Some residents of South-South region have urged the governments of Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River to take deliberate steps towards revamping moribund public industries in their states.
The residents, mainly stakeholders, experts and professionals made the call in a survey conducted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday across the three states.
The residents expressed the hopes that reviving moribund industries would provide massive employment opportunities, and trigger economic development in the three states.
It would be recalled that governments of the three states had at different times separately established local industries that eventually went aground due to poor management, corruption and petty politics.
In the past, Rivers boasted of the West African Glass Industry, Rivers State Vegetable Oil Company, Delta Rubber Company, PABOD Breweries, Songhai Farm among others.
Records also show that Cross River owned companies such as the Cross River Estate Limited, UNICEM, Metropolitan Hotel and more while Akwa Ibom owned the Qua Steal Products Company, Quality Ceramics Limited, Sunshine Battery Industry and Abestonit Industry Limited.
According to the residents, the eventual death of local industries in the three states has not only kept many people jobless but left many families poor and hungry.
Mr Chidi Nwankwo, an official of Pipe Coaters Nigeria Limited based in Port Harcourt, said that the government should conduct an audit of existing industries to determine those requiring urgent intervention.
Nwankwo advised the government to provide incentives, affordable financing, reliable electricity and improved infrastructure to encourage industries to resume full-scall production.
“The Rivers State Government should identify industries that can still be economically viable and partner private sector investors to revive them.
“Industries require electricity, access to finance, markets, skilled manpower and supportive policies to stay afloat and meet competition,” he said.
Nwankwo further urged the Rivers Government to ensure that industrial policies were sustained beyond administrations in order to encourage long-term investments.
He said that reviving moribund industries or establishing new ones would provide employment opportunities, increase internally generated revenue and reduce dependence on the oil sector.
Mrs Amaka Briggs, the Founder, The Banks Clothing Line, located at the Trans Amadi Industrial Layout, argued that although physical infrastructure was important, it should complement industrialisation and job creation.
Briggs urged the government to establish industries capable of employing large number of youths rather than relying mainly on public-sector employment.
“We need industries that can absorb our unemployed youths. Roads and flyovers are useful, but people also need jobs and sustainable sources of income,” she said.
Another resident, Mr Promise George, called for greater collaboration between government and private investors in order to effectively revive abandoned industrial facilities.
George suggested the forging of public-private partnerships to enliven moribund government-owned companies that required substantial capital, modern equipment and professional management.
He also urged the government to offer tax incentives and other concessions to investors that were interested in establishing labour-intensive industries in the state.
George also urged the government to strike a balance between infrastructure development and industrialisation, particularly in view of the high unemployment rate in the state.
Dr Ebiye Tamuno, an Economist at the Rivers State University, said that the state could leverage its oil and gas resources to develop manufacturing and service industries that were related to the energy sector.
Tamuno also advised the government to promote agro-processing, fisheries, construction materials, petrochemicals and marine-related industries to diversify the state’s economy.
According to him, vocational and technical training should be integrated into the industrialisation programme to ensure that young people possessed the skills required by emerging industries.
“A stronger industrial base would definitely create jobs, stimulate local production, increase government revenue and improve the standard of living of residents,” he said.
When contacted, a high ranking official of Rivers Government who preferred anonymity, said that the state government recognised industrialisation as essential to creating employment and strengthening the economy.
The official said that the current administration in Rivers was working to improve the business environment and attract investors while exploring opportunities to revive existing state-owned enterprises.
In Akwa Ibom, Mr Assam Abia, a journalist, said that it would serve the people better if the state government gave priority attention to revamping ailing local industries.
Abia urged the Gov. Umo Eno-led government to focus more on policies and programmes that would create jobs and enliven the economy, instead of seeking to be temporarily applauded by the people.
The journalist urged the government to intentionally tap opportunities in the Dakkada Global Oil Palm Plantation, Esit Eket, saying that the facility could create massive jobs and drive economic growth.
“The economy cannot grow without local industries, while job opportunities will remain scarce. Government should take the right steps to improve the living conditions of the people,” he said.
Another resident, Mr Godwin Edoho, said that the Akwa Ibom Government should stop paying lip service to the issue of local industries by being proactive and sincere to the people.
Edoho said that the state government had not added any visible value to the Dakkada Global Oil Palm Plantation since it took over the establishment.
“The government promised to revitalise the plantation and enhance its productivity. We got promises of making it a critical facility in the oil palm sector, but nothing visible has happened.
“We want to see the expansion of the facility, we want to see new seedlings being planted, the farm cannot remain docile and be expected to grow on its own,” he said.
Mr Anietie Matthew, a resident of Esit Eket, urged the government to revive the Qua Steel Products Company and Qua Ceramics Limited.
According to him, the two companies have the capacity to generate massive employment for the people, and revive the local economies of their host communities.
“When these companies were operating, there were jobs, families had food to eat, and local businesses thrived. This is what local industries can bring,” he said.
The Akwa Ibom Commissioner for Information, Mr Aniekan Umana, expressed the commitment of the government to provide the enabling environment for local industries to thrive.
Umana said that government would continue to provide the environment for industrial concerns to take advantage of, saying, “to create generational wealth, there must be investment in agriculture, housing, infrastructure among others”
The commissioner said that some state-owned companies such as the Ibom Paint Industry was fully operational and serving the people of Akwa Ibom and the neighbouring states.
“The Ibom hospitality assets, hotels and recreational facilities are being rebranded, while the industrial park is also being redeveloped to provide the infrastructure and opportunities needed for industries to thrive,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Cross River Government says it has commenced the review of moribund industries and assets with the aim to stimulate economic activities, creating jobs and empowering youths across the state.
The Commissioner for Information and Culture, Mr Ekpenyong Cobham, said that there was need to align industrialisation with the economic needs of the state.
Cobham said that the Gov. Bassey Otu-led government had prioritised skills acquisition, recently graduating 4,500 youths that were trained in drone technology, filmmaking and other specialised skills.
He said that the beneficiaries were also assisted with business-name registration to enhance their capacity to participate meaningfully in the emerging economic ecosystem in Cross River.
The commissioner said that the government had revived the garment factory, which had already commenced mass production of mosquito nets.
“As a government, we are assessing other industries for possible rehabilitation. This administration is investing in agriculture, particularly cocoa and coffee, to provide sustainable opportunities for youths,” he said.
Also speaking, Mr Castro Ezama, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, said that Cross River had lost several government-owned assets through sales and privatisation by previous administrations.
Ezama said that as part of the industrialisation plan, the state government had reclaimed Cross River Estate Limited and Tinapa as a way of restoring the industrial capacity of the state.
He said that Otu’s intention was to move Cross River beyond its civil-service orientation through the effective investments in mineral deposits and agriculture.
Experts say there is strong need for state governments in Nigeria to invest in the establishment of local industries or revival of moribund ones to address the challenges of unemployment, hunger and poverty.
They say that across the world, local industries have continued to serve the employment and economic development needs of societies that managed them with intention and prudence. (NAN)
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