The Oyo State Shippers’ Association (0YSSA) yesterday urged the Federal Government to encourage exportation of Made-In-Nigeria products.
President of the Association, Ayobami Omotoso, made the plea during the 14th Annual General Meeting of the association held in Ibadan.
Omotoso said that based on the sliding oil prices in the international market, Nigeria should make efforts to diversify its economy by exporting Nigerian products.
He said that agricultural products, solid minerals and other locally-made products should be exported to fetch foreign exchange.
Gov. Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, in a message to the occasion, commended the association for the role it is playing in the socio-economic and industrial growth of the state.
Ajimobi, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Chief Moses Alake, advised the association to continue to partner with the state government in order to achieve the desired objectives.
The governor said that as part of the efforts of his administration to uplift the welfare of the citizenry and to boost the economy of the state, he had accorded priority to the development of Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMSE) sub-sector of the economy.
Ajomobi said that the state government was working vigorously toward the take- off of the Dry port located at Erunmu in Egbeda Local Government area of the state.
The governor said the Dry port would be of immense benefit to the association as well as accelerating the socio-economic development of the state.
In another message to the meeting, Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Hassan Bello, urged the shippers – importers and exporters – to work together in order to move forward and have a vibrant Shippers’ Association.
Bello said the Council expected collaboration with the association in order to succeed in its task of restoring a new port order.
Bello, who was represented by Mrs Adebisi Adeagbo, Director, Inland Transport Service of the NSC, congratulated the association for its notable achievements over the years.
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