Lagos — Paint Manufacturers Association of Nigeria has raised alarm over the dismal output of the nation's paint industry in recent time.

The Association said the industry may soon go under if nothing drastic is done by the Federal government to revive it.

Executive Secretary of the Association Jude Maduka told Daily Trust in an exclusive interview that Nigeria is underutilizing over 100million litres of paint per annum out of its 150million litres per annum of the product.

According to him, the 40million litres remaining out of the installed capacity could not make any meaningful input to Nigerians owing to infrastructural decay and the lack-lustre attitude of the government to bring the nation's petrochemical industry alive.

Maduka wondered why the Petro-chemical plant planned by the Federal government has not come to fruition since the commencement of its construction in 1987.

"Our thinking is that by now,the government should be in the second or third phase of the petro-chemical plant.We have nothing to show for this and we are not sure the plant would be completed".

The Paint Manufacturers scribe noted that the development leave Nigeria with no option than importation, as over 70percent of raw materials for the industry is currently being imported into the country.

He said: "Only 30 percent of the raw materials is sourced locally and 90percent in terms of value.

Unless the foreign companies can come and do that, Nigerian companies cannot do it because they don't have enough money to invest in such project"

Besides, the continual importation of paint, according to him, has caused a reduction in job, taxes and revenue for the Federal government in recent time.

According to him, over 20million litres of paints are being imported into the country annually, saying the development is not good enough for the country.