Manufacturers set 10-yr agenda for Nigeria’s industrialisation

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) is set to roll out a 10-year industrialisation plan for the country at its forthcoming 50th annual general meeting (AGM).

The theme of the meeting is “An Agenda for Nigeria’s Industrialization for the Next Decade”.

Speaking to newsmen yesterday, President of MAN, Engr. Mansur Ahmed, said that the theme of the AGM “is borne out of the need to take stock of the nation’s journey to industrialization, to ascertain the pains and pain-points; to highlight the performance limiters; recognize the gains and growth milestones; and to identify the learning curves and hurdles ahead, all these with a view to crafting a robust agenda for resetting industrialization, albeit manufacturing in Nigeria”.

He lamented that many policies of the government have compounded the already challenging operating environment for manufacturers.

His words: “It is indeed a matter of great concern to our members that even as our economy continue to experience very slow growth, our policy makers at all levels continue to compound the situation by introducing new taxes, further worsening the difficult and high-cost operating environment. In some climes, when the economy slows down Government reduce taxes to encourage businesses to expand, create more jobs and increase economic activities. What we are seeing in Nigeria today is not only increasing tax rate but introducing new taxes and turning every public agency into a revenue collector.”

According to him, “in the last 30 years, peer countries have overtaken Nigeria in the area of industrialisation while the country the country has stagnated and even gone backwards industrially”.

Meanwhile, responding to a question, the MAN president condemned the closure of Dangote Cement plant in Obajana by the Kogi State government, noting that the action was worrisome and unwarranted.

His words: “The action of the Kogi State government at shutting down Dangote Cement plant is very worrisome. It is shocking that government will shut down a plant that provides jobs and economic activities on a very large scale to the people of Kogi State”.