The Nigerian Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, (NACCIMA) has demanded for a deliberate, stronger public-private sector partnership to boost investments and grow the economy of Rivers State and that of the nation at large .
The Deputy National President of NACCIMA, Dr Emi-Membere Otaji, made the call in Port Harcourt at the opening ceremony of the 2023 Correspondents’ Week in Port Harcourt on Monday.
The week is organised by the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, in partnership with the Mayor of Housing, with the theme; “Rivers State and Quest for Ideal Investment Climate: Role of the Media,.”
The sub-theme is ” Need for a Blend of Infrastructure and Entrepreneurship for Accelerated Economic Growth.”
Otaji, who was the keynote speaker expressed regrets that despite Rivers State being the oil and gas capital of Nigeria, oil and gas businesses and major decisions were taken in Lagos, very far from Rivers State.
Otaji who was a Commissioner for Health in the State also described the theme and sub-theme of the event as apt, noting that while it was cheaper for entrepreneurs to import due to cost of production, the economy will continue to suffer due to capital flight and loss of jobs from lack of manufacturing in-country.
According to him, for the state to grow economically, there must be deliberate infrastructural development across the 23 LGAs, as well as support and incentives for SMEs as obtainable in Lagos.
His words: “There must be deliberate infrastructure around the 23 LGAs for people living there to curb urban-rural migration, just like in US, where every state has numerous cities. So infrastructural development should be state-wide.
“There must be intentional and deliberate support for the micro, small and medium enterprises. These enterprises employ more people than the public sector. They must be supported, they form the basis of our GDP and employment of labour.
There must be intentional incentives for businesses “to thrive, because the SMEs are crying. Lagos and Ogun are deliberately attracting investments into the state with so many incentives. They are giving businesses all the support to thrive.
“There must be strategic and deliberate development as obtainable in Lagos and Ogun.
“The time for a deliberate, stronger public-private sector partnership in Rivers State is now.”
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