The Minister of State for Trade and Industry, Hajiya Aisha Abubakar, yesterday disclosed that the Federal Government would stop the importation of six commodities by 2018.
Abubakar disclosed this at an interactive session with entrepreneurs and prospective investors participating in Katsina State Economic and Investment Summit in Katsina.
The minister said the commodities were rice, wheat, sugar, cotton, tomato paste and processed meat.
She said Nigeria would stop the importation of cotton and other commodities to ensure self-sufficiency for textiles and garment manufacturers in the country.
The minister stressed that the present administration was committed to the production of those commodities in Nigeria.
Abubakar said the country had no business importing the six commodities as they were abundant in Nigeria.
In his remarks, Gov. Aminu Masari of Katsina State called on prospective investors to come up with workable plans that could simplify the state’s investment process and eliminate its bottlenecks.
Masari assured welders and fabricators of his administration’s readiness to provide land for the establishment of business clusters for them.
He added that his government would continue to patronise made-in-Katsina goods, services and local contractors.
The governor said he had directed local contractors to purchase roofing sheets and paints from markets within Katsina State.
Masari said that a large portion of land in Katsina had been allocated to the Federal Ministry of Communication for the establishment of a National Incubation Centre.
He disclosed further that eight vocational training centres were being rehabilitated to empower youths to become self-reliant.
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