Nigeria First Policy Can Curb Imports, Boost Local Manufacturing – MAN

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has said the Federal Government’s Nigeria First Policy, if properly implemented, could reduce import dependence, boost local manufacturing and strengthen the competitiveness of Nigerian products.

The president of MAN, Otunba Francis Meshioye, stated this while responding to questions at a media briefing ahead of the Association’s 54th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos.

Meshioye said the Nigeria Industrial Policy 2025, which is the focus of this year’s AGM, addresses fundamental challenges confronting the manufacturing sector, including skills gaps, supply chain weaknesses and competitiveness.

According to him, effective implementation of the policy would strengthen local supply chains, improve product quality and innovation, and position Nigerian manufacturers to compete in continental and international markets.

“You find the policy is not too voluminous, correct? But it speaks to Nigeria. It speaks to basic things, including skills. If you have skilled workers, if you have a system that is working, and you take care of supply chains locally, not situating it overseas, you have a system that makes it possible for us to compete continentally and internationally,” he said.

On the Nigeria First Policy, the MAN president said the initiative signalled a deliberate shift towards prioritising locally manufactured goods and encouraging Nigerians to patronise domestic products.

He noted that although previous initiatives, including Executive Orders 003 and 005, sought to promote local patronage, the introduction of the Nigeria First Policy and the establishment of an office to drive its implementation demonstrated a renewed commitment by the government.

“You see, the fact that the government can say Nigeria First Policy speaks to the intention of the government. In our mind, that is telling people to look inward and patronise Nigerian products.

That is a shift from not thinking about it seriously.

“Yes, there are Executive Orders 003, 005, but really making it Nigeria First Policy and having an office for that tells us that there is a deliberate intention to do this,” he said.

However, Meshioye stressed that the policy must move beyond declarations to concrete actions that deliver measurable results for local manufacturers.

“What you want to do is to see that the intention is not living in limbo, not just there in suspense. Rather, there are actions that are going to back that intention. There are going to be legs and arms that will work for the intention to be implemented,” he said.

He added that Nigeria’s large domestic market presented an opportunity for manufacturers to expand production and stimulate economic growth if locally made products received adequate patronage.

The MAN president said the theme of the 54th AGM, “Leveraging National Industrial Policy to Position Nigeria as Africa’s Industrial Hub,” was designed to examine how the policy could be translated into measurable industrial outcomes.

He also expressed the Association’s delight at the participation of former Director-General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), Dr Kandeh Yumkella, as the Distinguished Guest Speaker at the sixth Adeola Odutola Lecture scheduled for the second day of the AGM.

“Someone who has led such an organisation for a long time will no doubt have experience which he can engage us with, and can assist us in championing our industrial growth,” Meshioye said.

Also speaking, MAN director-general, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, said high energy costs, foreign exchange challenges, logistics and the policy environment remained critical factors determining the viability of manufacturing operations in Nigeria.

He said the sector’s outlook remained promising, citing manufacturers’ resilience, investment opportunities and the need for policies that support industrial growth.

Ajayi-Kadir urged journalists to interrogate how the National Industrial Policy translates into competitive factories, stronger supply chains, increased investment, improved productivity and job creation.