Nigeria will start exporting cars soon —Jonathan

 

 

President Goodluck Jonathan
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President
Goodluck Jonathan on Monday expressed the belief that with the measures
put in place by his administration, especially the new National
Automotive Industry Policy; the country would soon be exporting cars to
other countries.

Jonathan spoke at the Presidential Villa,
Abuja, while granting audience to a delegation of the business
community from Anambra State led by Governor Peter Obi.

In responding to an address by the
delegation, the President said, “I will refer all the issues you raised
to the various departments of government. We are totally committed to
creating jobs. Nigeria is a country with huge population of youths. If
jobs are not created, there will be crisis. The housing, agriculture and
power sectors are also receiving attention.

“In the next few years, Nigeria will
begin to export cars to other countries. We are encouraging the
government to support local manufacturers.”

Jonathan promised that the
industrialists’ basic needs such as roads, power and port facilities
would be addressed appropriately.

He said if Nigeria must become great as expected by all, the Federal Government must industrialise the nation.

To this end, he said his administration would continue to encourage industrialists in the country.

“If any country will be great, we must
industrialise. If Nigeria must be a great country, we must
industrialise. To this end, we will continue to encourage industrialists
in Anambra,” the President added.

He said his government was also devoting
attention and resources to the power sector because of its critical role
in industrialisation.

Vice-President Namadi Sambo told the
delegation that Jonathan had recently approved $3.7bn to improve power
transmission across the country.

Obi had earlier told the President that
the enterprising and preserving nature of Anambra people made them
well-positioned to assist Jonathan to achieve his administration’s
transformation agenda.

While declaring the support of the people
of the state for Jonathan, Obi said, “You have excess credit in your
political account that these people (members of the delegation) are
ready to pay you when you need it.”

The governor said he led the delegation
to express their support for the President and bring to his attention
some of the industrialists’ collective, which if addressed, would help
in anchoring the growth and development of industry in the state.

Some of the needs, according to him, are
the completion of the 330/132/33KV power substation at Nnewi; provision
of uninterrupted power supply in the Onitsha Harbour Industrial Area and
Ozubulu Industrial Hub; completion of the Nnamdi Azikwe Teaching
Hospital, Nnewi; and the inclusion of Anambra State in the rail master
plan.

Obi also made a case for the
rehabilitation and reconstruction of federal roads within the state such
as the Oba-Nnewi-Okigwe Section 1, Nnewi-Okija, start of Onitsha Second
Niger Bridge, completion of the Onitsha-Enugu dual carriageway and
completion of the Umueze-Anam Kogi road.

The governor also thanked the President
for the inclusion of Nnewi in the National Automotive Industry Policy of
the Federal Government.

This, he said, would attract many
ancillary industries, especially with the coming on stream of the
Ajaokuta Steel Plant, adding that the local content in vehicle
manufacturing in no time would increase from 40 per cent to 60 per cent.

 
SOURCE: PUNCH.