From Magnus Eze, Abuja
The Federal Government, yesterday, urged the states and local governments to embrace one of the three executive orders recently signed by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, called the ‘’Support for local content in public procurement by the Federal Government.”
Government also said that it would with time improve on the policy to cover larger areas.
A key provision of the order is that all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government shall grant preferences to local manufacturers of goods and service providers in their procurement of goods and services.
Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, made the call when he led a team of journalists to Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company Limited, Nnewi in Anambra State.
“We would advise state governments and local governments to borrow a leaf from the Federal Government that has signed the executive order, which says that local manufacturing must be given preferences. I want to assure you that even as time goes on, we would improve on that executive order and it would cover larger areas and as long as there is capacity from the local industry, they would have a monopoly as time goes on,” Mohammed stated.
Using the words of President Muhammadu Buhari, he described the company as representing the “new Nigeria that we are all clamouring for, a Nigeria that produces what it consumes and consumes what it produces.”
Mohammed also said Innoson clearly depicted the vision of the National Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP) to curtail dependence on imports and ensure the growth of the Nigerian automotive industry, using local resources.
He noted that the company was living up to the aims of the policy through creation of jobs, conservation of foreign exchange and acceleration of technical development.
The Minister assured that the executive order will boost the patronage of Innoson’s vehicles and enable the company to grow from strength to strength.
Earlier in his remarks, Chairman/CEO of Innoson Group, Chief Innocent Chukwuma, said the company was yet to meet its installed capacity due to poor patronage, particularly from government and its agencies. He also said that access to more capital would enable the firm produce for export.