By Rukayat Moisemhe
The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has urged effective implementation of the Nigeria Industrial Policy 2025 to drive tangible gains in industrial performance, investment, productivity and job creation.
MAN President, Mr Francis Meshioye, made the call on Tuesday in Lagos at a news conference on the association’s 54th Annual General Meeting (AGM), scheduled for Oct. 5 to Oct. 7.
Meshioye said the policy, formally launched by the Federal Government in February, provides a framework for strengthening Nigeria’s industrial base and deepening domestic value chains.
He said the policy placed production, competitiveness and job creation at the centre of the country’s economic strategy.
The MAN president, however, said the critical issue was to ensure that the framework translated into tangible outcomes for manufacturers and the wider economy.
“Effective implementation must be reflected in factories operating more competitively, stronger local supply chains, increased investment, improved productivity, sustainable jobs and greater access to domestic and export markets,” he said.
He said the manufacturing sector continues to contend with high production and energy costs, limited access to affordable finance, infrastructure deficits, inflationary and exchange-rate pressures, among other structural constraints.
He said developments in the global economy and continuing geopolitical tensions had further highlighted the need for Nigeria to strengthen its domestic productive capacity and reduce vulnerabilities arising from excessive dependence on external supply chains.
According to him, MAN actively participated in the stakeholder consultation process leading to the development of the industrial policy, contributing the practical perspectives and experiences of manufacturers.
He said the association welcomed the policy’s renewed emphasis on industrialisation and indigenous entrepreneurship, but stressed that implementation should remain the defining priority.
He said Nigeria’s large market, abundant resources, entrepreneurial capacity and human capital offered significant opportunities to build a productive and competitive industrial economy.
He said this informed the theme of the 54th AGM: “Leveraging National Industrial Policy to Position Nigeria as Africa’s Industrial Hub”.
He said the AGM would provide a platform for manufacturers, government, policymakers, development partners and other stakeholders to examine how the industrial policy could move from aspiration to measurable industrial outcomes.
He said the three-day programme would begin with the opening ceremony of the Made in Nigeria Exhibition (MiNE 2026), which would showcase the quality, diversity, innovation and capabilities of Nigerian manufacturers.
“The Oct. 6 public session will feature the 6th Adeola Odutola Lecture and Presidential Luncheon, with Dr Kandeh Yumkella, former Director-General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), as guest speaker,” he said.
MAN Director-General, Mr Segun Ajayi-Kadir, urged the media to sustain its scrutiny of the implementation of industrial policies and their impact on manufacturers.
Ajayi-Kadir said the media had remained a longstanding partner of the manufacturing sector by reporting its concerns and bringing the voice of the factory floor to the public and policymakers.
He urged journalists to continue asking difficult questions, reporting accurately and independently, and giving Nigerian manufacturers a fair hearing.
“The road ahead for Nigerian manufacturing is promising. There will be stories that need to be told — stories of resilience, investment, policies that work, and policies that must change,” he said.
He said the media should go beyond the headlines and interrogate how the National Industrial Policy could translate into more competitive factories, stronger local supply chains and increased investment.
“That is the true test of implementation, and your watchdog role will be vital in ensuring that all stakeholders remain accountable,” he said.(NAN)
Edited by Abujah Racheal/Folasade Adeniran