AfCFTA: We must increase manufacturing capacity, says MAN President
Joy Obakeye
The President of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Mr Mansur Ahmed, has said African Continental Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA) would change the face of manufacturing as it was bound to increase competition from products and services produced outside the country.
He disclosed this at the unveiling of First Class Corporate Envelopes and Letterheads by FAE Limited in Ikeja, on Thursday.
“We are going to change that, and we must resort to manufacturing. We must increase our manufacturing capacity and ensure that we manufacture what we consume as a country,’’ Ahmed said.
He added that MAN would continue to work with the government and other institutions toward achieving that objective in spite of the challenges bedevilling the industry.
Ahmed also commended FAE Limited for the innovation and persistence which had made their brand a force to be reckoned within the industry.
However, the President of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Mr Babatunde Ruwase, said the vision of the company to expand its services to outside Nigeria would be beneficial to the economy.
He commended the Managing Director of FAE Limited, Princess Layo Bakare-Okeowo, for her diligence and dedication which he said had spurred the firm to higher heights.
A former Minister of Industry, Mrs Nike Akande said there was a need to build Nigeria’s economy to an enviable status and ensure its prosperity as a world-class economy.
“I have been passionate about promoting Made-in-Nigeria, which I believe, should be the driving force for stimulating the growth of the economy.
“I believe that with more patronage, Nigerian manufacturers will be encouraged to improve the quality of their products and become competitive globally.
“It is certain that as the quality of our local productions improves, local and international demand for them will increase simultaneously’’, she said.
The Managing Director of FAE Limited, Princess Layo Bakare-Okeowo, urged the three tiers of governments to institutionalise Made-in-Nigeria project by patronising Nigerian manufacturers and also creating an enabling environment for their businesses to thrive.
She said that this could be done by reviewing the Nigerian tax-regime and investing in the power sector to improve power generation, transmission and distribution to oil, the growth engine of the economy.
