UN, Nigeria Unveil $175m Programme For Industrial Development

The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), in collaboration with the Nigerian government, has launched the Programme for Country Partnership (PCP) Flagship Strategy for 2024–2028 to accelerate inclusive and sustainable industrial development, drive innovation, and strengthen economic growth.

With a total budget of $175 million, the initiative represents a joint effort to deepen Nigeria’s industrial base, create jobs, and expand opportunities for small businesses.

The federal government contributes about $25 million, 14.3 per cent of the total budget. UNIDO provides $200,000 for programme coordination and will lead efforts to mobilise more than $50 million in additional funding from development partners.

The programme, launched alongside the inauguration of the National Coordination Body (NCB) in Abuja, aims to strengthen value chains in agriculture and minerals, promote start-ups and MSMEs through science, technology, and digitalisation, and enhance industrial infrastructure through the development of industrial parks, clusters, and special economic zones.

It will also advance clean energy solutions, such as hydropower, biomass, solar, and wind, and build Nigeria’s capacity to trade competitively under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Speaking at the launch, UNIDO Nigeria’s National Programme officer, Dr Ruben Bamidele, said the PCP’s rollout marks the start of a transformative journey toward making Nigeria a leading industrial and economic hub in Africa.

He highlighted that UNIDO, with support from the European Union, is already constructing six small-scale power development sites across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones and piloting biomass energy projects in Ebonyi State, where rice husks are being converted to electricity.

Bamidele also disclosed that UNIDO is implementing three capacity-building initiatives to improve product standards and build consumer trust in locally made goods, noting that, such efforts are essential for Nigeria to avoid becoming a dumping ground under AfCFTA.

UNIDO’s representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ambassador Philbert Johnson, described the PCP as a unifying framework that aligns with Nigeria’s medium-term industrial development plan. He said the initiative will consolidate partnerships, strengthen institutions, and ensure that industrial growth enhances competitiveness, protects the environment, and promotes shared prosperity.

He added that the PCP seeks to forge new alliances for a diversified, inclusive, and sustainable industrial economy, with the government providing strategic leadership and UNIDO offering technical expertise.

The minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, commended the partnership, saying it reflects Nigeria’s belief in multilateral cooperation as a driver of global prosperity.

He noted that the federal government has already contributed $1.3 million and expressed optimism about Nigeria’s economic trajectory.

“Our economy is expanding rapidly, inflation is trending downwards, and we are preparing a new national development plan for 2026–2030. We aim to become a one-trillion-dollar economy by 2030, and that ambition demands high growth driven by industrialisation and innovation,” Bagudu said.

Also speaking, the minister of state for Industry, Senator John Owan Enoh, said the PCP identifies key pillars for Nigeria’s industrial transformation—ranging from agro-industrial growth and renewable energy to green manufacturing, digital industrialisation, and local production. He noted that these align with the government’s ‘Nigeria-first’ policy, which promotes Made-in-Nigeria goods, export-led growth, and balanced regional development.

Enoh added that establishing the NCB is a critical governance milestone that will help ensure effective coordination, deepen value-chain integration, and expand opportunities for MSMEs and local manufacturers.

The federal government will provide strategic oversight for the four-year implementation period to ensure the programme achieves its objectives.

As Nigeria’s first-ever PCP, the initiative reflects a joint commitment by UNIDO and the government to accelerate industrialisation, economic diversification, and job creation.