FG urges UNIDO on full implementation of new country programme

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah has called on United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), and all relevant stakeholders in the sector to work with the Federal Government to see to the full implementation of the new country programme in Nigeria.
He stated this during the historic signing of $60million UNIDO/Nigeria new country programme 2018-2022 for inclusive and sustainable industrial development for Nigeria’s economic recovery and diversification.
At the signing ceremony, recently in Abuja, the minister commended the Director-General of UNIDO Mr. Li Yong, developmental programmes in Nigeria.
According to Enalamah, the objectives of the programmme includes; to guide UNIDO’s programmes/projects interventions in Nigeria from 2018-2022,to build cumulative achievements of past Country Programme implemented by Nigeria/UNIDO, to strengthen synergies and minimize duplication by collaborating with other development partners, state and non-state actors, including the private sector in the implementation of programmes and projects.
The new programme is aligned with the priorities of the Federal Government as outlined in Nigeria vision 20; 2020, the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) and the Nigerian Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP).
‘’We want to achieve rapid industrialization and move away from over dependence on oil, we want to diversify and create jobs for our people, we must eat what we produce, we should stop over dependence on import and practice economic democracy’’ the Minister emphasized.
The Minister also reiterated the commitment of the Federal Government to collaborate with all the stakeholders to raise funds needed for the implementation of the programme, because according to him ‘’Africa needs it, Nigeria needs it, UNIDO needs it too”.
Li Yong described the current cooperation between Nigeria and UNIDO to be very timely, because of the emphasis on economic diversification strongly pursued by this administration, the new CP will build resilient infrastructures, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, foster innovation and make Nigeria a manufacturing hub in Africa.
Yong stated that ‘’our new projects support the development of agribusiness and agroindustry, renewable energy, particularly small hydro power and biomass, cotton, textiles and garments and national infrastructures”
The Director General highlighted the nine components of the programme to include: Industrial governance, research and statistics, agroindustry and agribusiness development, minerals and metals development, trade capacity building. Others includes micro, small and medium enterprise development, Special Economic Zones (SEZs), Industrial Parks and Private Sector Development, Innovation, science and technology management, sustainable energy development and environmental management.
The Minister of State, Industry, Trade and Investment, Mrs Aisha Abubakar in her welcome address commended UNIDO for their giant strides in Africa, most especially in Nigeria for the success of all the past programmes and further emphasized that there is no doubt this new programme will work even better than the rest.