The Federal Government has introduced the Nigerian Industrialisation Policy, an initiative designed to drive value addition, industrial growth, and employment creation across the country.
Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Enoh, announced the policy during its soft launch on Thursday in Lagos, held alongside the presentation of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) Macroeconomic Outlook Report for 2026.
Approved and validated in 2025, the policy reflects a coordinated approach to industrialisation, trade, and investment.
What the Minister is saying
Enoh described the policy as a strategic step toward translating Nigeria’s industrial potential into measurable productivity.
“Over the last year, discussions about industrialisation have become more public. This policy was shaped with industry, not for industry, to ensure that every Nigerian has a stake and that implementation is front and centre,” he said.
The policy aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s eight-point national agenda, particularly Agenda Seven on diversification and industrialisation.
The minister explained that the framework is built on six pillars:
- Competitive industrial production
- Value-chain deepening
- Import substitution
- MSME-to-industry transition
- Trade competitiveness under the AfCFTA framework
- Institutional governance
“These pillars are designed to address Nigeria’s long-standing challenges, such as fragmented value chains, high import dependency, and limited manufacturing capacity,” Enoh noted.
Ambitious targets for manufacturing
According to Enoh, the policy aims to raise manufacturing’s contribution to Nigeria’s GDP to between 20% and 25% by 2030.
He cited the recent temporary ban on raw shea nut exports as an example of the need for structured value addition and regulatory clarity.
“We did not produce a policy just to admire it. A small committee is already working on implementation, because what matters most is turning strategy into jobs, productivity, and employment,” he said.
Strategic role in AfCFTA
Enoh underscored Nigeria’s strategic importance within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), stressing the need to harness the country’s vast domestic market while preventing it from becoming a dumping ground for imported goods.
He assured stakeholders of government’s commitment to clear execution, measurable benchmarks, and synchronized coordination across ministries, including trade, investment, finance, energy, skills, and infrastructure.
Formal launch scheduled
The minister revealed that the formal launch of the policy is scheduled for next month, with President Tinubu expected to preside over the event.
“The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) are expected to collaborate closely to ensure wide stakeholder engagement and effective implementation. The question is no longer what the policy is. The question is how we deliver. Nigeria’s industrial future will not be built by chance, but by deliberate policy, disciplined execution, and collective resolve,” Enoh said.
What you should know
In August, 2025, the federal government said it was finalizing a comprehensive new Nigerian Industrial Policy aimed at reversing the country’s dependence on imported goods and strengthening its domestic manufacturing base.
The initiative, led by the Ministry of Trade in collaboration with the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), is designed to increase the manufacturing sector’s contribution to GDP, which stands at less than 10%.
