Abuja – The Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) has called on local industrialists and other stakeholders in the manufacturing sector to step up production to boost the nation’s economy.

Mr Jude Igwe, the Chairman, Organising Committee for the forthcoming 11th Abuja International Trade Fair, gave the advice at a news conference on Tuesday.

The trade fair, with the theme “Make it Nigeria’’, is to begin on Sept. 22 and end on Oct 8.

Igwe blamed the nation’s economic challenges on the dwindling oil revenue which had resulted in rapid depletion of its foreign reserves to an all-time low.

According to him, the connection between the low revenue and depletion of existing reserves is the reliance on a sole product.

This, he said , had encouraged massive importation of goods and services to the detriment of local production of these goods.

“Experience has now shown that our economy can no longer be sustained by that and that is why the chamber has, after careful consideration, chosen the theme `Make it in Nigeria’ as very apt.

“We must make it in Nigeria if we must find our way out of the current economic challenges. There are no two ways,’’ Igwe said.

He said the chamber would support Federal Government’s programme aimed at diversifying revenue base of the economy.

According to him, “Make it in Nigeria’’ is a clarion call to government at all levels to do all they can to encourage the private sector.

He urged governments to enhance infrastructure in their respective jurisdictions to make it easy for the small and medium enterprises which were the engine of growth in any economy to thrive.

The Chamber President, Mr Tony Ejinkeonye, said the chamber had tripled security budget for the trade fair in spite of the fact that security situation in the country had improved.

Ejinkeonye, who said the foreign direct investment had improved, noted that investors would gain more owing to the current exchange rate of the naira to dollar.

He, however, said importers of goods might not find it easy to sell their owing devaluation of naira.