Engr. Mansur Ahmed, President, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, (MAN), had stated that the leadership of the association paid a courtesy visit to  President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR,  and made presentation of the critical Areas of need for the manufacturing sector. The hardship being experienced by the manufacturers in obtaining forex to procure raw materials and spare parts that are not locally available was one of the issues discussed.

In his words, you will agree with me that the manufacturing sector deserves critical  attention, giving the plethora of challenges that our members face in the course of production.

“This is in spite of the several Central Bank of Nigeria policies such as the Naira4dollar scheme, Ban of Sale of Forex to BDCs and most recently the proposed RT 200 FX Programme which stands for the “Race to US$200 billion in FX Repatriation”.

“While we commend the good intention of the CBN for these policies, particularly to drive support for the real sector of the economy, there is need to establish mechanisms for robust monitoring and evaluation which ought to be part of the plan to ensure that the support to drive export really comes to fruition”.

“The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, who represents the interest of manufacturers in Nigeria, has offered to be a part of this process.”

MAN boss stated, “We shall continue to offer recommendations to the government that will increase manufacturing sector’s contribution to the nation’s GDP.

You are equally be aware of the N10/per liter excise duty on the non-alcoholic sweetened carbonated drinks which the Association has vehemently spoke against due to the negative impact on the economy with the end-users left to bear the cost. he added

Furthermore,  he evidently noted that the sector will be negatively affected by the excise duty beyond the increase in production cost coupled with the impart of Covid-19 on our business environment, equally will be that of weaken the sector’s recovery process.

To a large extent, hindrances experienced in the productive sector are largely caused by policy inconsistency and somersaults which leave no room for proper planning and projection. Indeed, this has led many manufacturers to close shop and discouraged prospective investors who are unsure what the next move of Government will be.

Notwithstanding, the Association will continue to strengthen its efforts to proactively engage policy makers through evidenced based advocacy so that Government can see through the eyes of operators and contribute to the growth and development of the Nation’s economy by the right policy choices, says Mansur.