MAN President, Meshioye Advocates for Special Day on National Calendar as “Proudly Nigeria Day”

President of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) Otunba Francis Meshioye, has advocated for a future in Nigeria where the government will designate a special day on the national calendar as “Proudly Nigeria Day”.

The MAN president made this position known in his welcome address at the opening ceremony of the 3-days Made-In-Nigeria Exhibition, at the 51st Annual General Meeting of MAN, held at Lagos Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Tuesday 17th October, 2023, while welcoming His Excellency; Ambassador Jean B. Bakole, the UNIDO Representative to ECOWAS & Regional Director, Nigeria Regional Hub, the press, stakeholders and other dignitaries to the event.

Meshioye explained that on this special day, all individuals and government ministries, departments and agencies would be encouraged to dress in Made-in-Nigeria outfits and prioritize the purchase of products that are locally made.

“Such initiatives would serve as catalysts to boost both the production and consumption of Made-in-Nigeria goods, a crucial milestone in the path towards a virile and competitive manufacturing sector. I am convinced that massive support for the growth of domestic production through the patronage of locally made goods will greatly improve capacity utilization, job creation and manufacturing contribution to gross domestic product,” he added.

He hinted that the Association have consistently organized this exhibition for the past five years with the primary purpose of showcasing the strength of manufacturing in Nigeria and canvassing for the patronage of Made-in-Nigeria products, stressing that the MANEXPO2023 aligns with one of MAN’s core objectives, which is to actively encourage the widespread patronage of Made-in-Nigeria products by consumers both within and outside the country.

In his words: “In encouraging the patronage of Made-in-Nigeria product, we acknowledge the contribution of some government policies aimed at improving local content development and patronage, including Executive Orders 003 and 005.

“Undeniably, these are clear signals of government’s appreciation of the need to promote local production and encourage patronage of locally manufactured products. We are expectant that the policy direction of the new administration will focus on deepening domestic production and patronage of made-in-Nigeria products.

“While it is reassuring to note the government’s avowed commitment to curbing trade practices that has turned Nigeria into a dumping ground for imported products, it is important that government takes immediate action to ensure the effective implementation, monitoring and evaluation of adherence to government initiatives aimed at promoting the patronage of Made-in-Nigeria products among all ministries, departments and agencies of govt. This should also be cascaded to sub-nationals, including states and local governments.”

He highlighted that the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria remains focused and committed to its advocacy for a conducive business environment and specific targeted policies that will support the patronage of Made-in-Nigeria products, adding that “MAN’s commitment to promoting local content development remains a strategic cornerstone for revitalizing our struggling economy.”

He reaffirms MAN’s commitment to the promotion of high quality and competitive Made-in-Nigeria products and urged all its members to continue to innovate and upgrade their manufacturing processes and product standards to foster increased competitiveness.

“This is particularly crucial in light of the potential advantages that the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement presents for the manufacturing sector,” he said.

He urged all participants to explore the exhibition area and witness firsthand the significant progress the members have made, inspite of the biding constraints to their operations, while assuring that they will discover the highly commendable advancement the manufacturing sector has made towards the development of the national economy and wellbeing of Nigerians.

Meshioye welcomed all to the MANEXPO2023 and encourage them to visit the stands, interact with all esteemed exhibitors, strike business deals and relish in the patriotic duty of patronizing made-in-Nigeria products.

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