The Nigerian Government is set to launch a national campaign to promote Made-in-Nigeria goods and services under the Nigeria First policy as part of efforts to revitalise the manufacturing sector.
Speaking in Lagos at the 5th Adeola Odutola lecture by the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Nigerian President Bola Tinubu stated that the campaign aims to shift national demand towards Nigerian products that meet global quality standards, while also addressing the country’s import dependency.
Represented at the event by Nigeria’s Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Sen. John Enoh, Tinubu noted that preliminary studies showed that such a campaign could boost the manufacturing sector by up to 6 per cent and create over 500,000 jobs within the next three years.
He said that his administration would continue to prioritise the growth of Nigeria’s manufacturing sector through policies promoting production, consumption and export of Made-in-Nigeria goods.
“No country achieves prosperity or dignity without producing what it can and exporting at scale what it does best.
“Economics of resilience begins in the factory and thrives in the marketplace and we are committed to reducing structural costs and enabling our manufacturers to compete effectively both at home and abroad,” he said.
Tinubu also outlined six key policy commitments under the “Nigeria First” strategy.
These include federal procurement reforms, quality and standards enforcement, export expansion, access to finance, energy and logistics and skills development and input security.
He urged MAN members to uphold quality and transparency in production while collaborating with government agencies to share accurate data on capacity and pricing for effective policy planning.
In his remarks, the President, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, said that manufacturers had eight key expectations from the Nigeria first policy.
Represented by Mr Mansur Ahmed, former President of MAN, Dangote said that for the policy to work, it should be designed as a durable, binding national strategy for industrial development, capable of withstanding political transitions and market pressures alike.
He stressed that it should be anchored on both global best practices and Nigeria’s own industrial realities.
Dangote listed the expectations to include legislating the policy as a binding law with punitive measures for non-compliance, ensuring policy stability, consistency and long-term commitment.
He added that it was important to develop a national supplier registry, drive consumer engagement and a national cultural shift, incentivise backward integration and address infrastructure and energy deficits.
Dangote called for enhanced access to finance to build local supplier capacity and leverage the African Continental Free Trade Area and regional export potential to strengthen local competitiveness.
GIK/APA