President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday sought the support of the European Union for the Federal Government’s ongoing efforts at ensuring stable electricity supply in the country.
A statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, quoted the President as making the appeal while granting audience to the new Ambassador of the EU to Nigeria, Mr. Michel Arrion, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Jonathan identified adequate power supply as essential for rapid economic growth and job creation.
While commending the union for its support for other developmental programmes in Nigeria, he called on the EU to extend the same hand of support to the power sector.
The President also said the Federal Government would continue to give all necessary encouragement and protection to emerging industries in the country to ensure a steady economic growth and facilitate the creation of more jobs.He said in protecting the emerging industries, Nigeria would not be acting differently from the advanced nations of the world, which, at similar stages in their development, put measures in place to protect their domestic production.
Jonathan said, “We will need to protect the budding industries in Nigeria because we know that every country in the world that wants to grow industrially, at some stage, needs to put instruments in place to protect the upcoming industries in order to stimulate and sustain growth and employment.
“We have a lot of young people coming out of the universities and we have to plan for them.”
In his remarks, Arrion gave an assurance to Jonathan that the EU would give Nigeria all possible assistance for the development of its energy sector.
EU SUPPORT POWER SUPPLY
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