The Minister of Trade
and Investment, Mr Olusegun Aganga has lauded the tremendous growth experienced by the nation’s economy.
Speaking in Abuja recently, at an interactive session with newsmen, Mr Olusegun Agaunga said the nation’s economy had steadily grown in various areas through the diligent implementation of polices and programmes by the Ministry of Trade and Investment.
Aganga said the ministry was created with a vision to promote sustainable and inclusive economic growth, create jobs and generate wealth, stressing that the ministry’s mandate cuts across Trade Industry, investment and Enterprise and in all four, there have been remarkable changes.
He said prior  to 2011, there had been little or no focus on adding value to the commodities, the revenue diversification efforts to ensure inclusive and sustainable economic growth, no industrial plan, low manufacturing contribution to GDP, low level of value chain development in various sectors, weak industrial infrastructure and complete dependence on importation and exportation of only raw materials by the nation.
The minister said that within the shortest time the ministry had moved the country forward through a comprehensive, integrated and strategic road map developed and endorsed by the private and public sectors as an economic blue print for sustainable economic growth.
He said the various policies formulated and launched by the Federal Government in areas, such as cement sector, auto-assembly, sugar and cotton, textile and Harment sectors were to ensure the industrialisation of the nation’s economy.
He said government would sustain these policies for the benefit of the nation’s economy, the organized private sector, public sector and the citizenry.