By Adeola Tukuru Abuja
Newly inaugurated Industrial Policy and Competitiveness Council was yesterday charged by the federal government to attract more investments in the nation’s manufacturing sector. Inaugurating the Council in Abuja , Acting President Yemi Osibanjo said the Council has the capacity to transform the economy,adding that the Federal Government will do all it can to ensure the implementations of its recommendations, Osinbajo, who will also chair the Council, challenged members to deliver on the objectives. According to him “We have a wonderful opportunity in this Council to make things happen.
It should not fail to deliver on its objectives,” Osinbajo said. On his part, the Vice Chairman of the Council (Public sector) and Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Okechukwu Enelamah, listed the objectives of the Council to include advising government on industrialisation policies, to provide platform for the private sector to express their views on investment issues, among others. Enelamah gave the terms of reference of the Council to include provide input for Nigerian trade agreement, provide feedback and give recommendations on government policies as well as track progress of projects in the industrial sector.
Speaking further, the minister expressed the unwavering commitment of the Federal Government to partner with the private sector to shore up industrialisation in the country. “Th e President want more things to be produced in this country and the only way to do that is through industrialisation,” Enelamah said. Also speaking, the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, who also doubles as Vice Chairman I of the Council (Private Sector) called on government to remove obstacles to business. He identifi ed frequent changes in government policies, poor infrastructures and poor power supply as major bane of the Nigerian industrial sector.
Members of the Council include minister of Power, Works and Housing; Babatunde Fashola, his counterparts in the ministries of Finance; Kemi Adeosun, State for Petroluem;Ibe Kachikwu, State for Industry, Trade and Investment (Vice chairman II public sector); Aisha Abubakar, Solid Minerals; Kayode Fayemi, Science and Technology; Ogbonnaya Onu. Agriculture; Audu Ogbeh, Budget and National Planning; Udoma Udo Udoma. Other include Peterside Atedo, Kola Jamodu, Fidelis Anyaebe, Innocent Chukwuma, Ado Mustapher, Stella Okoli, among others.
