Ahmed seeks protection of local industries

The Kwara State Governor, Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed, has called on the Federal Government to grant new industries owned by Nigerians duty free operations to enable them stabilise and flourish for sustainable economic development of the country.
Ahmed, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Isiaka Gold, made the call when the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala paid a pre-commissioning visit to KAM Industries Limited in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.
Ahmed, who attributed the collapse of many companies in the past to the hostile environment they had to operate, emphasized that “some of the industries that brought smiles to the faces of the people of this state and joy to their homes have either become ghosts of themselves or outrightly gone out of existence because the environment in which they operated was hostile, harsh and not favourable to their survival”.
The governor said the waivers should be extended to commercial farms that create employment opportunities for the teeming youths of the country and also create access to dairy products at affordable rates.
Okonjo-Iweala said the steel sector is critical in the industrialisation of any nation and assured the governor of the President Goodluck Jonathan administration’s support for indigenous companies that are contributing meaningfully to the economy.
According to the Minister, the Federal Government has realised that indigenous companies face challenges of infrastructure, access to capital and others, which make the cost of production high.
She said the government was working tirelessly to bring interest rate to a single digit.
Okonjo-Iweala said that with the present move to solve the problem of energy, industries would have greater chances of doing well.
The Deputy Managing Director, KAM Industries Limited, Alhaja Mariam Bola Yusuf, in her address said the industry’s multi billion Naira Cold Steel Rolling Mill produces cold roll sheets that would be used for products such as galvanished roofing sheets, car bodies, pipes, head pan.