By Steve Temienor
WARRI/Nigeria: Seasoned oil and gas expert and CEO, Amelin projects LTD, Engr Eloho Amagada has canvassed for the extension of Nigerian content act to all sectors of the economy such as telecom, transportation, agriculture, broadcasting, ICT amongst others. Noting that innovation and competitiveness are needed for the prosperity of any economy and none of which is achieved without research and development.
Amagada who was speaking on the topic, “Nigerian Local Content. A Panacea for Industrialisation and Empowerment”, called for the strengthening of the various bodies responsible for enforcing compliance to quality standards like SON, to ensure made in Nigeria goods meet the international standards. And that much sensitisation needs to be carried out to ensure compliance to the act across board and stringent legislation enacted to punish offenders.
Also speaking at the public lecture tagged “industrialisation and sustainability: Challenges and Opportunities in Nigeria, organised by the Nigeria institution of mechanical Engineers in Effurun, MD Warri Refining and Petrochemical, Engr. Muhammad Abali, also lamented the weak nature of the Nigerian manufacturing sector, despite the size and fast pace of economic growth in the economy over the last decade.
According to Abali, if Nigeria must achieve its industrialization goal, the capital goods sector must be singled out as the economy’s reproductive and wealth creation engine and must be protected.
“Its not only assembly of cars we should be doing but research and development.”
