The president, board of Quantity Surveyors Registration Board of Nigeria (QSRBN), Malam Murtala Aliyu has called on Turkish companies to set up manufacturing plants in Nigeria instead of exporting their finished products to the country.
Speaking at the Machinery, Metal and Steel (MMS) Exhibition organized in Lagos by TG Expo of Turkey, Aliyu said it is cheaper to produce in Nigeria though he said the country has power challenge.
“It should be more of collaboration between Nigeria and Turkey. They should come and set up their plants here. Nigeria is still a cheap country to produce; Turkey is cheaper than most countries in Europe. But again, if Turkey or any European country will come here to produce, they will find it even cheaper. Some time ago it was China; China is no more cheap. I know we have challenges like power. I think once we are able to get that right countries will come to produce instead of bringing in finished goods,” he said.
Thereafter, he said with the country out of recession, the construction sector will be at the forefront.
“The construction industry contributes slightly less than 2 per cent of the gross domestic product. We expect it to grow much more than that. We are expanding the existing urban areas; the country is highly urbanised.
“With the country out of recession; construction activities will be in the forefront. So, we expect that a lot of activities will start in the construction sector. What we need is to encourage the private sector; the government has to put enabling laws in place and also give incentives to the private sector to have confidence.
“There is a lull now because of the downturn in the economy. I think it will pick up. The important thing is the activity in the construction industry and also the engagement of the population in the construction industry. It employs quite a reasonable part of the population,” he added.
Also speaking, the sales manager of TG Expo, Ali Gokhan said the exhibition tide had changed as people are more inclined to attend fairs relating to their sectors.
He described Nigeria as a “big potential country for Turkey.”
“We are trying to start off business in Nigeria, to open the door for West Africa and make bridge between Turkey and Nigeria. I am glad to see that there are lots of Nigerian companies attending the show. It is the only specialized exhibition for machinery, metal, steel, and foundry sectors,” he added.
