Nigeria @ 60: Indigenous Products Exhibition Will Reveal Nation’s Potentials-FG
Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Richard Adeniyi Adebayo has said that the exhibition of Made In Nigeria products will further reveal the tremendous potentials that abound in the nation’s quest for self sufficiency.
The Minister said this in Abuja on Thursday at a press conference on the Nigeria @ 60 celebration titled: ‘Exhibition of Made-in Nigeria Products and Live performance of Cultural Troupes’.
TheFact Nigeria observed that of immediate concern to the meeting were the exhibition of Made In Nigeria products and live performance of cultural troupes. The two events were scheduled to hold from June 15-19, 2021 at the Eagle Square in Abuja.
The Minister said that as part of activities for the Nigeria @ 60 celebration, an Inter-ministerial ownership sub-committee of the Nigeria @ 60 celebration outlined a number of activities aimed at drawing attention to those attributes that Nigeria is endowed with that need to be harnessed for the common good of all.
Adebayo said that: “The nation turned 60 on October 1, 2020. However, considering the significance of the age in our journey to nationhood, President Muhammadu Buhari directed that the celebration should be made a yearlong one to end September, 2021.
“It is pertinent at this juncture to inform you that the conceptualization of Nigeria @ 60 celebration was made with the inclusion of the Private Sector. Side by side with the private sector, therefore, the following activities are drawn up.
“They include the following: Exhibition of Made In Nigeria products, live performance of cultural troupes from the six geopolitical zones of the country, essay competition, photo gallery, exhibition of Nigerian cuisines, compendium and national awards.”
He said that the Buhari administration was determined to build resilience in the nation’s economy and in particular, diversify the entire source of revenue so that the country becomes less dependent on oil.
The Minister said: “The slogan, ‘We will grow what we eat, and eat what we grow’ by President Muhammadu Buhari sums up this national resolve”.
Adebayo who is the Chairman of sub-committee of Nigeria @ 60 celebration said it was with a view to strengthening the nation’s economic base that deliberate efforts were made by the present administration to encourage the growth of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
He said: “According to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, small and medium enterprises in Nigeria have contributed about 48% of the national GDP in the last five years. With a total of about 17.4million, they account for about 50% of industrial jobs and nearly 90% of the manufacturing sector, in terms of number of enterprises. This administration is committed to making the SMEs a vital pillar of the nation’s economic infrastructure.
“It is therefore not surprising, that in celebrating 60 years of our nationhood, the fruits of the labor of our people to create products and services deserve to be celebrated and encouraged. The exhibition of Made In Nigeria products will therefore, further reveal the tremendous potentials that abound in our quest for self sufficiency and self reliance.
“Our tourism sector still remains largely unexploited. The celebration seeks to showcase the rich cultural heritage of our people to the world such that Nigeria can become a destination of choice for tourism. Certainly, if properly developed, tourism can significantly contribute to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product, (GDP).
