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| R-L: Facility Manager, Mr Alex Morrow; Hon. Minister, Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah; Managing Director OGFZA, Chief Victor Alabo, and Head of Administration & General Service, Mr Chibuisi Onyebueke, when the minister toured the facility as part of a two-day retreat by his ministry |
A
two-day retreat on May 20 and 21 in Onne Free Zone by the Ministry of Industry,
Trade and Investment, to discuss and strategize on diversifying the Nigerian
economy through SMEs development and industrialisation, underscored the
importance of industrial clusters to valuable development of sectors of the
economy.
two-day retreat on May 20 and 21 in Onne Free Zone by the Ministry of Industry,
Trade and Investment, to discuss and strategize on diversifying the Nigerian
economy through SMEs development and industrialisation, underscored the
importance of industrial clusters to valuable development of sectors of the
economy.
In
that vein, the Honorable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr.
Okechukwu Enalamah, while on a tour of the multi-serve facility as part of the retreat,
recognised how such infrastructure and the cluster, with about 200 different operators
have contributed to sustaining operations in the oil sector over time.
The
minister spoke on the efforts of the agencies under the ministry saddled with
the responsibility of ensuring standards in local products for exports, in
order to avoid rejections by international markets.
minister spoke on the efforts of the agencies under the ministry saddled with
the responsibility of ensuring standards in local products for exports, in
order to avoid rejections by international markets.
Enalamah
also spoke on a number of sundry issues and the way forward to stabilising the
economy through the non-oil sectors.
also spoke on a number of sundry issues and the way forward to stabilising the
economy through the non-oil sectors.
What role do you think a facility
like this can play to support the industrial cluster initiative?
like this can play to support the industrial cluster initiative?
A
facility like this has many benefits; one of the benefits is the demonstration
effect that this can be done, because it was almost being implied that you
can’t make something work here.
facility like this has many benefits; one of the benefits is the demonstration
effect that this can be done, because it was almost being implied that you
can’t make something work here.
When
you visit a facility like this where the private sector, working with the
relevant agencies of government, have made a firm commitment to make something
work and actually doing it and doing it consistently, and have been done for
several years now, I call it the demonstration effect. There is a saying that
‘if you can fly one plane, you can fly 20 or even 100.’
you visit a facility like this where the private sector, working with the
relevant agencies of government, have made a firm commitment to make something
work and actually doing it and doing it consistently, and have been done for
several years now, I call it the demonstration effect. There is a saying that
‘if you can fly one plane, you can fly 20 or even 100.’
The
second thing is the particular importance of this facility to the oil sector;
it has been a very important player in the oil sector providing the right
infrastructure; both hard infrastructure and soft infrastructure like power,
transport, logistics, which is what Intels is all about.
second thing is the particular importance of this facility to the oil sector;
it has been a very important player in the oil sector providing the right
infrastructure; both hard infrastructure and soft infrastructure like power,
transport, logistics, which is what Intels is all about.
Soft
infrastructure, you talk about the policy consistency and planning, in a way
that they know what your policies are, they know you are in a stable
environment that they can operate. I think all those things, like an oasis of
sanity of sort, has been very helpful to the oil sector. I also think that is
why they have about 200 companies operating here and able to deliver on
services, which in turn helps us to be able to continue with our oil production,
be a part of the global economy, which is what the oil sector is really.
infrastructure, you talk about the policy consistency and planning, in a way
that they know what your policies are, they know you are in a stable
environment that they can operate. I think all those things, like an oasis of
sanity of sort, has been very helpful to the oil sector. I also think that is
why they have about 200 companies operating here and able to deliver on
services, which in turn helps us to be able to continue with our oil production,
be a part of the global economy, which is what the oil sector is really.
The
third thing is the development of Nigerians; every company you go to they tell
you how they have systematically developed Nigerians, and that is how our
people get well trained, become more qualified, they earn more. There is no
reason why that cannot become the standard, and the same thing can happen in
every sector all over Nigeria. So, one of the things we will want to do as
government, is to make sure we are creating the environment for businesses to
thrive because if they are thriving, it is our people who are thriving.
third thing is the development of Nigerians; every company you go to they tell
you how they have systematically developed Nigerians, and that is how our
people get well trained, become more qualified, they earn more. There is no
reason why that cannot become the standard, and the same thing can happen in
every sector all over Nigeria. So, one of the things we will want to do as
government, is to make sure we are creating the environment for businesses to
thrive because if they are thriving, it is our people who are thriving.
When
Singapore started, I read the book written by Lin Qua Yu, the Prime Minister
who made Singapore what it is. He said, even though he didn’t like the British
for colonising Singapore, when they left, he recognised their importance in
terms of the skills and the know-how they brought, and he swallowed his pride
and sense of injustice and partnered with them to develop Singapore.
Singapore started, I read the book written by Lin Qua Yu, the Prime Minister
who made Singapore what it is. He said, even though he didn’t like the British
for colonising Singapore, when they left, he recognised their importance in
terms of the skills and the know-how they brought, and he swallowed his pride
and sense of injustice and partnered with them to develop Singapore.
He
said to them, ‘I want you to stay, I
will create the environment, provided you train my people, give them jobs.’ Of
course, that was how he started and started to do all kinds of special economic
zones, which were instrumental to the development of Singapore. I think we have
to do the same thing; we have to partner with both local and foreign interests
to build the Nigeria of our dream for the sake of our people.
said to them, ‘I want you to stay, I
will create the environment, provided you train my people, give them jobs.’ Of
course, that was how he started and started to do all kinds of special economic
zones, which were instrumental to the development of Singapore. I think we have
to do the same thing; we have to partner with both local and foreign interests
to build the Nigeria of our dream for the sake of our people.
What is the ministry doing to reduce
the rejection of Nigerian products for export due to standardisation?
the rejection of Nigerian products for export due to standardisation?
Am
sure you understand the question, dealing with quality and standards on
Nigerian exports. There had been incidences when Nigerian products were
reportedly rejected abroad.
sure you understand the question, dealing with quality and standards on
Nigerian exports. There had been incidences when Nigerian products were
reportedly rejected abroad.
It
is something we take very seriously, we ensure that the agencies and departments of government that are
relevant to exports and standards, have actually been working together in
inter-ministerial, inter-agency model as a group to deal with this issue and am
quite confident it is receiving the right attention.
is something we take very seriously, we ensure that the agencies and departments of government that are
relevant to exports and standards, have actually been working together in
inter-ministerial, inter-agency model as a group to deal with this issue and am
quite confident it is receiving the right attention.
The
Nigerian Export Promotion Council to Standards Organisation of Nigeria, to
NAFDAC, and to the ministry itself, we have been meeting; in fact, we have
discussed all these in our last meeting we had with the agencies, ministry of industry,
trade and investment.
Nigerian Export Promotion Council to Standards Organisation of Nigeria, to
NAFDAC, and to the ministry itself, we have been meeting; in fact, we have
discussed all these in our last meeting we had with the agencies, ministry of industry,
trade and investment.
This
matter was discussed and I was very satisfied with the responses we got because
it ties into a bigger policy trust, which is really promoting export. I am sure
that you have heard of the zero-oil strategy of the Nigerian oil promotion at
the NNPC, which again, is what the NNPC is working on with other agencies. The
whole idea is to say if we play to our own comparative advantage as a nation,
there is actually no reason why Nigeria cannot produce enough for its own
people and ultimately export as well.
matter was discussed and I was very satisfied with the responses we got because
it ties into a bigger policy trust, which is really promoting export. I am sure
that you have heard of the zero-oil strategy of the Nigerian oil promotion at
the NNPC, which again, is what the NNPC is working on with other agencies. The
whole idea is to say if we play to our own comparative advantage as a nation,
there is actually no reason why Nigeria cannot produce enough for its own
people and ultimately export as well.
Part
of it has to do with creating the enabling environment for these exports to
happen; part of it has to do with empowering the relevant agencies to work in a
collaborative way, and that is why I mentioned creating enabling environment
that is friendly to business, to support them.
of it has to do with creating the enabling environment for these exports to
happen; part of it has to do with empowering the relevant agencies to work in a
collaborative way, and that is why I mentioned creating enabling environment
that is friendly to business, to support them.
If
you are the Standards Organisation of Nigeria for instance, and you are
regulating exports, and you are doing it to help the people export more, you
are actually the ally, not an adversarial regulator and that is really the way
we want it.
you are the Standards Organisation of Nigeria for instance, and you are
regulating exports, and you are doing it to help the people export more, you
are actually the ally, not an adversarial regulator and that is really the way
we want it.
We
want to be able to support our players who are based here to succeed. That is
why we are having this retreat, and we have had a very good first day and a lot
of it was around synergy, a lot of it is around making sure that our policies
are implemented in a very sound way where we are working collaboratively and I
think you will find the probability of our goods being rejected, going forward,
is not likely, and that is because of this collaborative approach now.
want to be able to support our players who are based here to succeed. That is
why we are having this retreat, and we have had a very good first day and a lot
of it was around synergy, a lot of it is around making sure that our policies
are implemented in a very sound way where we are working collaboratively and I
think you will find the probability of our goods being rejected, going forward,
is not likely, and that is because of this collaborative approach now.
Issue of SON being physically present
in the ports?
in the ports?
The
standards Organisation of Nigeria obviously have an important role to play by
definition, given its name. I think SON has every interest in making sure they
are monitoring, evaluating and encouraging standards of goods being produced
here and those coming in and goods trying to leave here. So, my understanding
is that they have been trying to get better collaboration with the ports. At a
stage in the port they tried to streamline the number of agencies including
SON, not to be physically there.
standards Organisation of Nigeria obviously have an important role to play by
definition, given its name. I think SON has every interest in making sure they
are monitoring, evaluating and encouraging standards of goods being produced
here and those coming in and goods trying to leave here. So, my understanding
is that they have been trying to get better collaboration with the ports. At a
stage in the port they tried to streamline the number of agencies including
SON, not to be physically there.
But you need to understand that where the
ports are coming from as well, they want to be much more efficient, much more
technology driven. The point is that you don’t throw away the baby with the
bathwater’ while we are removing the rent-seeking and the bad behaviour, we
shouldn’t then ignore the importance of standards.
ports are coming from as well, they want to be much more efficient, much more
technology driven. The point is that you don’t throw away the baby with the
bathwater’ while we are removing the rent-seeking and the bad behaviour, we
shouldn’t then ignore the importance of standards.
Therefore,
there is every need to have a dialogue with SON, and plan how, as part of that
one-stop agency model that we are now trying to pursue, where everything
happens without too many stops and bureaucracy, but such that you know you can’t
ignore standards.
there is every need to have a dialogue with SON, and plan how, as part of that
one-stop agency model that we are now trying to pursue, where everything
happens without too many stops and bureaucracy, but such that you know you can’t
ignore standards.
I
am confident that that will be addressed. We have better collaboration with
this government and those discussions are ongoing. In any event, there is an
attempt to automate the ports and make sure that all the relevant agencies are
plugged into that automation so that everybody can, using technology, including
SON, do their own work without being excluded, and I think the role of SON is
very much recognised.
am confident that that will be addressed. We have better collaboration with
this government and those discussions are ongoing. In any event, there is an
attempt to automate the ports and make sure that all the relevant agencies are
plugged into that automation so that everybody can, using technology, including
SON, do their own work without being excluded, and I think the role of SON is
very much recognised.
Does zero-oil policy have anything to
do with industrial cluster and is the government interested in the policy of
industrial cluster policy?
do with industrial cluster and is the government interested in the policy of
industrial cluster policy?
Two
things that you mentioned are related, but synergistic. The zero-oil strategy
of NNPC is based on the idea of trying to create a non-oil export, and also a
non-oil diversified economy, which clearly, in order to do, you need to create
the enabling environment for the non-oil to thrive.
things that you mentioned are related, but synergistic. The zero-oil strategy
of NNPC is based on the idea of trying to create a non-oil export, and also a
non-oil diversified economy, which clearly, in order to do, you need to create
the enabling environment for the non-oil to thrive.
That
enabling environment is where the clusters, the industrial parks, and dedicated
economic zones come in. Because it turns out that the things that inhibit
industry if you really think about it, are infrastructure, which include things
like power, logistics, and transportation.
enabling environment is where the clusters, the industrial parks, and dedicated
economic zones come in. Because it turns out that the things that inhibit
industry if you really think about it, are infrastructure, which include things
like power, logistics, and transportation.
We
talked a lot about that today, so, you can actually concentrate efforts and
focus on industrial clusters and centres, to make sure that all the required
infrastructure you key them in and you still have to plan. You can also think
about all the other things you can do in terms of suppliers.
talked a lot about that today, so, you can actually concentrate efforts and
focus on industrial clusters and centres, to make sure that all the required
infrastructure you key them in and you still have to plan. You can also think
about all the other things you can do in terms of suppliers.
One of the famous professors of strategy,
Michael Porter, who wrote on industry and competition, was actually the one who
talked about these clusters. The whole idea is that all the people who are
related to an industry can come together, work together; the suppliers and the
customers.
Michael Porter, who wrote on industry and competition, was actually the one who
talked about these clusters. The whole idea is that all the people who are
related to an industry can come together, work together; the suppliers and the
customers.
So,
they are mutually reinforcing. It is not like you are trying to manufacture
auto and every part is in a different place. Therefore, clusters reduce the cost of operation.
I am very confident that Nigeria is headed in the right direction because we
are going to move from the buzz words to actually doing it.
they are mutually reinforcing. It is not like you are trying to manufacture
auto and every part is in a different place. Therefore, clusters reduce the cost of operation.
I am very confident that Nigeria is headed in the right direction because we
are going to move from the buzz words to actually doing it.
We
had a good meeting and we are coming up with our game plan.
had a good meeting and we are coming up with our game plan.
