Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Adeniyi Adebayo, onThursday, revealed that a post COVID-19 Industry, Trade and Investment Sustainability Committee had been establish to review the ministry’s goals and suggest strategic tweaks after inputing lessons learnt and recommendations from the COVID-19 outbreak as the move, according to the Minister, correlates to the recent directive of President Muhammadu Buhari in his national broadcast.
The minister added that to ensure that the economy adapts to new reality, his ministry will henceforth partner with the Ministries of Communication and Digital Economy; Science and Technology; Transportation and Aviation, Interior, Health, Works and Housing, Labour, Employment and Education to jointly develop a well detailed policy for a Nigerian economy functioning with COVID-19.
He noted that the committee, as directed by Buhari will be supported by the Presidential Economic Advisory Council and the Economic Sustainability Committee in carrying out its mandate.
Adebayo spoke at his weekly update on the performance of the Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) of the Committee on Sustainable Production and Delivery of Essential Commodities During COVID-19 in Abuja.
He said the federal government was currently working dilligently to cushion the effects of COVID-19 lockdown through sustainable production, transportation and distribution of essential products including food, medical, pharmaceutical and agro-allied products so as to continue unhindered throughout the period of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
He also noted that despite initial challenges faced as a result of inter-state border closure by some state governors, the ministry is constantly interacting with relevant stakeholders to ensure free-flow of essential cargo within the country and at the ports of arrival.
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In a statement by Deputy Director, Press, FMITI, Mr. Ibrahim Haruna, he lauded the efforts of EOC members in their prompt response in resolving incidents that will hinder the free flow of essential commodities adding that they have not only done well in representing the ministry but had also been proactive in projecting a good representation of the ministry at the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID- 19 .
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Mrs. Mariam Katagum, said the committee had received a total number of 55 requests for intervention across the country, noting that 54 had been resolved at the level of the committee adding that 68 per cent of these interventions were logistics related, while about 20 per cent aremarket intelligence issues where they have been able to pair supply and demand to keep production afloat.
Other requests had to do with direct manufacturing operations and some requests were retail related.
