State To Map Out Natural Resources Across 47 Counties That Will Boost Local Economies

LAIKIPIA,Kenya, Nov, 17 – During this year’s Africa Industrialization Week event held in Nanyuki town, Laikipia county, Industrialization Principal Secretary Kirimi Kaberia said the government is identifying crucial resources in all the 47 counties so as to improve on value addition.

Kaberia said that the ministry is mapping all the 47 counties to ensure that they establish the top 10 most prevalent natural resources which will in turn inform the type of value addition and industries that will be set up across specific regions.

The programme, dubbed ‘one village one product’ (OVOP), is one of the pillars of Vision 2030 that is meant to increase income at the community level through value addition and improved market access.

The move will see production for the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) improve tremendously.

“OVOP is a development model that was commenced in 1979 in Japan by the late Dr Morihiko Hiramatsu, and the same was applied in other countries in the world. Through the model, each village identifies a valuable local resource then adds value to it through either processing, sales and marketing activities,” he said.

Youth have now been challenged to become more innovative in order to secure funding from government in turn boosting their enterprises

Area governor Ndiritu Muriithi echoed the PS’s sentiments saying that in order for Africa to be industrialized people must believe in their products as opposed to flooding local markets with foreign products.