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Stop panic buying, price hiking, others, urges Minister

Otunba Richard Adeniyi Adebayo, Honourable Minister for Industry, Trade and Investment

* Tasks manufacturers to boost production of essential commodities

Alexander Davis | ConsumerConnect
Following a partial or total lockdown on socio-economic activities in several parts of the country resulting from the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Otunba Richard Adeniyi Adebayo, Honourable Minister for Industry, Trade and Investment, has urged Nigerian consumers to not indulge in any panic buying while charging manufacturers and middlemen in the value chain over adulteration, hoarding of products and price hiking.

ConsumerConnect gathered that Otunba Adebayo stated that the Federal Government is currently putting making crucial measures towards sustaining the production of essential commodities across the country.

Adebayo, in a chat with newsmen in Abuja, FCT, said that “all industries shall provide requisite facilities and supplies for the prevention of COVID-19 in line with extant guidelines of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).”

“All measures necessary to protect and promote the health and safety of industrial and related workers, their families, communities and the nation at large are being put in place.

“We encourage all industries to do their utmost best to sustain ongoing operations in order to avoid reduction or shut-down of production activities,” he stated.

In the meantime, the Minister has tasked manufacturers to “scale up their production, especially of essential commodities, such as pharmaceutical consumables, sanitary and hygiene products needed to curtail the spread of the virus in Nigeria.

“Government will continue to do everything possible to support industries to sustain their operations and where necessary even stimulate a surge in production of essential commodities especially medicine and sanitary products.”

He, therefore, urged Nigerians to not “indulge in any panic behavior, such as panic buying, adulteration, hoarding or price hiking as government, manufacturers and other stakeholders are working closely to minimise the impact of COVID-19 on the populace.”

The Minister assured that all key stakeholders have taken measures to proactively tackle the challenges, potential threat, and the impact of the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic on the Nigerian economy.

Ahmed Mansur, President, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), said the Association was still collaborating with key stakeholders in order to minimise the impact of COVID-19 on the nation’s manufacturing sector as well.

“At this point, it is more important to us to focus more on how we can proffer solution to the situation rather than emphasise the pending dangers.”

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