From Abuja, Kenneth Udeh

Senator representing Abia North at the National Assembly, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu has said that the manufacturing industrialists in Aba and Nnewi possess the capacity to end Nigeria’s dependence on imports through the production of all types of goods required by Nigerians.

The former Abia governor also posited that the deprecation of the naira will become history if the federal government can revive the over 11,886 moribund projects scattered all over the country.

Kalu stated this while contributing to a motion sponsored by Sen. Jimoh, Ibrahim Folorunsho (Ondo South) on the urgent need to look into the 11, 886 mega projects abandoned by the federal govern¬ment.

Citing an example of the defunct Ajaokuta Steel Plant in Kogi State, Kalu expressed regrets that such a situation has crippled the manufacturing capacity of industrialists in Aba and Nnewi.

According to him, many goods currently consumed by Nigerians are produced in Aba and Nnewi, adding that products such as solar lighting and panels are produced in that region.

He said that industrialists in the region are capable of producing goods imported from China, Vietnam and other countries but the absence of locally sourced raw materials like steel has rendered them incapable.

The chairman, Senate Committee on Privatisation, suggested that the Tinubu administration should dedicate a whole year’s budget towards the resuscitation of abandoned projects in the country.

He said: “Nigeria is talking about manufacturing cars and other machinery, but steel is being imported from China and other surrounding countries like Vietnam and sometimes Russia. If we don’t resuscitate Ajaokuta and even the Aluminum tank farm close to Akwa-Ibom, there won’t be anything like industrialisation.

“We must revive all the steel rolling mills in Jos, Katsina, Alaja and other parts of the country. Let us stop saying we are dying of poverty because the country can be great if we face reality. The reality is that we can suspend other things and dedicate a whole year’s budget to bring back the nation’s steel mills and other abandoned industries.

“If they come on stream, our people will have jobs and see where to work and the industrial revolution of Nigeria will kick off. We keep talking about China but why can’t we make Aba and Nnewi our warehouse?

“These boys are manufacturing everything but they need steel. If we have steel today, there’s nothing made in China that cannot be made in Aba.

“Some of you buy solar thinking they were made in China but they are made in Aba. Why should we be suffering over what could have been done since,” he wondered.

Sponsor of the motion, Jimoh Ibrahim told the Senate that the discovery of the 11,886 moribund projects was made in 2011 by a Presidential committee set up by former President Goodluck Jonathan.


Accordingly the Senate presided by Senate President Godswill Akpabio set up a high powered committee led by the Deputy Senate Leader, Ashiru Oyelola to investigate the number of projects abandoned across Nigeria in all sectors and make appropriate recommendations.


https://sunnewsonline.com/aba-nnewi-industrialists-can-compete-with-china-kalu/?amp

Charlatans and wishful thinking. China has mastered from research to extraction to utilization of at least 120 elements, please what single one has the entire Nigerian mastered it's act of production ?


China is food self sufficent, Nigeria imports up to $3 Trillion worth of food yearly. Use your loots over the years to provide for education for the younger generation and leave wishful thinking alone

Local content. Native intelligence

ProjectsCityNG:
Charlatans and wishful thinking.

Lazy man

ProjectsCityNG:
Charlatans and wishful thinking. China has mastered from research to extraction to utilization of at least 120 elements, please what single one has the entire Nigerian mastered it's act of production ?


China is food self sufficent, Nigeria imports up to $3 Trillion worth of food yearly. Use your loots over the years to provide for education for the younger generation and leave wishful thinking alone

Aba and Nnewi have done all those things China did. The rest of Nigeria can continue in their backwardness

ProjectsCityNG:
Charlatans and wishful thinking. China has mastered from research to extraction to utilization of at least 120 elements, please what single one has the entire Nigerian mastered it's act of production ?


China is food self sufficent, Nigeria imports up to $3 Trillion worth of food yearly. Use your loots over the years to provide for education for the younger generation and leave wishful thinking alone

Who ever taught Africans th import is bad would never know peace

China import more foods than Africa combined
China import most raw materials

You want to do what China is doing instead of doing what China did when they were in your shoes

Ajakuta can never be competitive... It would always produce steel at a price way above the average international price

Making every other products we make from the steels more expensive than the average international price

Forget this ajoakuta steel, allow steel import unrolled steel... So we can create a highly globally competitive steel works industry/market ... Ajoakuta ship has sailed forget it n move on

MEEVEET:

Who ever taught Africans th import is bad would never know peace

China import more foods than Africa combined
China import most raw materials

You want to do what China is doing instead of doing what China did when they were in your shoes

Igbo IPOB blood defending his brothers. The bane of contention is productivity not importation

igwebuike01:

Aba and Nnewi have done all those things China did. The rest of Nigeria can continue in their backwardness

Indeed. Please what mines did you mine elements. List them here legs know. Kids

igwebuike01:

Lazy man

Igbos and the inability to take criticisms.when directed to their native man. If it was a Yoruba man you want to criticize you will open your mouth ten feet wide. But when your native man is to be criticized, your blood gushes. Nuisance. Ethnocentrism has ruined your thinking capability

ProjectsCityNG:



Igbo IPOB blood defending his brothers. The bane of contention is productivity not importation

You can be effectively productive without import

Import has never been the problem lack of export is

Producing is not a problem, producing at a competitive price is the Koko that means you must source resources at the best competitive price

Many people who have not travelled to East will doubt what kalu said. Many contents you see in Nigeria are manufactured in Nigeria but they will write it made in china and package it very well... I don't doubt kalu at all because I know what easterners are capable of doing.
If kalu is saying that solar lightings are produced in ABA, believe him because the solar panel you may be using in Nigeria that has the label of made in china, may have been manufactured at the backyard of Nnewi but repackaged to made in china..