By Okechukwu Enelamah,   Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment

Guided by the core plan of the Ministry,key achievements recorded within the last two years include

Creating an Enabling Environment for Industry, Trade and Investment in Nigeria.

In order to ensure requisite environment for Industry, Trade & Investment in the country, the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) was inaugurated by the President on July 2016 with the aim of removing the constraints and bottlenecks in doing businesses in Nigeria and moving Nigeria up in the World Bank Ease-of-Doing Business Ranking. The Vice-President is the Chairman of PEBEC and I as the Vice-chair.

The Ease of Doing Business Secretariat identified certain areas including the entry and exit of natural persons into Nigeria and the expedited (ease of) export, as the immediate priority reforms for focus. It has completed the 60-day National Action plan on these reforms, some of which relate to visa on arrival, airport infrastructure, consolidated arrival and departure forms among others.

Okechukwu Enelamah, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment

Also the Cooperate Affairs Commission, one of the Parastatals of the Ministry, commenced the process of speedy registration of Companies through online platforms and the external hosting of the Company Registration Portal (CRP) to ensure seamless operation of the Company registration portal. The Commission has also successfully commenced the electronic stamping of incorporation documents to update the CRP to include e-stamping interface and the decentralization in 7(seven) Start-to-Finish Offices via Fibre Optic Links. This is to achieve uniformity in service delivery period of 24 hours registration across the country.

Again, conducive policy environment for business and industries through incentives was developed and a culture of responsive and supportive services to entrepreneurs, MSME and investors through National Industrial Development Programme (NIDP) and NEDEP was instituted as well as provision of job creation in the manufacturing sector with the provision of business development services.

The industrial revolution plan

Under the implementation of the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan, (NIRP), the Nigeria Industrial Policy & Competitiveness Advisory Council, (Industrial Council) chaired by the Vice President was established to deliver the goals of the National Economic Recovery and Growth Plan and NIRP by assisting Government in formulating policies and strategies for accelerating the country’s industrialization Programme.

As part of our achievements, we have also recorded the commencement of production of Brown Sugar by Golden Sugar Company in Sunti, Niger State as well as increase in Sugar production from 6,000 metric tonnes to 12,000 metric tonnes by Savannah Sugar, Numan, Adamawa State.

MITI in collaboration with other relevant ministries developed a new tomato policy to increase local production of fresh tomato fruit required for fresh fruit consumption and processing; increase local production of tomato concentrate and reduce post-harvest losses.

Apart from the registration of 22 Automotive Assembly Plants in Nigeria including Honda, Tata, Coscharis Auto, Kewalram, Charai, Perfections, and Aston Motors, Century(Toyota), Higher, Leventis, Belben; securing Integrated Textile and Garment Parks(ITGP) for use of 30-39 Textile and Garment Plants throughout the Federation and Championing the Cause of Nigeria’s MSME’s as a means of creating jobs and achieving inclusive growth are part of our success story.

Considering the important role of MSME development as the bedrock of industrialization in Nigeria, the Vice President in April, 2017, inaugurated the National Council on Micro Small & Medium Enterprises (NCMES).

The Council, chaired by the Vice President and assisted by the Honourable Minister (MITI) coordinates the activities of all stakeholders in both the private and public sectors and guides in the formulation of broad policies and strategies to drive the holistic development of the MSMES sub-sector in Nigeria. In that regard, the achievements include: i. Implementation of the One-Local Government, One Product (OLOP) Programme which is expected to generate over 4,900 new jobs; ii. Implementation of the National Enterprises Development Programme(NEDEP), aimed at generating 1,000,000 jobs annually and more than 19,000 youths across the country trained; iii. Upgrading of Industrial Development Centres (IDCs), through a grant from the African Development Bank(ADB) for conversion to MSMEs cluster parks; iv. Implementation of the Nationwide MSMES Clinics which started in Aba in January, 2017; v. The GEM (Growth and Employment) initiative in collaboration with the World Bank has taken off.

The GEM initiative allowed the identification of 23 IDAs (Industrial Cluster Areas) to support MSME’s with capacity development and launch of the ‘BIG platform’ funding initiative to provide funding and training for MSMEs; vi. launched a National Skills GAP Assessment Survey Report to help develop the capacity required for SMEs; vii. increased the approved loans for SMEs by over 20% to over 450 enterprises.

Others include Sensitization Programme on Micro Agricultural Insurance in 20 States in which over 20,000 entrepreneurs became aware of the relevance of insurance in their enterprises, how to set up insurance policies for their businesses and how to apply for claims while also the Bank of Industry stimulated job creation in growth and emerging sectors, provided finances to SMEs and large Enterprises, enhanced business support programme for SMEs including capacity programmes.

Attracting foreign investment

In other to provide a veritable platform for marketing of Nigeria products, online registration of exporters has commenced with availability of portal for Nigeria exportable products.

We have also started development of internationally acclaimed industrial Zones for exports i.e. Ladol Free Zone, Snake Island Integrated Free Zone and Ogun Guangdong Zone in partnership with private sector.

These achievements also include driving the policy of one-state-one product to encourage the development of one exportable product per state on the basis of comparative advantage both in terms of production and commercialization. The efforts are towards value addition to enhance supply base of the economy and its multiplier effects.

The facilitation of 9,000 hectare Agricultural Industrial Park in Edo State, which is expected to generate 10,000 direct jobs and 200,000 indirect jobs from the value chain at full capacity is another important achievement

We have also completed the construction and equipping of one million seedling sugarcane Bio-factory at the University of Ilorin Sugar Research Institute(USR) which has helped to revolutionize the Nigeria Sugar Sector.

Again, work has commenced on the setup of special economic zones, to help overcome the infrastructure disadvantages faced by local manufacturers, and promote the cluster effects gained by locating similar manufacturing businesses together.

The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment is key in the drive towards economic diversification and growth of Nigeria from an oil dependent economy. Given the tremendous achievements recorded within two years of this present administration, the Industry, Trade and Investment Sector has immense potentials to create the required wealth, generate employment and reduce poverty thereby transforming this country to a vibrant economy globally.