At Last, FG Begins Pencil Production At Enugu

By Uche Mbah

The federal government finally fulfills its election promise to start pencil production by the end of 2018. Although the APC led administration said the finished products would be available on or before 2018, government is only beginning to install the machine for the production.

They are using the Project Development Institute, PRODA, for the production.

Speaking to newsmen in Enugu, the Project Manager, Daniel Onjeh, said the project was the first of its kind in West Africa, with its target of 15 million pencils per annum when completed. Agency reports indicate that the project will have one hundred percent local content.

“The project is aimed at 100 per cent local content, including graphite, clay, wood and waste paper” he said.

“We are expecting experts from China in October to install the machines that will produce pencils with waste paper.

“Pencils are in high demand, which is why we are emphasising pencil production.

“The pencil factory will create employment and also support the economic polices of the federal government.”

PRODA intends to test-run the project before the end of the year, though skeptics believe it will be a miracle if it is completed in four years going by the pace of projects of the current administration.

“One of the projects, which we are keenly seeing to completion is the Round House Project, which is the main edifice of the institute”, he said.

“We intend to further upgrade the monument from the institute’s allocation in the 2019 budget,”

“We noticed a remarkable increase in the funds allocated to the agency in the 2018 and 2019 budgets and we look forward to progressive increment in the coming years,” he said.

Recall that Ogbonnaya Onu, in his first coming as a minister of technology, listed pencil making as one of his priority projects. he could not achieve it in his first term as minister.

The PRODA boss had indicated he is instrumental to this new efforts.