The Senate President, Senator Ahmed Lawan on Thursday in Aba, Abia State said that the Senate will henceforth, end move by Federal Government Agencies to import boots and shoes into the country.
The Senate President who said this during the official commissioning of the Enyimba Automated Shoe Company (ENASCO) said, “for us to become a prosperous country, we must embark on a must import substitution.”
Lawan hailed Abia Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu for taking the issue of unemployment seriously, adding that ENASCO is a landmark project that will outlive him and vowed to ensure that ENASCO becomes the hub of direct and indirect employment in the country.
News Echo reports that ENASCO which has the capacity to produce 5,000 pairs of shoes daily, currently has over 120 Abia youths directly employed as staff of the company.
“We cannot continue to import everything into Nigeria. We don’t even have foreign reserves anymore. So, this project in addition to providing employment in Abia directly, it’ll indirectly provide jobs at the leather industries in other states.
“I believe that this project deserves the attention of every Federal agency more especially the ministry of industries itself and indeed the CBN must be looking at this direction so that it can expand.
“While we have 120 youths been employed here, I’m sure that two years after we should quadruple the rate of employment here and that will require improvement in all angles here. I’m sure that as one of you now, we’ll push for more support for this particular industry.
“We have our agencies already making requests for boots and of course some garments by the time the garment industry takes off. I think we should do more than that. We must Nigerianize to create employment for our youths.”
Lawan said that as the Senate commences its budget defence, he will ask all senate committees that whenever they see agencies that require boots, they must make sure they come to Aba.
“We cannot spend such monies outside anymore. I believe that by the time we do that, the sky will be our limit. If this is the only thing this Governor will leave behind, he must have left everything.
“Whatever you need to make this place work better, please call on me, I’ll help in whatever way you think any Federal agency will do to enhance the capacity of this place, I’m waiting for you, your Excellency.”
Speaking earlier, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu said that ENASCO will help position Nigeria into the leather industry ecosystem globally and ensure Nigeria derive much revenue from it.
“ENASCO will push out 5000 pairs of shoes every day to launch Nigeria into the fast-growing shoe industry globally. We can become major players in the leather industry ecosystem if we’re intentional about it.
“It is only through the patronizing of our own products that we can revitalize our economy and be self-sufficient in all we want.
“We’re a doing a similar factory that will have full automated garment factory. We’re looking for a way to compete with Vietnam and Bangladesh in the supply chain of garments across the world.
“And I’m optimistic that with the success we’ve recorded, between now and the next six months machines would have arrived from Turkey and we’ll return to commission it.
“I thank President Muhammadu Buhari for coming to Abia to commission the Ariaria International Power Plant, we’re also doing something to ensure the Geometric Power kicks off.”
