The Federal Government has introduced a new Nigerian Industrialisation Policy aimed at accelerating value addition, expanding industrial capacity, and creating jobs across the economy, as part of broader efforts to reduce import dependence and strengthen domestic production.
The policy was unveiled during a soft launch in Lagos alongside the presentation of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group’s Macroeconomic Outlook Report for 2026. Approved and validated in 2025, the framework is designed to align industrialisation, trade, and investment into a single coordinated national strategy.
Government officials described the policy as a shift from fragmented industrial efforts to a more deliberate, implementation-focused approach that places productivity and measurable outcomes at the centre. The framework was developed through engagement with industry stakeholders, with the intention of ensuring that businesses, particularly local manufacturers and small enterprises, are active participants rather than passive beneficiaries.
The industrialisation agenda is aligned with the administration’s national development priorities, especially its focus on economic diversification and industrial growth. It is structured around improving industrial competitiveness, deepening value chains, encouraging import substitution, supporting the transition of MSMEs into scalable industrial players, enhancing trade competitiveness under the African Continental Free Trade Area, and strengthening institutional governance.
According to the government, these focus areas are meant to tackle long-standing structural weaknesses in the economy, including weak manufacturing capacity, heavy reliance on imported goods, and poorly integrated value chains that limit the growth of local enterprises. By addressing these gaps, the policy aims to raise manufacturing’s contribution to GDP to between 20 and 25 percent by 2030, a significant increase from current levels.
Recent trade measures, including restrictions on the export of certain raw materials, were cited as examples of why a clear industrial policy is needed to support value addition within Nigeria rather than exporting unprocessed inputs. Officials stressed that the policy is not intended to remain a theoretical document, noting that implementation structures are already being put in place to translate strategy into tangible outcomes such as factory expansion, job creation, and higher productivity.
Within the AfCFTA context, the government emphasised Nigeria’s strategic position as Africa’s largest market and the need to ensure that increased trade openness supports local industry rather than turning the country into a destination for dumped imports. The policy is expected to guide how Nigeria leverages continental trade opportunities while protecting and scaling domestic manufacturers.
Authorities also highlighted plans for coordinated execution across key economic ministries and agencies, including those responsible for trade, investment, finance, energy, skills development, and infrastructure. The focus, they said, will be on clear benchmarks, accountability, and consistent stakeholder engagement to avoid past implementation failures.
A formal launch of the policy is scheduled for next month, with wider engagement expected between government and private sector groups to drive execution. Officials said the emphasis going forward is no longer on policy design but on delivery, arguing that Nigeria’s industrial future depends on disciplined implementation and sustained collaboration with the private sector.
The policy builds on earlier signals from the government in 2025 that it was finalising a new industrial framework to reverse Nigeria’s dependence on imported goods and revive domestic manufacturing. At the time, authorities acknowledged that manufacturing contributes less than 10 percent to GDP, underscoring the urgency of reforms that can unlock growth opportunities for local producers and MSMEs across the country.
