NASS lauds Dangote for investments in heavy-duty truck assembly

The upper chamber of the National Assembly has commended Dangote Sinotruk West Africa Limited (DSWAL) for its efforts in industrial breakthrough. Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Industry, Senator Shuaibu Lau, gave the commendations when his committee inspected the Dangote Sinotruk West Africa Limited, Ikeja Assembly plant.

Also part of the visiting team were the Director-General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council, (NADDC), Oluwemimo Joseph Osanipin; Director, Policy, NADDC, Sani Musa and Deputy Director, Press and Protocol, NADDC, Felicia Oyebolu.

The committee also had senators Sadiq Umar, Victor Umeh, Ekong Sampson and Benson Agadaga on the inspection team. Speaking shortly after the inspection tour, Lau said he was impressed with what they saw at the assembly plant.

He said: “The leadership of NASS is ready to push and make Dangote compete with other manufacturers globally.”Advising the company to source raw materials from local companies, Lau added: “We have listened to some of your challenges. The NASS is ready to help you in terms of legislation and policy formulation that will make you do better. We will come early next year, while we await what you want us to do to protect you. We are ready to protect you in terms of policy formulation. We thank Dangote for putting Nigeria on the map of industrial nations.”

Also commending the company, Sampson said: “Dangote has shown enterprise and courage in what he is doing.” Sampson, however, advised that he would like the company to look at the company’s attitude toward their workers and compensation plans in times of injuries and other industrial accidents.

Umeh, who was equally impressed with Dangote, said: “However, you should be able to put into those lines, raw materials from local sources. Part of backward integration should be cutting down what you buy from outside.”