By Providence Obuh

Furniture and Allied Product Manufacturers Association of Nigerian (FAPMAN) has cried out over the recent lifting of the ban on certain imported items especially furniture product by the Federal Government.
According to Mr Segun Adetiba, President FAPMAN, imported furniture should remained ban so that members of the association can enjoy what they have put in.

He noted that the decision of the federal government to lift ban at this time may have far reaching negative consequences on the local manufacturers, as most local manufacturers will be forced to abandon production and start importation which will cause 1.23 million  job loss, aggravate unemployment and criminal activities and insecurity of lives and property, total strangulation of the local market as patronage for locally made products may decline.

He said, “We don’t want what happened to the textiles industry to happen to furniture manufacturers”. Customs men should stop the resale or auction of confiscated furniture back to the  public, rather it should be sent back to the country of origin, most companies will be sold off in order to enjoy the cost advantage of importation rather than manufacturing and the problem of curbing losses through smuggling may still persist due to porosity of the Nigerian gateway.”

Adetiba disclosed that in the last five years the local furniture industry has made some appreciable growth as a result of the response to FAPMAN request on government policy to place a ban on the importation of furniture products.

“FAPMAN disagrees with the Federal Government’s position to un-ban certain because of the existing infrastructural gaps which may push many local manufacturers out of production”, he noted

According to him, FAPMAN and Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) on November 22nd , 25th and Monday 6th December held series of meetings with the Honourable Minister of Finance, Dr. Olusegun Aganga on issues bothering on the recent lifting of ban on importation of some import prohibited items by the Federal government however, some items produced locally remained prohibited for importation.

Meanwhile FAPMAN  recommends as follows; that  pioneer status must be given to the local
manufacturer through the association called FAPMAN, furniture products should be Fomainod
banned until such time that there would be adequate infrastructure in the power sector to enable
us produce uninterrupted and compete favourably with the outside industrial world