecture at the Institute of Security Studies in Abuja.
He said the increasing number of youths engaged in road side hawking are potential tools in the hands of aggrieved politicians.
He therefore opined that engaging them more creatively would enhance productive ventures that would further increase the nation’s wealth.
On the sidelines, Mr Oculi advised the Federal Government to aggressively promote the culture of patronizing ‘made in Nigeria’ goods, as a means of reviving the manufacturing sector and also creating massive employment opportunities for Nigerian youths.
Economic Recession
In the face of the current economic recession, the nation has seen an increase in criminal activities over the last couple of months, as a number of youths in the society, have been engaged in various vices as a means of sustaining themselves.
With various experts, political as well as economic leaders, throwing up various suggestions on how to reflate Nigeria’s economy, the nation hopes to overcome the situation in short while.
In a conference that recently took place in Abuja, a lack of political will, to develop the manufacturing sector of the economy, was one of the major reasons
pointed out for the recession.
Prior to that, many leaders have continuously harped on the need for the government to explore the manufacturing as well as private sectors.
While some have said that the recession may linger over the next couple of years, if the captains of the economic team fail to re-evaluate Nigeria’s economic policies, the IMF on the other hand, predicts that Nigeria could be out of recession by 2017
This analysis which was contained in the October issue of the World Economic Outlook released by the IMF, gave the government as well as Nigerians a ray of hope while working towards national development.
A body of textile workers has kicked against the reduction of the 18,000 Naira minimum wage by some state governors in Nigera.
The governors’ plan, which was as a result of lack of funds, was criticised by the National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria on Wednesday in Kadanu State.
Speaking after the group’s Central Working Committee meeting, the General Secretary of the union, Issa Aremu, questioned why the State governments could not pay workers’ salaries while past governors left office with huge severance packages and pensions.
Commending President Muhammadu Buhari’s intervention in ensuring that workers’ salaries across the states were paid, the textile workers maintained that any governor that was not willing to pay the 18,000 Naira minimum wage had no business to remain in office since the paramount responsibility of any leader was to serve the people effectively.
They also urged President Buhari to embrace holistic implementation of the Textile Policy, as contained in the National Industrial Revolution Plan, stating that the textile industry remains a critical plank for addressing the current unemployment challenge in Nigeria.
While calling on the government to create enabling environment for the survival of the manufacturing sector, the union stressed the need for proper integration of sustainable industrial policy development for policy coherence between the different arms of government.
They urged the State governments to compliment the Federal Government’s efforts by initiating bold industrial policies such as provision of infrastructure, granting of genuine tax incentives and patronage of ‘made in Nigeria’ products to revive closed factories within their localities .
