TheCable

President Jonathan has reiterated his commitment to developing policies that will encourage Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (SMEs), as well as protect local manufacturers, even though he reckons it will be impossible to distribute wealth evenly.

The president said this step will help the country move towards equal distribution of income among its citizens.

Speaking at the ongoing World Economic Forum on Africa (WEFA), Jonathan noted that a dearth in infrastructure, and processes in bureaucracy, have overtime hampered the growth of the private sector.

However, he maintained that government is taking bold steps to reverse the trend, by making grants available to young entrepreneurs, especially those willing to invest in commercial farming.

‘”You cannot get equal income distribution, but you can only create the environment; so that while others have so much to spend, others will also have, no matter how little,” Jonathan said.

Blaming the exorbitant cost of commodities such as cement and sugar on the absence of 75% of the required raw materials in the country, he urged investors to invest in the ”green field’ that is NIgeria’