Nnewi Automobile & Ancillary Roundtable, Trade Fair kicks off

By Joseph INOKOTONG
All is set for the first Nnewi automobile and ancillary industry roundtable and trade fair.
The event comes up this week in the sprawling industrial town of Nnewi.
The event which comes up from Wednesday, will last for three days and is expected to bring together key players in the nation’s automobile industry.
The roundtable and trade fair is also expected to bring to the fore key challenges confronting promoters in that segment of the nation’s real sector.
The Roundtable and trade fair is being put together by the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), the National Automative Design and Development Council (NADDC) in collaboration with the office of Hon. Chris Azubogu, a member of the Federal House of Representatives, representing Nnewi North/South and Ekwusigo Federal constituency.
Azubogu, disclosed that the round-table is part of the on-going zonal intervention programme “purposely designed to align with the National Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP) as particularly reflected in the new National Automotive Industry Policy (NAIP).
He further disclosed that the three-day event is geared towards coordinating the actualization and investment efforts aimed at integrating both Domestic Direct Investment (DDI) and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) prospects of Nnewi Special Economic Zone (NSEZ).
The lawmaker noted that as a trained and practicing engineer, his focus has been on infrastructure deficit and the negative impact it has wielded in the overall development of his constituency in particular and the country in general.
He regretted that in spite of the huge contributions of Nnewi to the industrial growth of the country, government has not done much for the development of commerce and industry in the city either by infrastructural development or by policy formulation.
Azubogu expressed optimism that at the end of the three day event that will bring the government, industry and academia, it will help in galvanizing government’s actions or inactions and regulations “that might affect the speedy development of the NSEZ”.