President Muhammadu Buhari over the weekend at the 44th Kaduna International Trade Fair reiterated the government’s commitment towards improving agriculture to boost the economy and create jobs.
Speaking at the opening of the fair, organised by the Kaduna State Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KADCCIMA), the president, who was represented by the Minister of Agriculture, Malam Muhammad Mahmud, said that the government would continue empowering businesses, especially Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), as well as promote trade and investment to achieve economic sustainability and reduce dependency on foreign products.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Adebayo, said the theme of the fair: “Promoting Value Addition for Sustainable Growth and Development”, was in tune with the federal government’s empowerment initiative of bridging technological gaps and developing local capacity.
He told KADCCIMA that, “Your partnership with the government has transformed the industrial landscape of the city for the benefit of your members and the Nigerian economy.”
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The Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, represented by the Permanent Secretary of Business, Innovation and Technology, Dr Yusuf Sale, encouraged investors to feel free to come to Kaduna and urged the chamber to extend the use of its facility beyond the annual trade fair.
President of KADCCIMA, Alhaji Suleiman Aliyu, noted that only high value addition culture and great capacity utilisation would push Nigeria to a favourable position within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
He stressed the need for Nigeria to be increasingly innovative and promote a high level of value addition “as most of the countries involved in the trade agreement have similar products and resources.”
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