Lagos: The Federal Government is set to launch a national campaign to promote Made-in-Nigeria goods and services under the Nigeria First policy as part of efforts to revitalise the manufacturing sector. President Bola Tinubu made this known in Lagos at the fifth Adeola Odutola Lecture by the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN). He was represented at the event by the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Sen. John Enoh.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the campaign aims to shift national demand towards Nigerian products that meet global quality standards, while also addressing the country’s import dependency. Tinubu noted that preliminary studies showed that such a campaign could boost the manufacturing sector by up to six per cent and create over 500,000 jobs within the next three years. He said his administration would continue to prioritise growth of Nigeria’s manufacturing sector through policies promoting production, consumption, and export of Made-in-Nigeria goods.
The President emphasized that no country achieves prosperity or dignity without producing what it can and exporting at scale what it does best. He stated, “Economics of resilience begins in the factory and thrives in the marketplace and we are committed to reducing structural costs and enabling our manufacturers to compete effectively both at home and abroad.”
Tinubu also outlined six key policy commitments under the ‘Nigeria First’ strategy. These include federal procurement reforms, quality and standards enforcement, export expansion, access to finance, energy and logistics, skills development, and input security. He urged MAN members to uphold quality and transparency in production while collaborating with government agencies to share accurate data on capacity and pricing for effective policy planning.
Alhaji Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Group, represented by Mr. Mansur Ahmed, former President of MAN, expressed manufacturers’ eight key expectations from the Nigeria First policy. Dangote emphasized that for the policy to work, it must be designed as a durable, binding national strategy for industrial development, capable of withstanding political transitions and market pressures alike. He stressed it must be anchored on both global best practices and Nigeria’s own industrial realities.
Dangote listed the expectations to include legislating the policy as a binding law with punitive measures for non-compliance, ensuring policy stability, consistency, and long-term commitment. He added it was important to develop a national supplier registry, drive consumer engagement and a national cultural shift, incentivise backward integration, and address infrastructure and energy deficits. Dangote called for enhanced access to finance to build local supplier capacity and leverage the Africa Continental Free Trade Area and regional export potential to strengthen local competitiveness.
The President of MAN, Otunba Francis Meshioye, lauded the government’s efforts to transform the economy via policy reforms including the Nigeria First Policy. Meshioye stated that its full legislation and implementation held the potential to significantly boost the fortune of the manufacturing sector and improve the wellbeing of Nigerian citizenry. However, he noted the tough realities facing the manufacturing sector, shaped by global headwinds and domestic macroeconomic and policy constraints.
Meshioye concluded by stating that the Nigeria First policy was not merely an industrial ambition, but a matter of national economic survival. He stated, “If we do not intentionally support our own manufacturers, we will not be able to compete globally.” MAN believes that the ‘Nigeria First’ policy is about building national resilience, creating jobs at home, saving foreign exchange, driving technological innovation, and giving Nigeria the productive foundation it needs to be competitive globally.