Members of the National Assembly and other stakeholders have called for greater patronage of local content and indigenous contractors within the construction sector in a move to bolster Nigeria’s economy and empower indigenous industries.
They spoke in Abuja yesterday at a ‘Local Contractors’ Summit’ organised by Optimum Horizon Limited in collaboration with the National Assembly Joint Committee on Works with the theme, ‘Bridging Gaps and Building Partnerships’.
Speaking at the event, the chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Works, Akin Alabi, stressed the need for a stronger patronage and utilisation of local resources, skills, and labour in order to maximise Nigeria’s vast potential for sustainable growth.
He highlighted the importance of enhancing partnerships with local contractors to drive infrastructure growth and support the country’s development goals.
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Also speaking, chairman of the Senate Committee on Works, Senator Barinada Mpigi, said there was a need to foster an environment where local contractors are empowered to drive national development.
Mpigi, who was represented by the Senate Minority Whip, Osita Ngwu, said indigenous contractors and firms face a lot of challenges such as limited access to long-term financing, inadequate equipment, lack of insurance facilities, and issues of insecurity which have long been obstacles to their growth and success.
President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Engr. Margaret Aina Oguntala, while lamenting government agencies’ preference for foreign contractors over qualified indigenous ones, urged the National Assembly to enact laws that will ensure strict adherence to local contents in construction projects.
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