The federal government is set to launch a national campaign to promote made-in-Nigeria goods and services under the Nigeria First policy as part of efforts to revitalise the manufacturing sector.

President Bola Tinubu stated this in Lagos at the fifth Adeola Odutola lecture by the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria.

He was represented at the event by the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, John Enoh. According to him, the campaign aims to shift national demand towards Nigerian products that meet global quality standards, while also addressing the country’s import dependency.

Mr Tinubu noted that preliminary studies showed that such a campaign could boost the manufacturing sector by up to six per cent and create over 500,000 jobs within the next three years. He said his administration would continue to prioritise the growth of Nigeria’s manufacturing sector through policies promoting production, consumption, and export of made-in-Nigeria goods.

“No country achieves prosperity or dignity without producing what it can and exporting at scale what it does best. Economics of resilience begins in the factory and thrives in the marketplace, and we are committed to reducing structural costs and enabling our manufacturers to compete effectively both at home and abroad,” he said.

Mr Tinubu also outlined six key policy commitments under the ‘Nigeria First’ strategy. They include federal procurement reforms, quality and standards enforcement, export expansion, access to finance, energy and logistics, and skills development and input security.

He urged MAN members to uphold quality and transparency in production while collaborating with government agencies to share accurate data on capacity and pricing for effective policy planning.

The president of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, said manufacturers had eight key expectations from the Nigeria First policy. Mr Dangote said that for the policy to work, it must be designed as a durable, binding national strategy for industrial development, capable of withstanding political transitions and market pressures alike.

He stressed that it must be anchored on both global best practices and Nigeria’s own industrial realities.

Mr Dangote listed the expectations to include legislating the policy as a binding law with punitive measures for non-compliance, ensuring policy stability, consistency, and long-term commitment.

He added that it was important to develop a national supplier registry, drive consumer engagement and a national cultural shift, incentivise backward integration, and address infrastructure and energy deficits.

Dangote called for enhanced access to finance to build local supplier capacity and leverage the African Continental Free Trade Area and regional export potential to strengthen local competitiveness.

“The Nigeria First policy represents a bold opportunity to industrialise sustainably. Its success depends on clear legislation, institutional enforcement, stable policy implementation, and strong alignment across government agencies and industry.

“To transform the economy, the Nigeria First policy must move beyond declarations into actionable, measurable outcomes that prioritise local value creation and national prosperity. Every nation is in a race to improve the living conditions of its citizens, and we must realise that we are in this race, and it is a very competitive race.

“The government has done a few things that have given us a fighting chance. The Nigeria First policy, if embraced, will place us in a very competitive position,” he said.

The president of MAN, Francis Meshioye, praised the government’s efforts to transform the economy through various policy reforms, including the Nigeria First policy. Mr Meshioye stated that the full legislation and implementation held the potential to significantly boost the fortunes of the manufacturing sector and improve the well-being of the Nigerian citizenry.

He, however, noted the tough realities facing the manufacturing sector, shaped by global headwinds and domestic macroeconomic and policy constraints. Mr Meshioye said the Nigeria First policy was not merely an industrial ambition, but a matter of national economic survival.

(NAN)