Siaka MOMOH
For Otunba Francis Meshioye, president Manufacturing Association of Nigeria (MAN), as Nigeria steps up its journey to deepen industrialisation and contribute to the development of the nation, it must never relent in its effort to draw meaningful inspiration from countries ahead of it, “countries that have made deliberate efforts to promote their manufacturing to become what they are today”.
Otunba Meshioye was speaking at the 2024 edition of MAN’s annual 3-Day Made-in-Nigeria Exhibition (MiNE 2024). This event heralded other activities marking our 52nd AGM which held in Lagos this week.
According to him, “A good example is the Made-in-China (MIC 2025) government initiative. Made-in-China initiative is a 10-year comprehensive strategic plan by the Chinese government. The initiative focuses on intelligent manufacturing in 10 strategic sectors. The aim is to cut down China’s reliance on foreign technology imports, boost domestic manufacturing and enhance local product production for local and international markets. The target is to grow domestic content to 40% by 2020 and further to 70% by 2025 through incentives by the Chinese government. Today, China is a testament to the success story of countries with improved local content development.”
He argued, “Nigeria has the potential to reenact this feat! We only need to be intentional in our approach to accelerating the development of domestic production”.
Said he: “We must not forget that our governments have made efforts to strengthen the patronage of Made-in-Nigeria products. The promulgation of Executive Orders 003 and 005 affirms the government’s commitment to facilitating domestic production, as well as patronage of local products. However, the absence of effective implementation remains a major and unfortunate concern. We therefore call on all government ministries, departments, and agencies to fully comply with the Orders as further directed by His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu, a few months ago at the Nigerian Manufacturers Summit in the State House”.
He advised Nigerian manufacturers, to strive for improved patronage of Made-in-Nigeria products. “We must not let the quality and standards of what we produce slip. This will enable us to consistently win consumer trust”, he said .
“MAN”, Meshioye said, “will continue to advocate for policies that promote increased patronage of Made-in-Nigeria products and the protection of our industries”. “Together, we can create an economy where Made-in-Nigeria products are the preferred choice in Nigeria and sought after in the international market”.
He re-advocated for a “Proudly Nigeria Day” that he had asked for a year ago. Said he: “On such a day, all Nigerians, including officials in the ministries, departments and agencies of government, would be mandated to dress in made-in-Nigeria outfits and prioritize the purchase of products that are made in Nigeria. This will encourage the production and consumption of Nigerian products, and boost job creation and contribute to gross domestic products.”
He added: “We must not forget that our governments have made efforts to strengthen the patronage of Made-in-Nigeria products. The promulgation of Executive Orders 003 and 005 affirms the government’s commitment to facilitating domestic production, as well as patronage of local products. However, the absence of effective implementation remains a major and unfortunate concern. We therefore call on all government ministries, departments, and agencies to fully comply with the Orders as further directed by His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu, a few months ago at the Nigerian Manufacturers Summit in the State House.”
