Print industry stakeholders held a first of its kind Nigerian National Printers Conference (ngprint) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment to address topics under the theme ’The Role Of Nigeria’s Printing Industry In Economic Development And Employment’. The event was held on 27 November 2018 at the Ladi Kwali Hall, Sheraton Hotel in Abuja.
The printing sector is a multi-trillion Naira industry with tremendous capacity to employ more than one million Nigerians annually and as such, the federal government has been urged to develop the print and graphics industry in the region through collaboration with stakeholders, particularly in the government's quest to diversify the economy from oil.
Stakeholders under the aegis of Change Group enjoined the government to critically look into the industry which imports over two million metric tons of paper valued at billions of Nigerian Naira annually into the country. According to the stakeholders, Nigeria also loses when finished printed products that could easily be done locally such as educational books, security documents, election materials, packaging materials etc, are outsourced. Non-availability of a national policy on printing has made the industry a no-go area for investment, particularly in the pulp and paper sector. The effects of these include job losses and unemployment.
Other aims of the conference:
– To use the upcoming election to bring government's attention to the importance and challenges facing an industry providing jobs for one out of every 20 working Nigerian outside the traditional farming business.
– How to halt the consistent loss of jobs in the industry.
– How to maximise the job creating potentials of the industry and ensure local employment.
Amongst others, the conference showcased the potentials of the printing industry particularly in employment generation while also showcasing how it can contribute to the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (EGRP) and the Nigerian Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP) of the federal government.
Several prominent industry stakeholders as well as government officials had presentations during the conference.
The one-day conference spread into a panel discussion with topics such as:
– Revamping Pulp and Paper Production and Creating Employment in Nigeria.
– Forging a Synergy between the Procurement Act.
– The Electoral Act and the Executive Order 5 for Capacity Development in the printing industry.
This article was sourced from: http://wheretoprintmagazine.com
