MAN Urges FG to Promote, Patronise Made in Nigeria Goods

Dike Onwuamaeze

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has urged the federal government to make real its professed commitment to promote the consumption of Made-in- Nigeria goods and services.

The call was made yesterday by the President of MAN, Mr. Mansur Ahmed, at the opening ceremony of three-day Made-in-Nigeria Exhibition to mark the 50th Annual General Meeting of the association, held in Lagos. 

Mansur said: “The Executive Orders 003 and 005 exemplified the commitment of the federal government of Nigeria to grow domestic production through the patronage of locally produced goods.

“It is in this regard, that the Presidential Committee on the monitoring of the implementation order 005 should be called to action.

“The committee which is chaired by the President and anchored by the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology should be mandated to ensure strict compliance with the order. Ministry, Department and Agencies of Government that fail to comply with the Executive Order should be sanctioned accordingly.”

He recalled that MAN had in the past four years organised the exhibition in furtherance of its campaign for patronage of Made-in-Nigeria goods. 

He also noted that President Muhamadu Buhari has consistently maintained that Nigerians should consumed what they produce and produce what they consume, saying therefore that, “this three-day exhibition therefore is a demonstration of the capacity of the Nigerian manufacturing sector to produce what they consumed. What is left is for Government and Nigerians to consume what we produce.”

Mansur stated that in order to grow the economy, create jobs and increase contribution to government revenue, the manufacturing sector must be supported to scale production through increase capacity utilisation and adequate patronage.

“On our part, I want to assure you that the MAN and the sector as a whole will rise to the occasion and ensure that it builds on the existing capacities and continue to improve on the quality and competitiveness of its product.

“Let me therefore, welcome you and urge you to move around the exhibition ground and see the existence to which the manufacturing sector can meet the desire of Nigerians for a self-reliant economy.

“Indeed, given the size of the Nigerian market, achieving self-reliance will not only strengthen and deepen our economy. It will position us to play a dominant role in continental market.

“I must also urge our members to take advantage of the opportunities created by the policies of this administration and the emerging continental market to expand their investment, improve their manufacturing operations and the standard of their products.

“This will guarantee our competitiveness and market penetration in Africa and beyond,” he said.

The exhibition was declared open by a former President of MAN, Amb. Hassan Adamu, the Wakili Adamawa.