The United Nations Development Organisation (UNIDO) has said that Nigeria can easily record breakthroughs in her quest for local content development, a strong, stable, and advanced economy if it would encourage the production and patronise made-in-Nigeria products.
Jean Bakole, UNIDO Regional Director for West and Central African regions stated this at the opening of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) Three-Day Made in Nigeria Exhibition holding in Lagos.
Nigeria, he said, is a leading economy in Africa, and it is expected to make steady progress through accelerating inclusive and sustainable industrial development.
According to him, in order to achieve this and promote economic growth and sustainable development, there is a need to support local manufacturers/MSME and startups who are involved in producing made-in-Nigeria goods.
“Over the years, Nigeria has been growing other countries’ economies through over-dependence on imported goods, especially those which have local substitutes.”
He said the government of Nigeria is showing greater interest and providing more support for local production to encourage the growth of local industries.
“The intervention of the Federal Government in developing local industries will result in a boom in the growth of local businesses. Thus, local production of various goods is beginning to gain grounds and the materials produced locally can compete favourably with the imported ones.”
He said Nigerians are increasingly using products branded made-in-Nigeria. A development he said will no doubt attract several benefits to the country including an increase in its GDP, generation of employment opportunities and reduction in the cost of production. He urged the government to sustain the tempo through appropriate policies, provision of basic infrastructure (energy, roads, etc) and other key incentives as well as effective continued support to MAN and its members.
The UNIDO envoy said his organisation is a specialised UN Agency with a broad mandate in promoting inclusive and sustainable industrial development. “In Nigeria, UNIDO, through the Country Programme is promoting the formulation of appropriate industrial policies, development of MSMEs and Startups by providing technical support to them to produce standard and high-quality products locally.”
He said during the Covid-19 pandemic, UNIDO supported about 174 local MSMEs to produce PPEs and other standard and quality healthcare products.
“UNIDO in collaboration with the ECOWAS Commission is implementing the West Africa Competitiveness and Quality Infrastructure Project (WACQIP) to improve the quality of locally manufactured goods in Nigeria and the ECOWAS region. The activities involved setting-up quality testing laboratories, developing the ECOWAS certification Mark, and digitalization of the processes for the harmonization of standards and technical regulations, as well as the Quality management Systems of enterprises. The overall objective is to manufacture standard and high-quality products within its member states that will be consumed locally as well as for regional (AfCFTA) and international markets.”
“In UNIDO, we show greater interest and provide more support for local production in order to encourage the growth of local industries. Therefore, I implore MAN and all standards regulatory agencies to provide all the necessary guidance to local producers to ensure their products meet local, regional and global quality and necessary standards. This will encourage greater consumption of locally produced goods and reduce over-dependence on imported goods, especially those which have local substitutes.”
He congratulated the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria and all industrialists in the country and pledged UNIDOs continuous support and collaboration to strengthen local manufacturers to produce standard and quality made-in-Nigeria products to promote economic growth, sustainable development and reduce poverty.