Sen Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employement, has urged the organised labour unions to assist government by proffering solutions to the excessive reliance on imported goods and raw materials.
Ngige, in a statement signed by Mr Samuel Olowookere,Deputy Director, Press of the Ministry on Thursday said that sourcing raw materials locally would reduce the country’s overdependence on importion and preserve foreign exchange.
According to him, imported goods and raw materials are inimical to the nation’s foreign reserve.
He said the Federal Government was unwavering in its efforts at ensuring that industries remained operational, so as to check the incidence of job loss.
“I wish to ask your union to do more than you have been doing by assisting the Federal Government proffer solution to the excessive reliance on imported goods and raw materials .
“We want you to put on your thinikng caps and devise ways and means of lessening reliance on importion by sourcing your materials locally to preserve our foriegn exchange.
“The Federal Government has directed the Central Bank of Nigeria to ensure that the backlog of applications for items needed to make industries remain operational were accorded priority in foreign exchange allocation.
This, he said, was to forestal job loss.
The minister commended the National Union of Food Beverages and Tobacco Employee (NUFBTE) for diversifying into job creation ventures, adding that it had complemented the efforts of the government in stemming unemployment.
Mr Lattef Oyelekan,President NUFBTE, appreciated the minister for his intervention and proactiveness at nipping in the bud industrial crisis that could snowball into crisis.
Oyelekan appealed to the government to help beverage companies adress the challenges they face in accessing foreign exchange for the importation of raw materials. (NAN)
Ngige to unions: Proffer solutions on imported raw materials
