From Bola Ogunlayi, Ibadan
The Chartered Institute of Professional Printers of Nigeria, has lamented that the sector had lost N15billion to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This was disclosed by the Institute’s President, Mr Olugbemi Malomo spoke during the visit by CIPPON members to Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State in Ibadan.
He hinted that only a federal government intervention could save the industry from imminent collapse.
He said, “Federal Government should have serious rethink on globalisation. The print industry is the largest employer of labor apart from agriculture. It has employed more than 10million Nigerians in her entire value chain, talk of printing of educational materials, security printing and others.
“Government is the highest buyer of print through agencies. Such procurements appear lopsided currently as many who are not printers collect government’s contracts that are specific for printing and allied industry, which are majorly taken outside the country, it is disheartening.”
Governor Seyi Makinde, who spoke through the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Dr. Wasiu Olatubosun, urged the Federal Government to boost the economy by patronising local printers in order to cushion the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The governor, who noted that the nation had lost huge amount of money to printing of documents outside the shores of Nigeria, said the presence of CIPPON, as the regulatory body for professional printers, guarantees the integrity of local printers to print security items like ballot papers, educational materials and traveling documents.
Said he, “We all know the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy. If we are to look inward and plan towards salvaging the economy, then we have to cut our coat according to our cloth, the idea of taking government’s prints abroad is no longer economically sensible, it is a waste of resources.
“The Federal Government should rather engage the established body of printers which is CIPPON to engage professional printers and engage them in doing major works for agencies like UBEC, INEC, Central Bank as well as state agencies.
“I want to commend the institute for what they have done so far on professionalism, they have achieved what seemed impossible for long. Today, the integrity of professional printers is now vouched for with the established act of parliament which allowed for regulation and control.
“I want the Institute to use the same vigor that they used in getting the parliament to pass the bill that established the Institute, do more in removing unprofessionals that are out to tarnish the image of printers.”
