Manufacturers Target 10% GDP Share In 2026, Push For Supportive Policies, Affordable Energy

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has said Nigeria’s manufacturing sector is expected to contribute over 10 per cent to the country’s GDP in 2026, as the government focuses on key areas to drive growth and competitiveness in the sector.

The association advocated capital expenditure to support manufacturing, affordable and reliable energy, and access to long-term, low-cost finance, among other priorities.

The president of MAN, Otunba Francis Meshioye stated this at the 10th edition of the MAN media personality of the year award and 2026 presidential media luncheon held yesterday in Lagos.

He disclosed that “the outlook for Nigeria’s economy in 2026 is broadly positive. For us in the manufacturing sector, this means opportunity, but only if the right policies are in place.

“MAN projects the sector to grow by 3.1 per cent this year, contributing over 10 per cent to GDP. To achieve this, our advocacy will focus squarely on the fundamentals that matter most to industry.”

Meshioye said that “our priorities in 2026 are clear: canvassing capital expenditure that supports manufacturing, securing affordable and reliable energy for industry, expanding access to long-term, low-cost finance, restraining excessive taxation and regulatory burdens, promoting policy consistency and predictability, and championing patronage of made in Nigeria products.”

He insisted that “in practice, this means sustained engagement to ensure investments in power, transport, and other industrial infrastructure are fully delivered; advancing gas to power solutions and grid modernisation; expanding credit intervention programmes; and redressing fiscal and regulatory measures that undermine competitiveness.”

According to him, MAN will adopt a more structured, evidence-driven advocacy strategy this year, engaging early with government on budget priorities, producing concise policy briefs backed by data, and building stronger alliances within the organised private sector.

“Our message will be simple but firm: manufacturing is central to jobs, exports, and fiscal sustainability. When manufacturing thrives, Nigeria thrives. We are fully aware of the early onset of the political activities in 2026, and we have seen the need to continuously ensure that the government does not relegate the well-being of the economy to the background, on account of politicking.”

Meshioye added, there is no gainsaying that manufacturing remains central to Nigeria’s economic transformation, saying that “a thriving manufacturing sector means jobs, exports, innovation, and shared prosperity. Simply put: when manufacturing wins, Nigeria wins. Government must therefore see manufacturing not as a sector to manage, but as a partner to empower.”