Edet Sunday Akpan, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment has disclosed that out of the Ministry’s projected 2017 revenue of N807, 277,489, while the sum of N730, 695, 319 which represented 90% was realized.
He further disclosed that the Ministry is committed to driving the nation’s policy thrust in ease of doing business which the World Bank recently ranked to have improved from previous position of 169th to 145th.
The permanent Secretary added that the Ministry’ target is to get the Country to be among the first 100 in the World in the ease of doing business ranking.
Mr. Akpan made these disclosures and more while presenting the scorecard of his appointment to the Office of the permanent Secretary of Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment since October 1st, 2017 till date to his colleague Permanent Secretaries and the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita who visited Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment for peer review on Thursday, 22nd March, 2018.
Akpan further disclosed that with the conscious intervention of the present administration and management of the Ministry under his watch as the Permanent Secretary, its Parastatals – the Corporate Affairs Commission has achieved 48 hours turnaround time for business registration, resolution of customer’s enquiry and data requests, which he also disclosed, is now done online.
In the presentation, Mr. Akpan further disclosed that the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP) of his Ministry has made remarkable progress in the areas of Cement industry, Sugar, Cotton, Textile and Garment (CTG), Tomatoes and Auto assembly industries. The remarkable progress, he said was achieved through value addition in the mentioned sub-sectors; implementation of sector-specific incentives such as the zero duty on machineries and equipment; and concessionary imports for the identified investors for the cement industry, and raw sugar.
Specifically for the Cotton, Textile and Garment Industry, the Permanent Secretary explained that patronage of local textile and garments, improved seedlings for cotton production and competitiveness in all segments of Nigerian Cotton, Textile and Garment sector are been encouraged. He added that some textile industries which were moribund in Lagos, Kano and Kaduna have been revived, while investment in the industry has increased significantly with some private sectors and State Governments like Cross River, Kwara and Osun States participating in the industry.
Further in the presentation, Mr. Akpan also revealed that through the intervention of the Ministry’s work under his watch as the Permanent Secretary, there is an increased production in tomatoes to about 6Million MTPA and that the drive was to ensure processing of 3Million MTPA.
The Permanent Secretary also revealed that other gains from interventions during his tenure as the Permanent Secretary include resuscitation of moribund local production plants and the emergence of new processing plants. He further said that the Ministry is working through the sensitisation of stakeholders as well as collaboration with other MDAs towards improving quality, packaging and certification integrity in order to achieve zero reject of the nation’s agro-produce.
With the impressive presentation by the Mr. Edet Sunday Akpan as the Permanent Secretary of Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita who led the visiting Permanent Secretaries on peer review visit to Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment to review Mr. E.S. Akpan’s works, expressed the view that there is a need to provide more funding for the Ministry to be able to achieve more.
The Head of Civil Service of the Federation (HOCSF) expressed the view that it is necessary for the Mr. Edet Sunday Akpan as the Permanent Secretary of Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, to be funded to interact more with other trade professionals of other countries for better trade negotiation engagements and be abreast of international best practices to actualize the economic recovery and growth plan (ERGP) of the Federal Government. She said: “You really need a lot of funding in the Ministry because as you move out, you are able to engage with other international players for trade negotiations and be abreast of International best practices in trade. She promised to discuss with the Ministers of Industry, Trade and Investment and that of Finance to see the possibility of adding 10% of the Ministry’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to support the works of the Ministry.
Maryam Umar Yusuf
For: Deputy-Director Press
Federal ministry of Industry, Trade & Investment
