A huge N3trilion is being spent annually on Importation of papers into the country, the Chartered Institute Of Professional Printers of Nigeria (CIPPON) has revealed
President and Chairman in-Council of the Institute, Mr. Olugbemi Malomo made the revealition on Wednesday in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital during a formal opening of the body's second Nigerian National Printers Conference and 4th Annual General Meeting and Election
Malomo at the two-day conference holding under the theme " Using Regulation To Revive The Ailing Printing Industry", also described as worrisome, a situation where significant volumes of 1.2billion of books printed annually are done outside the country
His words,"Nigeria currently prints over 1.2billion books annually and a significant part of that is printed outside Nigeria, not because of lack of capacity but because of people taking advantage of the outdated government policy"
He also blamed the situation on Government's policy on ease of doing business in the Nigeria saying such policy has provided foreign printing firms unhindered access to retail level in the printing Industry competing with the local printing firms for t. s e a available printing jobs
"The ease of doing business in Nigeria has allowed foreigners to come unhindered to the retail level of our Industry,competing with locals with support from their home country at a very difficult global economic challenges when all over the world localization is the new normal, our Industry are being denied the opportunity to build capacity", he lamented
The Institute is suggesting the introduction of regulations by government as part of measures to revive the ailing printing Industry , particularly from quacks mostly among portfolio contractors and government officials who turned printers
Also the Institute is asking participants at the conference to proffer solutions to a number of problems confronting the industry, especially finding the immediate and long term plan to paper issues that is costing Nigeria over three trillion naira through Importation annually amongst others
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