By Banji Ayoola
For the first time ever in Nigeria, the Federal Government will spend a whopping N1 . 3 trillion naira on infrastructural development across the country to provide an enabling climate for investments.
The move, according to the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, is also to provide desired support for entrepreneurs of all cadres, to galvanise the much expected industrial development of Nigeria, Africa\’s largest economy.
He disclosed this on Thursday in Akure, the Ondo State capital, while launching the state\’s edition of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Clinic (MSMEs).
According to him, the honest leadership provided by the Muhammadu Buhari administration, has recorded landmark achievements despite the lean resources at its disposal.
These include the ongoing construction of the Lagos – Kano railway that had dragged for almost ten years, the second Niger Bridge, the Lagos – Ibadan expressway that had dragged for 19 years since 1999 and employment of 200, 000 youths under the N – Power scheme. Additional 300, 000 others would soon be recruited under the programme\’s second phase.
Besides, Osinbajo said that 7.6 million primary school children are being fed daily nationwide under the homegrown school feeding programme.
All these projects are being executed by the administration, which he said earns 60 percent less than the previous administration.
He said that Nigeria\’s problems are not many if her money is not stolen.
In his words: \”When they were earning $100 per barrel of oil, there was no home grown school feeding.
\” Today, we are earning between $60 and $70 a barrel, we are feeding children in schools. It is very important for us to bear in mind.
\”And one of the reasons we hold ourselves to account, why the Vice President of the country would come today to this meeting, a town hall meeting where you can ask your questions is because we want to be held to account.\”
He said that critics of the administration would see performance in the works being done, adding that the administration is committed to ensuring that the Nation\’s money is not stolen, but spent on the people who own the money.
The Vice President said that this is why corruption is frighting back very desperately, as the alleged looters want to come back and continue to bleed the Nation dry.
He said that as great as Nigeria is, there is no reason for her youths to experience difficulty in finding opportunities which abound in the Industries, Agriculture, Technology and Entrepreneurship.
This is why, he said, the administration is committed to training and retraining youths so that they would be competitive in the next ten years, and even be better than their mates elsewhere.
Said Osinbajo: \” We are committed to ensuring that this Country is not the way that it used to be. This Country has to change. I used to be a university teacher. And I served in the university for years. Every year, we would say that something has to happen in this Country, something has to change.
\”Why won\’t it change? We are here now and by the grace of God, we would all see the changes we have been praying for, by the honest leadership that we have put in place in this Country.
\” We are not going to let anybody steal money. Some of them say that they have not seen any of those who stole money being put in jail. But they are on trial. We would continue to arrest them, put them on trial. Whoever wastes time, we would still put them on trial. But we would not allow anybody to run away with money. The money of this Country belongs to her people and the people must enjoy that money.\”
He said that so far, 14 editions of the MSMEs Clinics have held across Nigeria\’s six geopolitical zones and 36 states as a demonstration of the administration\’s commitment to ensuring that small businesses, artisans and market women are given several opportunities for success.
According to him: \”It is well known that the MSMEs, small and micro businesses have tended to be neglected in this Country over the years as a result of the competing priorities and tendency to disregard their contributions to the economy\”
He said that though seemingly small, MSMEs altogether account for 50 percent of Nigeria\’s GDP and over 80 percent of her labour force. They are therefore an important part of the national economy and should be treated as such, more so that it has become inevitable for the Nation to look inward \”to be able to grow what we eat and produce what we consume.\”
The MSMEs clinics, he said, were conceived based on these factors and also to bring government closer to the people by assembling in one place all the regulatory agencies whose works affect small and medium scale businesses.
According to him, since the programme kicked off last year, it has been easier for small businesses to access funds.
Osinbajo thanked the Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and his team for their effort at developing the state, which is known nationally for its Agriculture and particularly for being Nigeria\’s cocoa capital.
Ondo, he said, supplies about 40percent of cocoa beans produced annually in the Country, apart from having the second largest bitumen deposit in the world after Canada.
He pledged that the Federal Government is fully committed to working with the state Government to exploit the state\’s abundant agricultural potential to the fullest and translate this to better life for the people.
He declared that electricity would be provided for markets in the state starting with Isinkan Market and the two NEPA Markets, all in Akure.
Besides, he promised that the Federal Government would continue to invest in the state through its investment programme.
Earlier in his speech, the Governor thanked the Federal Government for its special interest in all aspects of existence of the Government and People of the state as confirmed by Osinbajo\’s visit despite his tight schedule.
He said that the programme underscores the determination of the Federal Government to drive the Country\’s economy towards self reliance, noting that MSMEs clinics would aid viable enterprise in the state.
Akeredolu believed that the programme, which he said is burning like a wild fire, is already embraced everywhere across the Country.
He said that this direct involvement is the Federal Government\’s best way to demonstrate its serious commitment to stimulating economic development and rescuing the people from poverty.
He promised to reciprocate this gesture by creating the right environment to support the programme to achieve the set objectives.
The Governor advised his people to embrace the programme.
Several entrepreneurs displayed their products, mainly from materials from the state, while \’Small Doctor\’ was on stage and entertained the audience.
The cluster of regulatory agencies in attendance included the Nigerian Export Import Bank, NEXIM; Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, SMEDAN; Standards Organisation of Nigeria, SON; National Agency for Food and Drug Administration And Control, NAFDAC and Industrial Training Fund, ITF.
Others were National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA; Nigerian Export Promotion Council, NEPC; Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC; Raw Materials Development Council, RMRDC; Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS; Ondo State Board of Internal Revenue BIR; and Bank of Industries. BOI.
