By Naomi Uzor
LAGOS — The Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, NACCIMA, Thursday, urged the Federal Government to give priority attention to the speedy realisation of the target of increasing power generation to 10,000 megawatt by 2012 and the expected 30,000 megawatt and above by 2020.

President of NACCIMA, Dr. Herb Ajayi, who briefed newsmen on the state of the country’s economy in Lagos, said: “The present state of power supply in the country has continued to constrain capacity utilisation in industries and also increased cost of doing business.”

On the energy situation, he said the chambers had received reports that the Federal Government had commenced action on the implementation of increase in the pump price of industrial fuel (LPFO), adding that they were not opposed to the deregulation policy, but concerned about the timing, when most businesses were struggling to survive using their  power generating sets.

“We want to appeal to government to make the existing refineries more efficient, commence the process of allowing private public participation  management in the sector, provide adequate incentives in the building and operation of more refineries and support industries, dialogue with the organised private sector  and other relevant sector stakeholders to address how to better handle the issue without causing more harm to business operators, especially the manufacturers and encourage the private sector to take advantage of refineries by-products for petrochemical production,” he said.

Ajayi added that priority attention should be given to rehabilitation of existing federal and inter-state roads, which  are in deplorable conditions and had become death traps and building of new ones to enhance the free flow of persons, goods and services to all parts of the country.