By Samuel OYADONGHA

The just concluded third edition of the Practical Nigerian Content Conference held in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, provided the Federal Government the opportunity to renew the hope of the business community over its determination to fix the Nigerian economy by focusing on the implementation of the nation’s Industry Revolution Plan.

Minister of Trade, Industry and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga, who spoke at the event which attracted personalities from the international community, the nation oil and gas industry, the banking industry and other critical sectors of the economy, said the firm stance of President Goodluck Jonathan led  administration, is based on the need to boost economic growth and capacity of local industries in the country.

Dr. Olusegun Aganga, who was represented by the Director, Legal Services in the ministry, Ms. Uju Hassan Baba, explained that the plan which is a framework put in place by the President Goodluck Jonathan led administration was aimed at enhancing the capacity of local industries to boost economic growth.

According to him, the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan which is in line with the Transformation Agenda would encourage local industries to produce, thereby reducing the importation of goods and services into the country.

“We are passionate about this because we know that no nation has moved from being a poor to a rich nation by importing raw material without a strong industrial base.

“We know that we must nurture new industries supported by government incentives, until they grow strong enough to withstand international competition,” Dr Aganga explained.

The minister said the policy would focus on key sectors where Nigeria has comparative advantage such as agriculture and mining, as well as oil and gas, with priority given to local patronage to trigger industrialisation.

In a keynote address, Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State expressed the readiness of the state government to deepen the Nigerian content policy especially at the community level.

The governor whose message was delivered by the Deputy Governor of the State, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah (Rtd), however called for more involvement of people from oil bearing communities and states in the upstream and downstream sectors of the petroleum industry.

“You are all aware of the challenges oil bearing communities and states are exposed to. If you take statistics of the number of people who are involved in the various activities in oil and gas both in the upstream and downstream sector, you will discover that there is very low percentage involvement of the people of the oil producing area,” the governor said.

Earlier, the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Content Development Management Board, Mr. Ernest Nwapa, said the conference which has as its theme “Expanding Nigerian Content to Key Growth Industries: The Challenges and Opportunities’ was put together to seek practical ways of enhancing local participation in strategic areas of the nation’s economy.