Nigeria's Minister of Industry, trade and investment, Otumba Adeniyi Adebayor last week provided insight into how the country's leadership plans to take one hundred million Nigerians out of poverty.

Adebayor spoke in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State while giving his address on the occasion of the 11th National Council meeting on Industry, trade and investment that held between Monday, 2nd December and Thursday, 5th December 2019 with the theme " The role of Small and Medium Scale enterprises in poverty alleviation; the way forward ".

After highlighting the vision of the Ministry of Industry, trade and investment, the honourable minister went ahead to enumerate what the Mohammadu Buhari government was doing in a bid to alleviate poverty as well as achieve it's vision of taking hundred million Nigerians out of poverty within the next ten years.

As part of the efforts, Adebayor explained that government recognises small and medium scale enterprises as the pillar of job creation and was making massive investment in the subsector."In pursuit of our vision, boosting the development of micro small and medium enterprises towards supporting small and medium enterprises in poverty alleviation has become the mandate of our ministry.

This is in recognition of the critical role of the medium and small scale enterprises as the bedrock of Industrialisation in Nigeria and it's contribution to our gross domestic product . In pursuit of Mr President's vision, boosting the development of macro small and medium scale enterprises has become the mandate of our ministry. This is in recognition of the small and medium scale enterprises as the bedrock of Industrialisation in Nigeria given it's huge contribution to the gross domestic product. Government is making concentrated efforts to strengthen the sector in view of it's capacity to create jobs.

Already, we are initiating and implementing a one-local-government-one-one-product programme which will yield thousands of jobs annually. Micro small and medium enterprises are being established nationwide. The National enterprise development programme being promoted is aimed at developing one million job annually.

The programme is a strategic way of delivering enterprise development in the country by directly addressing the critical factors that have impeded the growth of the small and medium scale enterprise sector", said the minister.Earlier in his speech on the occasion, the representative of United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) to ECOWAS and regional director, Mr Jean Bakole said that Nigeria was being exemplary as a country coming out of recession and that he was in Uyo for the 11th National Council meeting on Industry, trade and investment because of Nigeria's key role in the economy of Africa.

He assured that Nigeria will enjoy the support of UNIDO in the bid to take out one hundred million Nigerians out of poverty.Mr Bakole mentioned that the Nigerian government had supported UNIDO with ten million dollars during it's last country programme but urged the government to improve it's contributions in subsequent projects. He insisted on attention to start ups, admitting that Nigerians have the industrial ideas to lead the rest of the world on industrialization and that if the right investment was made on youth capacity development, that Nigeria will boast of a very enviable economyIn his part, the executive governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr Udom Emmanuel whose speech was read by his representative on the occasion, the deputy governor, Mr Moses Ekpo thanked the national council on industry for choosing Akwa Ibom State as the venue of their 11th meeting.

Mr Ekpo hinted that Akwa Ibom State last hosted the council's meeting in 2011 and said the State was happy to host Nigeria's industrial Stakeholders again since Mr Udom Emmanuel has industrialization as a hall of his completion agenda.Presenting the scorecard of Mr Emmanuel's administration on industrialization, Mr Moses Ekpo enumerated sixteen industries built and facilitated by the government to include Jubilee Syringe manufacturing factory, digital metering industry, Ibom paints limited, Lyon plywood factory, King's Flour mill, plastic manufacturing factory, fertilizer blending factory, coconut refinery, toothpick factory, pencil factory, etc. Mr Ekpo told his august visitors that the Ibom sea port project was gaining momentum and pleaded with the Federal Government of Nigeria to back up the State with the needed support for the project especially since the project is capable of churning out thousands of direct and indirect labour for the unemployed populace of the country.Other projects mentioned in governor Udom Emmanuel's address which he said was initiated in line with his agenda of industrialisation includes Ibom Airline, the construction of power substations in the state, the construction of road infrastructure and bridges, Agro-Industry revolution and investment in the security sector which is to give enabling environment to investors.

Mr Ekpo appealed to the investors in the gathering to take advantage of the investment friendly environment that Akwa Ibom offers and invest.While talking to the press, the Commissioner for Investment and Industry in Akwa Ibom State, Barr. Prince Ukpong Akpabio thanked Governor Udom Emmanuel for accepting to host the 11th National council meeting on investment. He also thanked the National Council on Industry, trade and investment for choosing Akwa Ibom State for it's 11th meeting, noting that the council came at a time industrialization, trade and investment was a priority in the agenda of Governor Udom Emmanuel."

The council came at a time industrialization, trade and investment, especially the aspect of small and medium scale enterprises is a focus of the completion agenda of Governor Udom Emmanuel. What the council is coming to do today is in line with what His Excellency, Deacon Udom Emmanuel has been doing which is to stimulate, empower and develop the small and medium scale enterprise sector".On why Akwa Ibom was chosen as the location of the 11th council meeting, Barr. Akpabio said that the reason was not far fetched, attributing it to the towering reputation of Governor Udom Emmanuel in Nigeria as industrialization Ceaser. He also highlighted the economic gains and impact of the meeting on the economy of Akwa Ibom State.

"First and foremost, looking at that exhibition stand, you will notice that those there are Akwa Ibom State entrepreneurs in small and medium scale enterprise and they are making huge sells. Looking at the hospitality sector too, we have six hundred members of council here and that translate to six hundred hotel rooms. Imagine the impact of six hundred guests in hotels for six days because they came in since Sunday. That alone is huge but there a lot more gains".

Others who spoke during the final session of the five days meeting included the minister of state for Industry, Trade and Investment, Ambassador Miriam Katagum, Special Adviser to President Buhari on Ease of Doing Business, Dr Jumoke Adewole, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Industry, trade and Investment, Mr Edem Akpan. The council meeting was adjudged by the permanent secretary of the federal ministry of industry, trade and investment as the most widely attended council meeting in more than ten years, having drawn the participation of delegates from all 36 states of the federation led by Commissioners for industry, trade and investment. Participants were full of praise for being a great host of the council meeting and for his outstanding performance in the area of industrialization.

After they collected Abacha loot and told the world and Nigerians that their face the money was shared to poor Nigerians!! Till today we are still yet to see the names of the poor Nigerians

COMEDY

I thought they said he had already taken? Or did I wake up in another Nigeria?