Vice President Kashim Shettima on Tuesday called for the prioritisation of local content and promotion of made-in-Nigeria products.

Mr Shettima made the call while declaring open a three-day National Manufacturing Policy Summit at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

” We must be focused on expanding our production base, prioritising local content, and promoting made-in-Nigeria products,” Mr Shettima said.

He said Executive Order 003, which makes the patronage of locally manufactured products mandatory, was still in effect.

” I want to assure you that Executive Order No 003 – Support for Local Content in Public Procurement by the Federal Government, which mandates the patronage of locally manufactured products, is still in effect.

” The relevant government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) are mandated to fully comply with the order,” Mr Shettima said.

The vice president said the summit offered the opportunity to reevaluate the sector’s challenges and propose solutions to resolve them.

He stressed that a competitive manufacturing sector would reduce the nation’s economic inequities and overdependence on imports.

”Our proposal to minimise the economic imbalances in the nation is based on strengthening the production base of our economy, particularly in manufacturing.

” Most of our setbacks as a nation, as each of you knows, are due to over-dependence on imports for even our basic necessities,” said Mr Shettima.

He stressed the role of manufacturing in driving the nation’s wealth, job creation, living standards, and revenue generation.

Mr Shettima said, ”This explains why President Bola Tinubu is focused on accelerating infrastructure projects, including roads, ports and energy supply.”

“It is essential to expedite the delivery of infrastructure projects that will enable the sector to leap forward and thrive.”

He identified five pillars of the summit, which he said are a clear roadmap for stimulating the manufacturing sector.

The vice president pointed out that it was imperative to enact meaningful change and develop industries by addressing critical issues under each of these pillars.

He said, ”These include up-scaling productivity and competitiveness, energy security and infrastructure development, improving the macroeconomic environment and ease of doing business, and promoting Made-in-Nigeria products.

” And local content development, and leveraging regional and continental trade for export development.”

Mr Shettima assured that the federal government would join forces with the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) to come up with an actionable roadmap and policy framework that would refurbish the nation’s manufacturing sector.

He said the roadmap and policy framework would be speedily implemented to effect the needed changes to revamp the sector.

Earlier, the president of MAN, Otunba Meshioye, thanked Mr Tinubu for the opportunity to host the summit in the State House.

(NAN)