In a renewed move to encourage local content, the Federal Government on Monday threw its weight behind Omatek Ventures plc, particularly in removing barriers to the company’s productivity level.
This is part of the federal government’s move to help local companies where the nation has competitive advantage in terms of production.
Omatek Ventures plc, the only company listed on the computer and peripherals subsector of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) with over 6,000 shareholders have recently embarked on aggressive research and development (R&D) aimed at changing the face of ICT and manufacturing in Nigeria.
Giving this assurance during Omatek Ventures factory tour, Olusegun Aganga, Ministry of Trade & Investment said, “my ministry will partner with Omatek to remove barriers to productivity. We want to see our companies do well so that they can pay their taxes. We want to make our companies more productive. I am delighted to know that this company has 6,000 shareholders. It is a sign of good investment. What I saw at the factory in terms of productivity, innovation, is highly exciting.”
Aganga who added that in the next two weeks the auto policy would be announced, said that there is no country that has tried to transform itself from import dependent to export dependent without encouraging locally produced raw materials.
“That is why industrial development is priority to the Federal Government transformation agenda. The future of this country, from where I see it, is bright,” he added. Florence Seriki, CEO Omatek Ventures Plc said: “We have provided a 24-hour power solution.
We are combining ICT with manufacturing. We as a nation cannot achieve the target job creation without the manufacturing sector. We are driven by research and development. For us to continue the works we are doing today, we need to borrow at single digit. We are hoping that by the time stakeholders start to see what we are doing, there would be an intervention fund for manufacturers.”
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