The new President, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Mr. Ahmed Mansur, has pledged to boost the competitiveness of the sector through greater collaboration with the Federal Government.
Mansur, who is an engineer and an executive director of Dangote Industries Limited, took over from Dr. Frank Udemba Jacobs.
Speaking at the association’s 46th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos, the new president applauded the Executive Order 003, which aims to increase the level of patronage of made-in-Nigeria goods by public procurement agencies.
He stated that the Order 003 showed that the present administration was serious in building local productive capacity, adding, “We will work with the Federal Government to ensure that the Nigerian manufacturing sector is competitive”.
Mansur reiterated his commitment to strengthen the association’s level of collaboration and interaction with the Federal Government to ensure that the Executive Order 003 is fully implemented to boost local patronage of made-in-Nigeria products.
He said MAN would continue to engage all the Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to showcase made-in-Nigeria goods. “When this contact is made, we would encourage members to compete both in terms of price and quality.
“I believe if we continue to work with the government in this manner, we would bridge the gap between us and the public sector requirements,” he said.
Mansur, however, appealed to the Federal Government to provide the necessary basic infrastructure to bring down the cost of production for manufacturers in the country, noting that the impact would be massive on the real sector of the economy.
He said the association has kick-started the partnership by presenting a compendium of all members to showcase to the Federal Government all the locally produced goods in the country.
“They have to know who and where to contact to get quality made-in-Nigeria goods. So, this is the first step we have carried. Our interactions with the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) are also steps in the right direction so that we understand the requirements and their expectations,” Mansur said.
Commending his predecessor, Mansur said: “Let us thank the outgoing council under Dr. Jacobs’ leadership for the meritorious service they offered during the past four years. Despite the many challenges in both the economic and socio-political spheres confronting our country, Dr. Jacobs and his team steered the ship of MAN most creditably.”
He said, for instance, that under Dr. Jacob’s leadership, the MAN Secretariat staff welfare has been significantly improved, with its internal and external communications, IT system, website and media relations enhanced.
Giving an insight into the new council’s direction, Mansur said they would build on the successes recorded by the retiring council, especially in collaborating with government to improve the operating environment.
MAN, he added, would focus on building the strategic linkages between Small and Medium Industries SMIs), and the larger manufacturers, to enhance the capacity of the sector to generate employment and create wealth.
The new helmsman declared that the council was committed to ensuring that MAN continues to be recognised as the voice of the manufacturing sector, working with other key stakeholders to promote economic transformation.
He said the council hopes to see the manufacturing sector become the leading contributor to economic growth, employment generation and wealth creation for inclusive economic development and prosperity.
Leave a Reply