.says move necessary to position Nigeria as Africa’s Industrial Hub
By Our Reporter
President of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Otunba Francis Meshioye OFR, has called for effective implementation of the Nigeria Industrial Policy 2025, saying this is critical to strengthening domestic production and positioning Nigeria as a major industrial hub in Africa.
Meshioye made the call on Tuesday at a media briefing ahead of the association’s 54th Annual General Meeting (AGM), scheduled to hold from October 5 to 7, 2026, at the Lagos Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
This was just as the MAN president said the manufacturing sector remained a fundamental pillar of a resilient economy because of its role in job creation, innovation, development of domestic value chains and transformation of local resources into national wealth.
He, however, said manufacturers continued to contend with high production and energy costs, limited access to affordable finance, infrastructure deficits, inflationary and exchange-rate pressures, as well as other structural constraints.
According to him, the challenges have made it necessary for Nigeria to strengthen its domestic productive capacity and reduce vulnerabilities associated with excessive dependence on external supply chains.
The MAN president said the association had continued to engage policymakers, regulators and other stakeholders on issues affecting the competitiveness and sustainability of the manufacturing sector.
He listed macroeconomic stability, improved infrastructure, affordable long-term financing, a stable foreign exchange environment and a predictable regulatory framework among the issues being canvassed by the association.
On taxation, Meshioye said MAN had sustained engagement with the Federal Government, in collaboration with the Organised Private Sector of Nigeria, to promote clarity, consistency and legal certainty in the implementation of the evolving tax framework.
He said while MAN supported measures aimed at improving tax administration and strengthening fiscal sustainability, such reforms should also promote investment, productive enterprise and the competitiveness of Nigerian businesses.
Speaking on the Nigeria Industrial Policy 2025, the MAN president described it as an important roadmap for strengthening the country’s industrial base, deepening domestic value chains and placing production, competitiveness and job creation at the centre of Nigeria’s economic strategy.
Meshioye noted that the policy, formally launched by the Federal Government in February 2026, seeks greater coordination among critical enablers of industrialisation, including energy, infrastructure, finance, skills, trade and innovation.
He, however, stressed that the success of the policy would depend largely on implementation, noting that previous industrial development frameworks had often been constrained by implementation gaps, policy inconsistency and weak coordination.
“For manufacturers, implementation must be reflected in factories operating more competitively, stronger local supply chains, increased investment, improved productivity, sustainable jobs and greater access to domestic and export markets,” he said.
He disclosed that the theme of the 54th AGM would be: “Leveraging National Industrial Policy to Position Nigeria as Africa's Industrial Hub,” saying that the theme reflects the need to harness Nigeria’s large market, abundant resources, entrepreneurial capacity and human capital through coherent industrial policy and disciplined implementation.
The MAN president said the AGM would provide a platform for manufacturers, government officials, policymakers, development partners and other stakeholders to examine how the National Industrial Policy could be translated from aspiration into measurable industrial outcomes.
Meshioye also announced that former Director-General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella, would be the Distinguished Guest Speaker at the 6th Adeola Odutola Lecture.
He said the three-day programme would combine the promotion of Made-in-Nigeria products, high-level policy engagement, accountability to MAN members and discussions on the future of manufacturing.
According to him, the first day, October 5, will feature the opening of the Made in Nigeria Exhibition (MiNE 2026), where Nigerian manufacturers will showcase locally produced goods and engage consumers, investors, government representatives and other stakeholders, saying that the exhibition will run throughout the three days and will be open to the public.
He announced that the second day, October 6, will feature the Public Session, 6th Adeola Odutola Lecture and Presidential Luncheon, with senior government officials, policymakers, members of the diplomatic community, development partners, organised private sector leaders and captains of industry expected to participate.
"The final day, October 7, will feature the private session of the 54th AGM, during which members will consider the association’s Annual Report and audited accounts and conduct other statutory business.
"Members will also elect officers and members of MAN’s National Council for the 2026/2027 year, culminating in the transition to a new leadership of the association.
"A value-added session, titled: 'Bridging Industrial Skill Gaps with Smart and Additive Manufacturing: A Manufacturing Imperative' will follow the private session," he stated.
Meshioye said the session would expose members to emerging manufacturing technologies and the skills required to improve productivity, efficiency and competitiveness.
He also called on the media to give adequate visibility to the AGM, the Made in Nigeria Exhibition and the Adeola Odutola Lecture, stressing that the media had an important role in bringing the realities confronting manufacturers into the national conversation.
The MAN president reaffirmed the association’s commitment to working with government and other stakeholders to ensure that industrial policy produces tangible outcomes for businesses and the Nigerian economy.
“As manufacturers, we remain convinced that Nigeria cannot sustainably consume its way to prosperity. We must produce, add value, innovate and compete,” he said.
Director-General of MAN, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, while delivering a vote of thanks, called on the media to sustain its watchdog role in ensuring that government policies translate into improved productivity, stronger local supply chains, increased investment and sustainable job creation in the country.
Ajayi-Kadir said the media had remained a critical partner to the manufacturing sector for more than five decades, helping to highlight the challenges confronting manufacturers and bringing the concerns of the factory floor to the attention of policymakers and the wider public.
According to him, issues such as power costs, foreign exchange, logistics and the broader policy environment directly determine whether factories remain operational, while the media also has an important role in reporting manufacturers’ investments, innovations and job-creation efforts.
He urged journalists to go beyond headlines by asking difficult questions, reporting accurately and independently, and ensuring that Nigerian manufacturers receive a fair hearing.
“We particularly urge you to sustain the conversation beyond the headlines and to interrogate, as our President challenged us today, how the National Industrial Policy can translate into more competitive factories, stronger local supply chains, increased investment, improved productivity, sustainable jobs, and greater access to domestic and export markets,” he said.
Ajayi-Kadir described these outcomes as the “true test of implementation,” stressing that the media’s watchdog role would be vital in holding stakeholders accountable.
He disclosed that MAN’s 54th Annual General Meeting would take place from October 5 to 7, 2026, at the Lagos Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The three-day programme will feature the Made in Nigeria Exhibition (MiNE 2026), a Public Session and the 6th Adeola Odutola Lecture.
According to the MAN director-general, the lecture will feature Dr Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella, former Director-General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).
Ajayi-Kadir said the forthcoming AGM would provide an opportunity for stakeholders to examine the prospects and challenges facing Nigerian manufacturing, as well as policies required to strengthen the sector.
He expressed appreciation to the media for its continued support of MAN and its advocacy efforts, noting that journalists had helped amplify the association’s concerns and brought manufacturing issues into public discourse and the corridors of government.
“The story of Nigerian manufacturing is still being written, and we are pleased that you are among its most faithful scribes,” he said.
The Director-General also thanked MAN President, Otunba Francis Meshioye, OFR, the National Council and members of the association for their contributions to the forthcoming AGM, while expressing confidence that the media would provide robust coverage of the event.
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