The Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, has advised tobacco companies operating in the country to adhere strictly to regulatory standards and think of the country’s future.
The governor gave the advice when he received Keith Gretton, the Managing Director of British American Tobacco (BAT), Nigeria, who paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House, on Monday, in Ikeja.
Fashola, who noted that tobacco products posed great risks to consumers, urged the companies to operate in line with prescribed standards to mitigate the risks.
“I think as we do business today, we must think about the future because without people there really cannot be business,” he said.
“Therefore, I think tobacco companies like yours should begin to focus on doing things that will prolong the lives of the people from whom they make profits.
“A good number of diseases that we have today are caused by the lifestyle and choices that people make and these diseases are becoming more and more complex as a result of substance dependency and so on. So I strongly urge companies that produce all these things to adhere strictly to regulations, especially those laws that seek to mitigate all of these risks.”
Fashola commended BAT for developing the economy of the country through employment opportunities since 2003 when it began operation.
He reiterated his government’s determination to embark on aggressive investment in a bid to improve the state’s business climate.
No comments:
Post a Comment