The Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Lagos State, Sam Egube, has described the Equipment & Manufacturing West Africa Exhibition (EMWA) as a opportunity for stakeholders to see new technologies and innovation.
Speaking at the exhibition in Lagos on Tuesday, Egube said that the programme made a good platform for exhibitors and people to interact and see new things that are coming in the manufacturing environment and innovation space.
He said that the programme was a good development in the right direction as it would help businesses grow, adding that when businesses and people of Lagos flourish, the state also flourishes.
“Lagos is the enterprise centre of Nigeria and West Africa; it is also the gateway of Nigeria to the world and we control a very significant amount of movement and logistics in and around Nigeria.
“That is why I am here to felicitate, share fellowship and friendship with this exhibition.
However, Lagos State is investing significantly and aggressively in infrastructure to ensure that trade is facilitated around Lagos”.
According to him, the state government is also investing logistics on the rail lines, both the red and blue line, to increase productivity of the people moving from Agbado, Okokomiko to Marina.
He added that plans were also ongoing to strengthen movement along the waterway to deliver about 15 jetties around Lagos States and the dredging of the waterways to develop new routes that would facilitate water transport.
“We want to develop a waterway and payment system that is seamless and ensure that our entire transportation system is multimodal in nature.
“The 15 jetties will be concluded this year,” he said.
The commissioner urged manufacturers to invest more, stressing that when investors come into Lagos, they would see a Lagos State that is ready to take up the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) , making the state a hub for Africa.
Also, Mr Joseph Oru, the Managing Director of Zenith Exhibition, organisers of the event, said that Nigeria had huge business potential for investors and trade exhibitions, which would create access to market and networking business opportunities.
Oru said that the programme would feature a multi-sectored session where knowledge would be transferred, skills gained and solutions proffered from company representatives as well as captains of industries on the expo floor.
“We have companies being represented from Germany, Italy, France, Nigeria, and Indonesia, ready to deliver the next generation of manufacturers build depths organisational processes and grow leadership,” he said.
He pointed out that it was time to reconnect the industry following the challenges of COVID-19, adding that he was optimistic that the event would serve as a catalyst for discovery.
He commended the Atlas Capco, it’s longest running partner; Actology Solutions Ltd. as well as Bank of Industry.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event held alongside a conference, which had its theme as ‘Industrialisation & Innovation: Revitalisation if the Industrial Sector to unlock Nigeria’s potential”. (NAN)
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