Nigeria’s Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo in company of Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano on Tuesday launched the one stop and shared multi functional and digital industrial machines facility at Osile, Ogbunike in Oyi Council Area of Anambra state.
News Echo reports that while commissioning the facility, Vice President Osinbajo recalled that the commissioning was delayed due to COVID-19, noting that the target of the federal government was to provide one shared facility in every state, to eliminate the challenges of getting the needed machinery and equipment to drive the manufacturing sector.
While stating that the federal government has established MSME clinics in twenty seven states of the federation, Vice President Osinbajo reiterated the federal government’s commitment to the welfare of its citizens through various interventions including the economic sustainability plan, seventy five billion naira support scheme, among others and disclosed that the leather facility has monthly production of ninety six thousand shoe soles, forty four thousand slippers among others.
Obiano in his speech said, the facility is Nigeria’s most modern SME complex, stressing that Anambra has never been an average state under his watch, as it has capacity to produce shoes comparable to the ones made in Europe.
He also said that nine agencies are powering the project under one roof and explained that it is an interface between dream and opportunity, urging interested persons to come with their designs and be supported by the machines, as the facility is a fully automated process of shoe making.
Adding, Obiano noted that one of the machines has the capacity to produce one thousand, five hundred shoes per hour, while stressing that the cargo airport is less than one kilometer from the facility and will offer services that would enhance activities in the area.
He pointed out that ASBA as an agency has fulfilled the reasons of setting it up, by actively fertilizing entrepreneurial spirit in parts of the state, just as he expressed optimism that government agencies would patronize the facilities.
Also speaking, the Minister of Trade, Investment and Industry, Mariam Katagum, said that the project is a testimony to the commitment of the federal government to supporting MSMEs and empowering Nigerians, calling on the management of the hub to live up to expectation.
Earlier in his speech, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Anambra Small Business Agency, Chief Clement Chukwuka said that they have vigorously pursued its mandate to be the best among its peers in Nigeria and consistently strive towards being a veritable engine of growth and development in the areas of micro, small and medium enterprises in the state by providing single digit funding, capacity building, business advisory Services, develop MSMEs clusters and concept of cooperative funding, among others.
He thanked the governor and the federal government for their support, asking the Vice President to consider the production of some military and para-military shoes from the digital facility as a way of encouragement and creation of market for the dynamic shoe makers.