The management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has taken steps that will promote the activities of small and medium-scale entrepreneurs and foreign investors in the country to boost economic growth.
NPA Managing Director, Ms Hadiza Bala Usman, who was represented by the Assistant General Manager Commercial Services/ Port Promotions , Abdulrahamaamn Lamina at the Kano International Trade Fair last week said the Authority sees entrepreneurship as important engine of growth and would always support those who have the capacity and willingness to develop, organise, run and manage profitable businesses across the country.
The theme of the trade fair is: “Attracting Entrepreneurs and Investors towards National Economic Growth”.
She said the country was going through ‘a turbulent’ economic recession and the Federal Government was encouraging every Nigerian to look ‘inward’ in a bid to create alternative ways of developing the economy apart from oil.
The Federal Government, she added, had institutionalize policies that were geared towards attracting investors and focusing on non-oil sector to encourage entrepreneurial participation to boost the nation’s depleting foreign reserves.
Some small scale entrepreneurs who started small, Usman said, were assisted by the NPA to become big.
NPA had also impacted positively on the economic growth by assisting some notable entrepreneurs to expand their businesses and become major employers of labour.
Some of the beneficiaries of NPA’s gesture, she said, are Otunba Obafemi Otudeko, Alhaji Wahab Folawiyo, Dr. Samuel Adedoyinn and Alhaji Aliko Dangote who has factories in the ports.
NPA, She said, was playing and would continue to play a major role in facilitating the Federal Government’s policies aimed at encouraging entrepreneur and attracting investors to promote the economy.
This she said, was evident with the presence of private terminal operators in the ports.
The huge investment made by the terminal operators, she said have led to greater efficiency in cargo handling, port operations and increase in the revenue generated for the government.
She urged small and medium scale entrepreneurs to tap into the low export tariffs and other opportunities provided by the federal government through the NPA to boost the economy.
The Managing Director however, appealed to captains of industry, heads of parastatals and entrepreneurs to partner with the Federal Government in creating vibrant and stable economy.
