The Director-General of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Segun Ajayi-Kadir, has expressed strong optimism over the Federal Government’s newly launched National Industrial Policy, describing it as fundamentally different from previous frameworks and capable of doubling manufacturing’s contribution to GDP within a decade.
Speaking in an interview with Arise News on Tuesday, Ajayi-Kadir said the policy stands out because it was co-created with stakeholders and backed by a clearly defined implementation plan.
“I think you can tell how something will go, or is likely to go, when you trace the beginning. And this is because we co-created this industrial policy,” he said.
According to him, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment deliberately engaged manufacturers and other stakeholders in shaping the document.
“The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment was specific about engaging us in the process of creating that policy,” he noted. “We had a wide range of stakeholders — not only the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria — but other development partners and agencies of government. So it was inter-ministerial in its determination.”
Ajayi-Kadir said another key departure from past policies is the inclusion of a detailed implementation framework.
“What we have also done that is different in this one is that it is matched by an implementation plan, which shows clear timelines, who is supposed to do what, when, and more importantly, how success will look like from the beginning,” he said.
He disclosed that the policy sets a 10-year target to significantly raise the industrial sector’s contribution to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product.
“It’s a 10-year period within which we will have advanced manufacturing to a stage where we go beyond the 9%, 10% contribution to GDP to going as far as 20–25%,” he stated.
He added that the creation of an Industrial Revolution Working Group by the Minister has further strengthened confidence in the framework.
“We have also seen that there is an Industrial Revolution Working Group which the Honourable Minister created, which has given fillip to our confidence and has shown that we can have a structure that is all-embracing and that can contribute to the success of it. I think this is basically the difference from what we used to have.”
On sectors expected to drive the industrial push, Ajayi-Kadir said the policy clearly defines the scope of the industrial sector.
“I think manufacturing is key,” he said. “What the policy has set out is to actually identify what we mean by the industrial sector. We highlighted manufacturing, oil and gas, construction, and mining.”
He explained that government incentives and financing will be directed strategically at these areas.
“The primary focus of government will be directing attention to those sectors — the incentives, the drivers, the requirements for finance, the requirements for infrastructure, and what is needed to promote integration into the global economy.”
While acknowledging his bias, he emphasised manufacturing’s central role.
“We would see that the manufacturing sector was given primacy of place in that, and we look to leveraging existing bilateral and multilateral agreements to be able to drive this,” he said. “We are looking at favouring manufacturing — and I hope you excuse my bias — to be a sector that holds a lot of promise in this industrial revolution.”
He pointed to the food and beverage industry as a strong growth area.
“For instance, we know that the food and beverage sector in the country has been a promising one because, as they say, one must eat. It is important that we take advantage of our population and also the fact that Nigeria is a blessed country.”
Ajayi-Kadir also underscored the importance of innovation and technology.
“We are looking at innovation and technology because more and more innovative moves are being made to improve our manufacturing processes. We have seen advancement among young people in the use of technology and AI to drive raw material sourcing and knowledge about market access in other economies.”
Addressing concerns about infrastructure, particularly electricity, Ajayi-Kadir described power as indispensable to industrialisation.
“Power is like the lifeblood of industrialisation,” he said. “There have been quite a number of initiatives that government has undertaken to solve the issue of power, but I must say that we have not been very successful.”
However, he said the new policy embeds specific energy solutions into its implementation strategy.
“The Honourable Minister of State convened an inter-ministerial engagement that brought in funders, development finance institutions, the private sector, and government ministries, departments and agencies to resolve the issue of power,” he explained.
He revealed that the Idu Industrial Area is being used as a pilot case to test a blended energy model.
“We are using the Idu Industrial Area as a test case to see how we can have a confluence of efforts. We use the national grid, and we also use renewable energy. Embedded in the policy is an attempt to scale this success to other areas, so that during this period of industrial renaissance, we will be able to have concentrated power in industrial areas.”
According to him, roles and responsibilities are clearly assigned across ministries and institutions.
“When we say that this industrial policy has taken care of actors that are to play what role, at what time, and within specific periods, it shows that we are solving for the energy needs in specific areas. It means that not only the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, but also the Ministry of Power, the funders — the Bank of Industry was in the room, the Development Bank was in the room — everyone is able to play a specific role that has been identified in the implementation plan.”
With structured coordination, measurable targets and cross-sector collaboration, Ajayi-Kadir expressed confidence that the new industrial framework could mark a turning point for Nigeria’s long-stalled manufacturing ambitions.
Boluwatife Enome
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