The Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ahmed Ibrahim, has disclosed that certain factories established under the One District, One Factory (1D1F) programme have shut down and, in some cases, been turned into churches.
Appearing before Parliament’s Assurance Committee, Mr. Ibrahim attributed the collapse of some facilities to poor siting decisions, noting that factories were set up in districts without the raw materials needed to sustain production.
He argued that political considerations, rather than economic viability, influenced the location of some projects, leading to their eventual failure.
“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.
The Minister revealed that some of the abandoned structures have since been repurposed as places of worship.
Mr. Ibrahim further observed that several state-owned enterprises established over the years have either folded, been sold, or privatised due to weak planning and sustainability challenges. He stressed that government is determined to avoid repeating such mistakes as it rolls out its proposed 24-hour economy markets, assuring that future projects will be guided by sound economic and commercial principles rather than political expediency.
“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 said.
He explained that comprehensive feasibility studies and local economic assessments would inform the siting of new projects, ensuring long-term sustainability, maximising productivity, and creating lasting employment opportunities.
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