The new Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga has pointed out that the Ministry of Trade and Investment is strategic to the economic growth and job creation to Nigerians. He made the statement during the official handing over ceremony by the Permanent Secretary Dr. Abubakar Muhammad in the Ministry’s Headquarters in Abuja.The Minister stated that their mission was to transform and refocuse the new Ministry to ensure that it takes its rightful place as the driver of the Nigerian economy adding that sustenance of the economic growth and job creation require a new way of thinking

, some reforms and structural changes as well as finding creative solution to these challenges.

According to him, “the Ministry should be the heart of the economy and in fact it is the case in many developed and developing countries all over the world. There is a lot to do and we don’t have much time which means that it cannot be business as usual. The work has to start now”.  He stressed.

In his remarks, the Honourable Minister of State, Dr. Samuel Ortom stated that Nigeria is endowed with both human and natural resources needed to transform the country into amiable state. He therefore charged  everybody in the Ministry  to brace up for the challenge of transformation Agenda of Mr. President.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Abubakar Muhammad in his handing over address had said that the trade and industrial policy of the Ministry was anchored on increase in the productive capacity of the manufacturing sector, increasing non-oil export earnings and decreasing in import of consumable items. He noted that the Ministry’s mandate was to address the challenges to trade integration and industrialization with a view to generating employment, reduce poverty, create wealth and attract investment to the country.