The Federal Government is set to unveil a nationwide campaign to promote locally made goods and services under the Nigeria First policy as part of efforts to revitalise the country’s manufacturing sector.
President Bola Tinubu announced this in Lagos during the fifth Adeola Odutola Lecture organised by the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN). He was represented at the event by the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Senator John Enoh.
Tinubu said the campaign aims to redirect national demand towards Nigerian-made products that meet international quality standards, while reducing the nation’s reliance on imports.
According to the President, preliminary studies indicate that the initiative could expand the manufacturing sector by up to six per cent and create more than 500,000 jobs over the next three years.
“No country achieves prosperity or dignity without producing what it can and exporting at scale what it does best,” Tinubu said. “The economics of resilience begins in the factory and thrives in the marketplace. We are committed to reducing structural costs and enabling our manufacturers to compete effectively both at home and abroad.”
He also outlined six key policy commitments under the Nigeria First strategy:
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Federal procurement reforms
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Quality and standards enforcement
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Export expansion
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Access to finance
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Energy and logistics improvements
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Skills development and input security
Tinubu urged manufacturers to maintain quality and transparency in production while working with government agencies to provide accurate data on capacity and pricing for better policy formulation.
The President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote represented by former MAN President, Mr Mansur Ahmed commended the policy but emphasised that it must be backed by legislation to ensure stability and continuity beyond political transitions.
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He listed manufacturers’ expectations, including policy consistency, a national supplier registry, consumer awareness initiatives, incentives for backward integration, and improved infrastructure and energy access. Dangote also called for enhanced financing opportunities to strengthen local supplier capacity and leverage the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) for export growth.
“The Nigeria First Policy represents a bold opportunity to industrialise sustainably,” he said. “Its success depends on clear legislation, institutional enforcement, and measurable outcomes that prioritise local value creation and national prosperity.”
President of MAN, Otunba Francis Meshioye, praised the government’s economic reform efforts and described the Nigeria First policy as a vital tool for economic transformation.
He, however, highlighted the challenges confronting manufacturers due to global and domestic economic pressures, stressing that the policy was not merely an industrial vision but a matter of national survival.
“If we do not intentionally support our own manufacturers, we will not be able to compete globally,” Meshioye said. “The Nigeria First policy is about building national resilience, creating jobs, saving foreign exchange, and laying a productive foundation for global competitiveness.”
He urged the Federal Government to ensure the policy’s swift legislation and implementation to fully unlock its benefits for Nigeria’s manufacturing sector and economy.
