Yemisi Izuora
The Manufacturers Association of Nigeri (MAN) has expressed the desire to grow Nigerian manufacturing sector by 5 percent per annum for the next four years.
The MAN is currently collaborating with Manufacturing Partnerships for African Development (mPAD) to hold an Expo in Lagos this March where it hopes to gather thousands of industry experts as a way of realising that dream.
“My vision is to see a Nigerian manufacturing sector that is developing and achieving a GDP growth of 5% per annum for the next four years” commented Reginald Odiah, Chairman Economic Policy Committee (EPC) of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN).
The Association has called for a massive investment to take the Nigerian manufacturing sector to the next level and Mr Odiah says they hope “that the expected investment will come from two fronts – internally from local investors who will take advantage of new government policies and support via the CBN and BOI to expand their existing businesses and move into new areas of manufacturing.
And then foreign investors who will want to take advantage of the new government policies and the investment climate.”
Thousands of Nigeria’s leading manufacturing experts will meet for the third annual mPAD & inaugural Nigeria Manufacturing Expo (MAN Expo) in Lagos from 15-17 March, which will be launched in response to the government’s commitment to industrialisation and Nigeria’s need to diversify.
The event is enjoying important industry support, including the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) which are Event Patrons, the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade & Investment of Nigeria are Host Ministry and the Lagos Chamber of Commerce & Industry are the Host Chamber.
Leading international suppliers
Dozens of leading international manufacturing equipment suppliers have already signed up for what is regarded as a long overdue gathering of the manufacturing industry.
Top manufacturing suppliers including Festo Automation, Miele Packaging, Bühler, Thompson & Grace, Gil Automation, Mazzoni LB SpA, Zutrad Ventures Limited, Kautex Maschinenbau GmbH and the National Automotive Design and Development Council will be, amongst many others, exhibiting their machines, tools, automation technology and services at the Nigeria Manufacturing Expo.
“Nigeria is and will become the strongest economy on the African continent” says Adrian Naidoo, Bühler’s Country Manager for Nigeria – the company is a global specialist in plant and equipment and related services for processing foods and manufacturing. He adds: “Bühler hopes to find the right partners who have a vision to become successful market leaders that use the most effective technologies that will make them the most profitable business that serve the west African communities out of Nigeria.”
Leading local manufacturers, including Cadbury Nigeria, Flour Mills Of Nigeria, Frigoglass Industries Nigeria, Guiness Nigeria, A.G. Leventis, Mokolade Pharmaceutical, Mopson Pharmaceutical, Nampak, Nestle Nigeria, Procter & Gamble, British American Tobacco, May & Baker Nigeria and many more have already confirmed to be among the 2000+ visitors at the MAN Expo to evaluate and purchase machine tools, manufacturing machinery, automation technology, assembly and handling automation systems, laser coding systems, IT software as well as validation and calibration services.