Vice President Kashim Shettima, representing President Bola Tinubu, yesterday, rolled out the Nigeria’s Industrial Policy 2025 in Abuja, insisting the nation shifts from policy to productivity and slammed the door on fragmented and uncoordinated industrial growth.

At the event, themed, “From Policy to Productivity: Implementing Nigeria’s Industrial Future,” Shettima positioned the blueprint as a bold fix for Nigeria’s industrial woes, thrusting it toward global competitiveness through targeted reforms in infrastructure, energy, skills, finance and innovation.

“When we assumed office in 2023, we did so with a promise to redefine our industrial ambition and to set up the infrastructure required to compete with the rest of the world. Industrialisation is not a wish; it is an action we must deliberately perform,” he stated.

He pinpointed longstanding issues like disjointed value chains, soaring costs, infrastructure shortfalls and erratic policies, explaining the new strategy’s focus on leveraging Nigeria’s strengths, boosting value chains to cut raw export reliance, weaving in MSMEs and building a robust execution system.

“Policies rarely fail at conception; they fail at execution. The defining strength of this policy is its insistence on implementation. This administration will not measure success by the number of documents we produce, but by the number of jobs created, the value retained within our economy and the mark of Nigerian excellence on goods exported abroad,” he said.

He linked the policy to broader reforms, AfCFTA goals, local content drives and investor safeguards. Praising the Minister of State for Industry and technical teams for “policy leadership defined by substance, coordination and follow-through rather than noise,” he stressed public-private teamwork, transparency, targets and accountability.

Spotlighting local manufacturers’ tax muscle, he affirmed: “The government has no business being in business. You are the creators of wealth. Our duty is to provide the stability, infrastructure and policy clarity that allow industry to thrive.”

Leveraging Nigeria’s youth growth amid global ageing workforces, Shettima declared the industrial surge an achievable reality within our grasp, adding, “The work begins now, not tomorrow, not next year, but now.”

The United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Mohammed Fall, called the policy a promise turned into action, converting national dreams into clear, actionable direction.

“Today, Nigeria takes a step into its future. A vision is carved into policy and hope is turned into action. Nigeria, the Giant of Africa, a beacon of resilience and a land of immense talent, is embracing its industrial destiny,” Fall said.

Born from UNIDO-Federal Government partnership, the framework doubles as a poverty-busting pledge for green, competitive industries. “A map for progress” in sync with the SDGs on energy, food, resilience and growth, it promises manufacturing boosts, value chain integration and innovation, if executed with will.

“Together, we will turn policy into progress, ambition into achievement and vision into reality. Let this not only mark a launch, but also the rise of industry, the bloom of opportunity and the fulfilment of Nigeria’s promise to lead Africa with strength, wisdom and purpose.”

Minister of State for Industry, John Enoh, dubbed the launch a ‘consequential turning point,’ making industrialisation a disciplined national priority via presidential directive turned executable national programme.

Shaped by past reviews, it drives shifts from fragmentation to coordination, extraction to value addition and announcements to action. Key immediate enablers include the 2025 raw shea-nut export ban. Despite Nigeria’s 50 percent global output, it snagged under one percent of the $6.5 billion market, sparking local processing booms, stabilised prices, higher farmer pay and shea butter exports.

The second is the Raw Materials Research and Development Council Amendment Bill, mandating 30 percent value addition pre-export, now awaiting Tinubu’s signature after National Assembly passage. “The government has acted, the legislature has acted; the enabling environment is being created. Now, the industry must act,” Enoh said, noting BOI and BOA financing ramps.

Dangote Group President, Aliko Dangote, on his part, urged robust local protections and steady power, slamming import floods as the missing link that imports poverty and exports jobs.

“Excessive importation amounts to importing poverty and exporting jobs,” he said, pushing macro stability, anti-dumping walls and a power summit. “Without power, there is no growth. Without growth, there are no jobs.”

He highlighted self-power costs crippling firms, Nigeria’s market potential for AfCFTA exports, and the need for ethical business to match reforms.

Follow Our WhatsApp Channel ________________________________________________________________________ The Law And Practice Of Redundancy In Nigeria: A Practitioner’s Guide, Authored By A Labour & Employment Law Expert Bimbo Atilola _______________________________________________________________________

[A MUST HAVE] Evidence Act Demystified With Recent And Contemporary Cases And Materials

“Evidence Act: Complete Annotation” by renowned legal experts Sanni & Etti.

Available now for NGN 40,000 at ASC Publications, 10, Boyle Street, Onikan, Lagos. Beside High Court, TBS. Email publications@ayindesanni.com or WhatsApp +2347056667384. Purchase Link: https://paystack.com/buy/evidence-act-complete-annotation

______________________________________________________________________ ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR LAWYERS: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE Reimagine your practice with the power of AI “...this is the only Nigerian book I know of on the topic.” — Ohio Books Ltd Authored by Ben Ijeoma Adigwe, Esq., ACIArb (UK), LL.M, Dip. in Artificial Intelligence, Director, Delta State Ministry of Justice, Asaba, Nigeria. Bonus: Get a FREE eBook titled “How to Use the AI in Legalpedia and Law Pavilion” with every purchase.

How to Order: 📞 Call, Text, or WhatsApp: 08034917063 | 07055285878 📧 Email: benadigwe1@gmail.com 🌐 Website: www.benadigwe.com

Ebook Version: Access directly online at: https://selar.com/prv626