‘We must produce’ — FG to unveil new policy to drive local manufacturing

The federal government is finalising a new Nigerian Industrial Policy to reduce the country’s dependence on imported goods and strengthen local manufacturing.

According to Nairametrics, Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, John Owan Enoh, made this known on Wednesday at the 2025 Nigerian Manufacturing & Equipment/Raw Materials Expo in Lagos.

The initiative, led by the Ministry of Trade and the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), aims to raise manufacturing’s share of GDP, currently below 10 percent.

The policy supports President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks economic diversification.

“At the moment, we’re working on coming up with the Nigerian Industrial Policy, which has been in the works for many years. We’re not just doing that as government alone; we have other stakeholders working with us.

“The policy tries to respond and speak to President Bola Tinubu’s agenda in terms of accelerating diversification in the various sectors and sub-sectors. Enoh said. It’s going to be one that is competitive enough with global industry trends,” Enoh said.

Enoh said the new policy would focus on key sectors like textiles, automobiles, agro-processing, and pharmaceuticals to drive job creation and reduce raw material exports.

“We must produce, we must produce, and we must produce,” he stressed.

“Unless we can manufacture this equipment, we will never get to the rural areas. The countries we are importing them from are not tired of supplying. This is another form of neo-colonialism.”

After touring the exhibition, the minister added that he got exposed to machines and equipment that are developed in-country and that are enabling industry and manufacturing.

He mentioned that it was a face-to-face encounter with Nigerian innovation and the spirit of enterprise.”

“We must move from importing used, you know, industrial scrap, because most of them, that’s what they are, to deploying world-class solutions built for resilience, for sustainability,” he said, warning against continued reliance on outdated foreign equipment.

The federal government, through a planned Made-in-Nigeria campaign, will support local producers with certification, digital marketplaces, and media visibility.

The campaign is expected to be anchored by the Pro-Nigeria Secretariat.

Enoh praised MAN, the Raw Materials Research and Development Council, and other partners for jointly working on a “fit-for-purpose” policy framework to transform the sector.