By Rukayat Moisemhe

Minister of State for Industry, Sen. John Enoh, says the National Industrial Policy prioritises technology adoption, equipment financing, and power integration to support manufacturing sector innovation.

The minister said this at the 2025 edition of the Nigeria Manufacturing and Equipment (NME) and Nigerian Raw Materials (NIRAM) expo on Wednesday in Lagos.

The event had the theme: “Accelerating Sustainable Manufacturing through Cutting-edge Equipment and Technology Solutions.”
It was organised by the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and the Raw Materials Research and Development Council.

Enoh said the policy, currently going through some processing for validation, aimed to enhance the advancement of the country’s industrial sector.

He noted that globally, manufacturing was undergoing some profound revolution.

He said the convergence of matters like automation, artificial intelligence, energy efficiency and smart infrastructure were redrawing the map and boundaries of possibilities.

The minister stated that Nigeria could not afford to be left behind given its huge population, geography and large raw materials base.

Enoh stressed that Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises that drove about 97 per cent of the manufacturing sector must have access to affordable, smart machinery, not antiquated tools of the past.

He said for textile and other industries to being to scale up and leverage efficient systems, the country must move from importing used industrial scrap to deploying world-class solutions built for resilience, for sustainability.

“What we may lack may be a kind of coordinated acceleration to get all of this to happen.

“We must begin to treat technology as something that we need for the survival of industry and manufacturing,” he said.

Enoh stated that through policy-driven partnerships with Development Finance Institutions and innovation hubs, the ministry was working to increase acquisition of manufacturing technologies for small-scale producers.

He said they were harmonising efforts between the ministry, Bank of Industry and others to align around the single industrial acceleration agenda.

“My call to manufacturers, innovators and exhibitors is that this expo should not just be a marketplace, but a mandate.

“The mandate is to forge strategic technology transfer partnerships and explore modular, mobile, decentralised equipment models from underserved regions.

“The mandate is to collaborate with universities and polytechnics to co-design Nigeria-specific machines and to define sustainability, not just as a matter to comply environmentally, but as economic inclusiveness and industrial sovereignty,” he said.

President, MAN, Mr Francis Meshioye, said the event’s theme resonated with the need for adaptation and ingenuity in industry to drive a more robust manufacturing ecosystem.

Meshioye stressed the need to harness the innovations and strategies presented to equip manufacturers to better respond to local demands while also positioning strategically in the global marketplace.

He said the expo would not just showcase industrial capabilities but also explore opportunities for collaboration, innovation, and sustainable practices to propel Nigeria’s industry into a future of resilience and prosperity.

“NME-NIRAM EXPO presents us with a unique platform to learn from one another, to challenge the status quo, and to pave the way for advancements that will shape the manufacturing landscape in Nigeria and beyond,” he said.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma