Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Industrialists under the umbrella of the National Association of Small Scale Industrialists (NASSI), have registered their displeasure over the failure of the Federal Government to include association in its Economic Recovery Growth Plan (ERGP).
ERGP was proposed by the Federal Government, as a way of resuscitating Nigerian’s economy which went into recession in 2016, with severe economic hardship and job loss as consequences.
The industrialists said the government oversight was an indication that it does not recognise their relevance, inspite of their role as major drivers of the economy and job creation.
Newly elected NASSI Chairman, John Nzekwe, who addressed Journalists in Abuja, shortly after his election appealed to government to review its approach to the economic recovery programmes to make SMEs an integral part of ERGP implementation.
He maintained that industrialists are the engine room of economic and wealth creation of any country, but regretted that, past and present political leaders have paid ‘lip service’ to them, perhaps, for lack of political will or something else.” Nzekwe however promised that the new leadership of NASSI would reach out to relevant stakeholders and government agencies as well as international organisations with proposals that would herald conducive environment for industries to thrive in Nigeria.
“In an ideal situation, every state in Nigeria was designed and endowed with the capabilities and resources to have an industrial cluster where industrial activities would be made easy but that is lacking in Nigeria,” he lamented.