23rd September, 2017
As part of activities to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the state creation, a 400 million capacity a year Syringe manufacturing company has been commissioned in Akwa Ibom State by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
Osinbajo, who was visibly elated with Governor Udom Emmanuel for the foresight in attracting the project, said “you are one of the cleverest people I’ve ever come across.”
He described the syringe factory as a landmark project, not just for Akwa Ibom, but Nigeria, adding that “it is a game changer for the nation,” as it marked local production of all syringes in the country.
He commended Emmanuel for his innovation and creativity.
“It is my privilege to commission this project for the benefit of Akwa Ibom State and the entire Nigeria.”
He described Nigeria as the best place to invest in Africa, and pledged the readiness of the federal government to encourage such investments.
Earlier, Emmanuel noted that the factory had a production capacity of 400 million syringes, and would be upgraded to 1 billion by next year.
Emmanuel said he was worried about the 100 percent dependence on importation of all medical consumables into the country, hence his decision to encourage the investment by the private investors.
He recounted that skeptics had scorned at the project at inception because of the poor downturn in the nation’s economy, but expressed delight at the successful completion of the project, saying it has opened the door for more private investments in the state.
The governor expressed hope that the National economic team led by the Vice President would formulate policies that shall engender the growth and development of industries in the country.
Managing Director of JSM, Mr Onur Kumral, in an interview with reporters after the commissioning, said the syringe factory “is a bullet that will assist to end the poor run of the country’s economy,
as it has already created job opportunities for indigenes of the state.”
He stated that JSM syringes are made from the highest quality, medical grade raw materials with state of the art machinery.
“JSM seeks to providing Nigerians with the highest quality disposable syringes, thereby helping people of Africa live healthy lives.”
“We aim to deliver superior growth and profitability to our shareholders by continuously improving productivity and lowering costs,” he added.