By Moyofoluwa Ogunyemi, Mojeed Adeyemi & Segun Asokere
Stakeholders at the just concluded Nigeria Manufacturing and Equipment/Nigerian Raw Materials Exposition (NME-NIRAM Expo) 2025, have called for an urgent shift from fragmented, short-term policies to a stable, coordinated regulatory framework, capable of transforming Nigeria’s manufacturing sector into a globally competitive power-house.
Speaking at the just concluded NME-NIRAM Expo, 2025, which held at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos, Nigeria, from 5th to 7th August, 2025, some experts have unanimously advocated for consistent government policies and regulatory framework, major factors which help to drive manufacturing growth.
The Managing Director, Noclink Ventures Nigeria Limited, Engr. Frank Onyebu, warned that policy inconsistencies, overlapping mandates, and regulatory reversals have discouraged investments, driven up costs and stalled industrial expansion. “No country can industrialise under a disjointed policy regime,” Onyebu declared. He, therefore, urged Nigeria to adopt sustained, coherent industrial strategies that powered the economic rise of China, South Korea and Vietnam.
In her submission, the Director, Planning, Statistics and Policy Development Department, RMRDC, Mrs. Rachael Kotso, admitted that manufacturers and investors often bear the brunt of policy instability. She, however, noted that through its ‘Nigeria First’ policy, the current administration is working assiduously to alleviate the challenges being faced in the manufacturing sector. She outlined the Council’s 30% local content directive for raw materials value-addition and informed participants about the 10-year industrial roadmap developed in collaboration with the African Development Bank (ADB). This, she said, was aimed at boosting technology adoption and adaptation, enhancing local sourcing and raising the contribution of manufacturing to GDP.
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Mrs Kotso also called for unified national policy execution, warning against duplication of regulatory roles and announced upcoming tax incentives to encourage local sourcing and investments into research. She added that a stakeholders’ forum to address the issue was being planned in collaboration with the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), while an Inter-Ministerial Committee would soon be launched to ensure alignment of all the policies.
Representing the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Mr. Abdul Rasaq emphasised that standards must remain uncompromised despite policy changes, noting that early engagement with regulators was critical for export compliance. He advocated for harmonised African trade standards through ECOWAS under the “One Test, One Market, One Standard” initiative.
In his presentation titled “Harnessing Local Resources: Enhancing Value-Addition through Innovation in Raw Materials Sourcing”, which focused on turning Nigeria’s abundant raw materials into industrial opportunities, the Director, Agriculture and Agro-Allied Raw Materials Department, RMRDC, Dr. Sab Ebiriekwe, lamented the continued export of raw commodities and importation of finished products, noting that Nigeria imports over 75% of its manufacturing inputs and loses more than 40% of perishable agricultural produce due to inadequate storage. He highlighted a critical need for local value addition, and cited global examples from Indonesia, China, Morocco, and Brazil showing how strategic policies, industrial clusters, and export restrictions can transform raw material wealth into industrial powerhouses. He thereafter urged Nigeria to adopt similar measures by mapping resources, investing in R&D, and enforcing local content laws which can create millions of jobs and boost GDP by up to 2% annually.
Responding during the session, the MD/CEO. Jola Global Ind. Ltd., Dr. Moses Omojola, asked the question, why more Nigerians were not venturing into manufacturing. He revealed that although the sector was highly demanding and challenging, it remains far more rewarding in the long run. He noted that about 80 percent of companies in Nigeria were owned by foreigners. He, therefore, urged politicians to channel some of their accumulated funds into manufacturing, stressing that such investments would help to boost job creation for the nation’s teeming youths. Dr. Omojola added that the sustainability and efficiency of the manufacturing sector depended on the availability of markets for locally made products, which he said could only be achieved under sound and consistent policies. He further noted that with the evolution of new and emerging technologies, manufacturers were increasingly seeking more energy-efficient machinery, pointing out that energy costs accounted for about 30 percent of total manufacturing expenses.
The Founder, African Farmer Discovery Hub, Farmer Mogaji, stressed that production alone was insufficient without strong marketing, visibility, attractive branding and packaging, to attract investments. He urged Nigeria to emulate Indonesia’s deliberate mobilisation of untapped human capital, suggesting that political will and clear incentives could help transform local industries into global players.
During the discourse, the Director of Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals, RMRDC, Mr. Abubakar Shehu Kollere, revealed that over 40 pilot plant projects have been established by RMRDC to drive industrialisation. He, however, stated that lack of interest by prospective investors was limiting their impact.
Adding his voice to the deliberations the Managing Director, Spectra Industries Ltd., Lagos, Chief Duro Kuteyi, decried the lack of SME protection, citing predatory competition from large corporations and foreign firms.
Also, from the feeds industry, the Managing Director, FACCO West Africa, Mr. Femi Adelayo, recommended that alternative sources such as cassava peels and millet should be developed in order to cut livestock production costs.
Across the sessions, the panelists unanimously agreed that Nigeria’s industrial future depends on consistent policies, unified regulatory action, local value-addition to resources and strategic investments in innovation, anchored on standards, collaboration and long-term vision.
