By Chinyere Anyanwu

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The Minster of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, has stated that the promotion of ‘Made in Nigeria’ goods and services will form the crux of discussions at the forthcoming 22nd edition of the National Economic Summit (NES 22).
Udoma, who spoke with media men in Lagos at the weekend on the summit billed to hold between October 10 and 12 at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, said it is designed to encourage more production and consumption of made in Nigeria goods and services.
He noted that, “with more patronage, Nigerian producers will be encouraged to improve the quality of their products.
As the quality of our goods and services improve, international demand will increase,” adding that the fastest route to economic growth and job creation for the youth population of the country was to pursue export-led growth.
Speaking further on the summit with the theme, “Made in Nigeria”, the Minister explained that it will “provide a perfect opportunity and platform for a national discussion on Made in Nigeria to promote goods and services that are already up to standards for consumption, encourage exports and increase opportunities for SMEs.”
While key thrusts of the summit, according to Udoma, would include the facilitation of stakeholders’ discussions/agreements on opportunities, policies and regulations needed to make Made in Nigeria an economic growth and development destination, other sub-themes are, “the macroeconomic environment; ease of doing business; stakeholders’ behaviour and attitudes; access to finance; infrastructure; quality and standard; technology and innovation; as well as job creation.”
Also speaking, the NESG Chairman, Kyari Buka, represented by Mrs. Wonu Adetayo, called for concerted efforts by all stakeholders to move the nation’s economy forward, saying, “we are at a point in our national development that all hands have to come together.
This is no longer the time to say this what government must do, this is what we want to do, but we believe it’s a time for all of us to come together. Let each us be held accountable for the state of this nation and I want to believe we can trust the commitment of each of us to moving this economy forward in any way we can contribute.”
Participants expected at the NES 22, organised by the National Economic Summit Group (NESG) and the National Planning Commission (NPC), include stakeholders from the public and private sectors, diplomatic, academic, development partners and CEOs, among others.