National President of AMEN, Saviour Iche, at a briefing, cried out to both states and the Federal Government over the worsening business challenges that have killed up to 68 per cent of local industries in the country.
He urged the government to come to their aid as micro-entrepreneurs and small businesses in Nigeria were having lots of challenges and could no longer survive due to unfriendly policies.
He decried the high cost of diesel, sold at about N750 per litre, noting that there was no hope for electricity and even where there is, the bill is usually very high.
“The Federal Government and state governments need to do everything within their means to ensure that the remaining 32 per cent of local industries that are on life support do not die. Our businesses have become comatose due to the incessant increase in the prices of raw material on daily basis.”
According to him, the few employed youths have been laid off because of the high cost of raw materials from local manufacturers who had to shut down their factories.
“As of today, if it is by ratio, we have about 68 per cent of local businesses that have folded up and the remaining 32 per cent are struggling to survive and we can’t keep silent as if all is well. We need to speak up,” he said.
Secretary of the association, Justin Nwaokoro, said businesses were trying to exist but the government was not helping them.
He said Nigeria is blessed with natural resources and the raw materials needed for production, but the leaders are not making use of them due to the issue of insecurity.
“Local industries cannot produce any longer. How can we survive with the high cost of living? The government needs to help us.”
An entrepreneur, Abosede Daniels, said the government was looking down on entrepreneurs as if they were not contributing positively to society.
“One-tenth of our youths are being employed by these local manufacturers but let them give us the necessary support to see if we can perform or not,” she said.
Micro entrepreneurs lament as hardship, poverty worsen
