Yemisi Izuora
President of the Manufacturers’ Assocation of Nigeria (MAN), Dr. Frank Jacobs has said that Nigeria’s drive toward industrialisation would be sustained and supported by key stakeholders to ensure its realisation.
Jacobs noted that encouraging the development and growth of the manufacturing sector is the surest way to diversify the economy as the sector is essential to job creation, sustained growth and development of other key sectors such as agriculture, solid minerals among others.
The president made the comment ahead of the upcoming Nigeria Manufacturing Expo (NME) scheduled to hold on the 15 – 17 March 2016 in Lagos.
Nigeria, one of the forerunners in Africa, has now focused its efforts on expanding the manufacturing sector by implementing the Nigerian Industrial Revolution Plan, which is facilitating investment and growth within the sector.
The government is also addressing concerns such as energy shortages, high interest rates and transport issues.
It will be recalled that Vice President, Yemi Osibajo, while speaking at the 43rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Manufacturers’ Association of Nigeria (MAN) in Lagos, said, “We are creating an enabling environment for things to fall in shape. We believe the manufacturing sector is key to attaining our set objectives as government to create job opportunities for our youths.
There is no way we can achieve economic growth without diversifying our economy through agriculture value chain, mining, oil and gas and the likes, but the missing link is the manufacturing sector,”
The roundtable discussions during mPAD at NME aims at addressing challenges such as
increasing Nigeria’s local production and how to tackle issues like factory financing mechanisms, technical workforce training, infrastructure and energy security.
Dr. Frank S. Udemba Jacobs – the President of MAN, Mr. Remi Ogunmefun – Director General of MAN and Mr. Y.S Labaran – Ag. Director of Trade for FMITI will chair the round table discussions to further steer policy and help shape the future of manufacturing in Nigeria during the mPAD sessions at the Nigeria Manufacturing Expo on the 15 – 17 March 2016 in Lagos. To drive the policy and strategic level discussions in line with the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan, mPAD will host Federal Government Agencies, ECOWAS Officials, the MAN Executive Committee, International Trade Departments and Export Councils as well as C-level Industrialists and Financiers.
In his supporting letter Y.S Labaran, Ag. Director Trade, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade & Investment adds: “We endorse the objectives of the event which is aimed at attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI); support the realisation of the objectives of the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP) in addressing the supply-side constraints consistently inhibited the growth of manufacturing and industrialization in Nigeria; as well as generation of jobs and wealth creation.”
The objective of mPAD and the co-located Nigeria Manufacturing Expo is to support the NIRP, increase local production, support job creation and ultimately stimulate the growth and diversification of the Nigeria economy for self-reliance and export of non-oil and gas products.
Opportunities at exhibition
“mPAD and Nigeria Manufacturing expo will be an international platform to showcase manufacturing machines, facilitate re-tooling, build capacity of plant managers, stimulate investment and promote made-in-Nigeria products in accordance with the provisions of the Nigerian industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP)”, says Remi Ogunmefun, Director General, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN).
There are 100 international suppliers, including Festo, IBL, Thompson and Grace, exhibiting manufacturing machines, automation technology and machine tools in the co-located Nigeria Manufacturing Expo covering major sectors including – food, beverages and tobacco processing, plastics, packaging, labelling and print, textiles and leather, automotive, cement, ceramics and glass, pharmaceuticals and electronics.
Nigerian manufacturers can secure funding support and financing products from Bank of Industry (BOI), Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) and various private sector banks at the event to evaluate and purchase new manufacturing machinery.
Visitors to Nigerian Manufacturing Expo include local SME and international manufacturers who come to evaluate and purchase new manufacturing machinery. Free training will also be provided for plant managers, procurement officers, technicians and engineers to help building manufacturing capacity.
The 3rd Annual mPAD and Nigeria Manufacturing Expo are organised by Spintelligent, leading Cape Town-based trade exhibition and conference organiser, and the African office of Clarion Events Ltd, based in the UK. A trusted partner in African business.
With 17 years’ experience of building relationships and a proven track record of success, our key organisational focus lies in engaging with the industry sectors core to Africa’s social and economic development. Other flagship power events by Spintelligent are the 11th annual West African Power Industry Convention in Lagos, 16th annual African Utility Week in Cape Town and 17th annual EAPIC in Nairobi.
Clarion Events is a global business-to-business event organiser with over 500 staff in offices in South Africa, UK, Netherlands, Germany, United States, Brazil, UAE and Singapore.