Kaduna — Vice President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan has said Federal Government has no other choice than to encourage and "re-stimulate the manufacturing and transport industry in order to promote economic growth.

Such encouragement, according to him, would be anchored on the provision of infrastructure such as power, railway, roads and waterways and creating a positive environment for investments to thrive.

The Vice President spoke at the commissioning of the production lines of the new Peugeot 307 Sedan cars at the premises of the Peugeot Automobile Nigeria Limited (PAN) in Kaduna .

He said the Federal Government was aware of the key issues in the manufacturing industry especially the power problem adding that government was adopting measures for the industries to regain grounds on a massive scale.

According to him, the 6000 megawatts of electricity the government plans to generate would benefit manufacturers and reduce their operating costs, adding that Nigerians will not depend on generators for their electricity supply by this time next year.

Jonathan said already, the Federal Government has set up a committee to work with the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) in order to arrive at a concrete intervention measures across different sectors of the economy, stressing that government took cognizance of the need to support local industries by galvanizing Nigerians to tie their purchasing power to national interest.

The Vice President who congratulated the Directors and management of PAN Ltd for sustaining production even in the face of challenges that have beset the automobile industry globally described the company as a national treasure.

"Established about 37 years ago, it has virtually grown with the nation; its products moving multitudes of Nigerians to work, worship, school, farms, cities and villages."Today, the Peugeot brand is not just iconic, but it draws tremendous goodwill among Nigerians to the extent that there appears to be a general consensus that everything possible needs to be done to keep its production going..."As a stakeholder in the company, we are in support of the resourceful directions being charted by the management of PAN to reposition the company" he said.

The Vice President who, ironically arrived the premises of PAN in a Mercedes Benz 5600 saloon car with several other foreign cars in his convoy called on Nigerians and Nigeria based companies to patronise PAN products.

"The Federal Government is not unmindful of its role and in line with its recent clarion call to buy and support made in Nigeria goods and services, hereby urges Nigerians and Nigerian based companies to patronise PAN products", Jonathan said.

Also speaking at the event Kaduna State Governor, Mohammed Sambo lamented the declining state of industrial activities in the following the closure of many industries in the state particularly textile industries.

Sambo who also came to the occasion in a Toyota Jeep said his administration was doing everything within its means to assist PAN to increase its sales to be able to remain in business, adding that the state government was compiling names of public officers who were qualified for car loans in the civil service in order to patronize PAN.

Earlier the managing director of PAN Ltd, Dr Haroun Aliyu explained that the Peugeot 307 Sedan is the first product initiated and executed under a Nigerian management of the company.

"Three years after, we are proud to report that we have relentlessly pursued the fundamental objective of sustaining car production against myriad of internal and external challenges. As a result of resilience in the realization of this project christened "The T6 Project" being flagged off today" he said.

According to him, an average of 22 units of the Sedan per day and 7000 per year will be produced, adding that that the company was encouraged by Federal Government at galvanizing "Buy Made in Nigeria" exhibition that was recently held in Abuja and currently ongoing at the zonal levels across the country.

He added that the sustenance of the campaign is crucial to the local manufacturing industry in the country, stressing that Nigeria needs to renew its faith in the growth of internal real sector as that is the surest way to real development and prosperity to the nation.