Members of the Organised Private Sector (OPS) have welcomed the inauguration of the Lekki Deep Seaport and Imota Rice Mill, Lagos.
They described the move as capable of leading to agricultural self-reliance and the actualisation of the country’s industrialisation agenda.
They spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos while reacting to the inauguration of some projects in Lagos by President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday.
The Imota Rice Mill, which has the capacity to produce 32-metric tonnes per hour, is the largest in Africa and third globally, and believed to have bright economic prospects due to huge consumption of rice in Nigeria.
Similarly, the $1.5 billion Lekki deep seaport, a collaboration between the government and private sector, is Nigeria’s largest seaport with a draught of 16.5 meters to accommodate very large vessels.
The Founder, Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprises (CPPE), Dr Muda Yusuf, said the development is very advantageous to various sectors of the economy especially agriculture and trade.
He said the seaport, which was built to accommodate larger vessels, is technological driven in line with global developments and its location in Lagos, the commercial nerve of Nigeria, is strategic.
Yusuf added that the inauguration of the Imota Rice Mill is in line with the country’s commitment to self-reliance in food production.
“The development means that moving cargo would become cheaper because the size of the vessels means more items can be moved at once and so industrialists should be able to get better deals in terms of costs.
“The technology in cargo handling and other processes is very good for the maritime sector and would drive trade, a critical component of the economy.
“However, there are concerns about how to conveniently evacuate cargo via the Lekki-Epe expressway that is already congested; the government would have to address it. This is to ensure that the suffering of road users does not become elevated.
“For the Imota Rice Mill, there’s a need to source for adequate rice padding to optimally utilise the capacity of the plant.
“It is also advised that the plant should not be run as a government enterprise, but should run as a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement; managed by the private sector to get the desired outcomes from the mill,” he said.
The development means that moving cargo would become cheaper because the size of the vessels means more items can be moved at once and so industrialists should be able to get better deals in terms of costs.
Economic impact
Similarly, the Director-General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Dr Chinyere Almona, said the projects would impact the economy due to its employment generation potential.
Almona, however, stressed the need for proper implementation to ensure the project delivers on its mandate to reap the economic benefits.
“There’s a need to pay attention to all the other utilities and infrastructure such as good road network to and fro the area to make it a huge success.
“It is important that the right road infrastructure is in place, as there’s already pressure on the road, particularly at the Lekki axis.
“These things are needed to enable the successful rollout of the projects to reduce pressure on the populace to ensure their standard of living does not drop,” she said.
On his part, the National Vice President, Nigerian Association of Small-Scale Industrialists (NASSI), Segun Kuti-George, described the projects as a step further in Nigeria’s quest for economic development.
According to him, the seaport and rice mill will boost international trade (import and export), boost industrialisation and further enhance food self-reliance.
“The rice mill will save billions of dollars in foreign exchange spent on rice importation alone and would generate more employment and create more wealth.
“I congratulate the government for achieving this milestone in our quest for industrial self-reliance,” he said.
Also, the Director-General, Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Sola Obadimu, commended the projects, and described them as useful economic milestones to aid domestic production. (NAN)
