Dangote, minister raise hopes on new economic team

President of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, has commended the new Economic Advisory Council (EAC) constituted by President Muhammadu Buhari, but charged them to advise him on the nation’s economic growth and overall development.

Describing the move as a proactive and capable of elevating Nigeria’s economy to greater heights, he said the members are tested and respected patriots, who are independent and always ready to put the country’s interest first and ahead of themselves.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony of the new Secretariat of the Chemical and Non-Metallic Products Employers Federation (CANMPEF), in Lagos, he urged the Federal Government to take advantage of this rare opportunity to strengthen the economy and put the country on the path of growth, job creation and competitiveness.

He also called on all stakeholders to work with the Federal Government to revive and restore the economy on the path of growth.

According to him, the government should continue to provide the enabling environment, which it had set out to do, so that the private sector would continue to thrive as the way to go in the next level.

The foremost entrepreneur described CANMPEF as the largest employers of labour, having members spread across many sectors and commended the leadership of the Federation for its achievements so far.

Dangote charged the leadership not to rest on its oars but to sustain the momentum in the overall benefits of the workers and employer-members of the Federation. Dangote said his companies would continue to play their roles as leaders in their respective sectors so the CANMPEF would be taken to the next level in line with the present administration’s economic agenda.

The Minister of State for Industries, Trade and Investments, Ambassador Maryam Katagum, said the government would continue to initiate the necessary policies that would help the private sector to thrive as the drivers of the economy.

Katagum, who represented the Minister of Industries, Trade and Investments, Chief Adeniyi Adebayo, stated that the federal government was not unmindful of the challenges beiing faced by the private sector and that with the next level agenda, all obstacles would be tackled and the economy would improve for the better.

She explained that the Federal government shared in the ideals of the CANMPEF and urged all members to adhere strictly to the safety and environmental rules.

The President of CANMPEF, Devakumar Edwin, said the new building was another one of several steps being taken by CANMPEF’s leadership to have the right atmosphere to discharge its obligations to its members, workers and the government.

He stated that the Federation plays critical roles of keeping members informed of the existing labour legislations and serves as platform to protect the interests of member companies against any development in the macro-economic environment threatening business survival.

Edwin also said the leadership of CANMPEF has been able to provide the platform for members to discuss and share experience in the field of industrial relations, policy strategies, human resource and personnel management.