FG Urged To Ban Importation Of Toothpick

An industrialist, Mr Paul Okpue, has called on the Federal Government to ban the importation of toothpick to encourage local production of the product.
Okpue, the Chairman of Panicenduweli Nigeria Limited, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the ban would make prospective industrialists to venture into the manufacturing of the product.
NAN reports that Panicenduweli is the only indigenous company in the country that produces bamboo toothpick, and bamboo flooring.

But Okpue expressed concern over the flooding of the country with imported toothpicks.
He said that the development had the potential of impeding efforts to establish more of the factory in the country.
The industrialist said, “Nigeria is being flooded with cheap toothpick products from Asia and creating employment for them and also creating poverty for ourselves.
“Efforts to expand production has remained a Herculean task for our industry.
“One of the worst things that have happened to this country was when the former Minister of Finance lifted the ban on the importation of toothpicks.
“We are pleading with the government to ban importation of toothpicks so that we can revive our production. We want Nigeria to also equally export bamboo related products.
“We are doing research and development and we have tried to collaborate with so many companies and so many research institutes in Nigeria but the results have not been very fruitful.”