The Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ahmed Ibrahim, has disclosed that some abandoned factories established under the One District, One Factory (1D1F) initiative have been converted into churches due to their inability to operate sustainably.
According to the minister, several of the factories were located in districts that lacked the necessary raw materials required for production, making it difficult for them to remain viable.
Speaking before Parliament’s Assurance Committee, Mr Ibrahim criticised what he described as politically influenced decisions in selecting locations for some of the factories, arguing that economic considerations were not given enough attention.
“We sited factories and companies far away from raw materials because politicians were coming from these faraway areas. How many of them survived?” he questioned.
He noted that several state-owned enterprises established over the years have collapsed, been sold or privatised due to poor planning and sustainability challenges.
Mr Ibrahim assured that the government is taking lessons from previous experiences and will ensure that its proposed 24-hour economy markets are established based on sound economic and commercial considerations.
“Now the power has been given to us to conduct research in the various districts together with the District Chief Executives, so we know where these factories will be economically viable,” he added.
The minister stressed that future projects will be guided by proper feasibility studies and local economic assessments to improve their sustainability and create long-term employment opportunities.
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