Tag: UNIDO

United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) Representative and Director Sub Regional Office in Nigeria and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Ambassador Philbert Abaka Johnson, yesterday, backed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Nigeria first policy, saying it offers a clear pathway to scale domestic patronage of Nigerian products and service.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 3-day Made-in-Nigeria Exhibition (MiNE 2025) organised by the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) in Lagos, Amb. Johnson said local patronage remains a catalyst for industrial growth, and that UNIDO strongly supports MAN’s advocacy for stronger local procurement frameworks.

The opening ceremony of MiNE 2025 is the first step in a 3-day celebration of the Nigerian brand, and it is part of activities marking the 53rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of MAN.

Delivering his keynote speech as Special Guest of Honour at MiNE 2025, themed ‘Nigeria First: Prioritising Patronage of Made-in-Nigeria’, Amb. Johnson commended the foresight behind this year’s theme, describing it as “both timely and visionary.”

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He said the heme aligns perfectly with the global drive for resilient, inclusive, and sustainable industrialisation — the very core of UNIDO’s mandate under Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 9): “Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation, and foster innovation.”

The UNIDO Rep said it also resonates with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope “Nigeria First” Policy, which places Made in Nigeria at the centre of all public procurement and business activity, with a strong emphasis on empowering local industries.

He, however, said the call to prioritise patronage of made-in-Nigeria must go beyond rhetorics and patriotic sentiments. “It is a strategic economic proposition that can only succeed with deliberate, coherent and coordinated action at all levels of Nigerian society,” he emphasised.

Amb. Johnson’s words: “From Japan’s keiretsu model, to South Korea’s chaebols, to China’s Made-in-China 2025 policy, the underlying lesson is the same: no country industrialises without first industrialising its mindset and deliberately cultivating domestic demand for locally produced goods.

He, however, pointed out that Nigeria First is not about isolationism, but about intelligent integration and about ensuring that Nigerian producers have a fair chance to compete, to scale, and to contribute meaningfully to national development.

It is about ensuring that every public procurement decision, every corporate purchase, and every consumer choice help build local capacity and strengthen the national value chain. It means efficient production, responsible consumption, quality products and value addition,” the UNIDO Rep stated.

The UNIDO Envoy also pointed out that industrial transformation is a shared responsibility, noting that while government must provide the enabling policy and infrastructure, the private sector must continue to innovate and invest; development partners like UNIDO will also continue to provide technical expertise, global best practices, and catalytic funding support.

To this end, Amb. Johnson said UNIDO remains committed to expanding collaboration with MAN in areas such as sustainable manufacturing and resource efficiency, SME digital transformation, industrial parks and cluster development.

He listed others areas of collaboration to include standards and certification for export readiness; women and youth empowerment through industrial skills.

“What I see here today is not just an exhibition, it is a demonstration of faith. Faith in Nigerian industry, faith in local ingenuity, and faith in the future of this great nation.

 “UNIDO stands ready to continue walking this journey with you providing technical support, fostering innovation, and ensuring that no manufacturer, big or small, is left behind,” he said.

Earlier in welcome address, MAN President Otunba Francis Meshioye called for evident and far reaching corrective and disciplinary measures against violators of the Nigeria First policy, saying it is the only way to truly align government spending with Nigeria’s industrial policy goals.

He insisted that now is the time to create the policy framework for transitioning the Nigeria First policy from executive pronouncements to legislative imperative and ultimately, to unfettered and bold implementation.

“We cannot continue to allow policy inertia to undermine our development potential,” the MAN President charged.

The MAN boss specifically said beyond policy enforcement, “We must also establish a functional, independent compliance agency or institution tasked with auditing patronage levels, recommending corrective action, and publicly disclosing performance across Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government.

“Let it be known which institutions are genuinely driving local economic empowerment and those that are not. And we should take evident and far reaching corrective and disciplinary measures against the latter.”

Justifying his call for disciplinary measures against non-compliance, Meshioye said patronage of made in Nigeria products is a rallying call, a national policy proposition that speaks directly to Nigeria’s economic survival and long-term transformation.

Besides, recent developments in the economy, he said, are reminders of the urgency of this call. He said, for instance, that figures from the rebased Nigerian GDP, published by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) are striking.

The figures, he lamented, shows that industry’s share of GDP declined from 27.65 per cent in the 2010 base year to 21.08 per cent under the 2019 rebased structure.

Moreover, the manufacturing sector’s average five-year performance is also negative (–0.76%), particularly between 2019 and 2024, whilst sectors such as services and agriculture expanded.

“This underscores a deeper concern. Nigeria’s industrial base continues to shrink. In essence, the rebased GDP figures signal a troubling shift from production to consumption, and from production to services and informal value creation. This is definitely not sustainable,” Meshioye stated.

He insisted that if Nigeria must build a resilient, inclusive, and forward-looking economy that investors will have confidence in, it must re-industrialise, and that process must begin with deliberate support for local manufacturers.

He, however, said such support in the mold of the “Nigeria First” agenda is not about closing the country’s doors to the world; it is about opening the right doors to Nigerian-made solutions, Nigerian jobs, and Nigerian ingenuity.

 “Every industrialised country in the world today began its journey by nurturing local content and leveraging public and private procurement as an avenue for galvanising scale production and economic development. Nigeria must not go the opposite direction,” the MAN President emphasised.

“As a matter of urgency, we must institutionalise mechanisms that prioritise Made-in-Nigeria products in government contracts, public spending, and private-sector procurement.

 “Existing Executive Orders—including 003 and 005—must be aligned with the Nigeria First policy and fully implemented, enforced and monitored.

“Quite importantly, there must be consequences for non-compliance. We should eliminate the prevalence of selective compliance,” he said.

For the Director General of MAN, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, “Prioritising the patronage of made-in-Nigeria products is an affirmative action! A call for national reorientation! A call to the Nigerian Government to use Nigerians money to prioritise Nigerian products! A strident call on government to co-create a policy framework for the effective and unfettered implementation of the Nigeria First policy.

Nigeria and 36 other member states of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) will benefit from the $28 million in new funding secured from the Multilateral Fund for the implementation of the Montreal Protocol (MLF).

The Montreal Protocol is the landmark multilateral environmental agreement that regulates the production and consumption of nearly 100 man-made chemicals referred to as Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS).

When released into the atmosphere, those chemicals damage the stratospheric ozone layer, Earth’s protective shield that protects humans and the environment from harmful levels of ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

The Multilateral Fund (MLF) was, therefore, established in 1991 with the objective to provide financial and technical assistance to developing country parties to the Montreal Protocol whose annual per capita consumption and production of ODS is less than 0.3 kg to comply with the control measures of the Protocol.

At its 95th Executive Committee meeting held this month December 2024, the MLF approved numerous project proposals submitted by UNIDO on behalf of its member-states.

The Committee meets twice a year, to discuss and decide on policies, procedures and guidelines of the Fund’s operation and to approve investment and non-investment projects in developing countries.

The earlier meeting in June approved approximately $23 million, bringing the total UNIDO Montreal Protocol approvals to $51 million for 2024. 

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Projects approved this time relate to Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC) Phase-out and Hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) Phase-down plans in various countries, assisting countries in the preparation of national plans and inventories of controlled substances and chemicals under the Montreal Protocol.

There were also projects aimed at introducing energy efficiency measures and promoting refrigeration technologies which use substances with low global warming potential (GWP), helping industries to leapfrog to climate-friendly production processes and stay competitive.

Chief of Climate Innovation and Montreal Protocol division, Alois Mhlanga, who led the UNIDO delegation to the meeting, said: “UNIDO is at the forefront of accelerating innovation for climate action.

“As an implementing agency of the Montreal Protocol, our priority is to support industry to deliver innovative climate solutions and remain competitive.”

Mhlanga also had meetings with various representatives from the member-states to review the implementation of projects in their countries and contributed to discussions on the future programming directions of the Montreal Protocol.

The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) has re-affirmed its commitment to realising the trade potential of Nigeria and other Least Developed Countries (LDCs’), by improving standards, promoting sustainable practices and green trade and facilitating market access.

UNIDO’s Director-General, Gerd Müller, who reaffirmed this commitment at the World Trade Organisation (WTO’s) Ninth Global Review of Aid for Trade, with the theme “Mainstreaming Trade,” said: “UNIDO is paving the way for LDCs to thrive in the global economy.”

Müller said: “We must rethink how the global economy functions. The world needs new rules for fair globalisation. LDCs need debt relief, open markets, investment in critical infrastructure including for processing industries to create added value. Only with private investments can we change the situation.”

The UNIDO boss highlighted the urgent need for an investment offensive in critical infrastructure such as transportation, digital connectivity, agribusiness, and investments in processing industries. He also advocated for greater political will to make these changes happen.

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Müller also used his visit to establish new partnerships, notably with the African Finance Corporation (AFC), the continent’s leading industrial infrastructure provider. He signed a Joint Declaration to enhance sustainable industrialisation in Africa.

UNIDO-AFC collaboration is aimed at advancing sustainable industrialisation in developing economies, with the two institutions focused on catalysing private investment across several sectors while supporting energy access and transition.

Müller reiterated: “It is clear that we need to rethink globalisation – to a fairer globalisation. We need more global solidarity – so let’s come together and secure more investments in your countries’ sustainable economic development.”

Every manufacturing job has the potential to generate more than two jobs in other sectors of the economy, the 2024 edition of the Industrial Development Report (IDR) by the United Nation Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), has said.

 The UNIDO’s new flagship publication titled: “Turning Challenges into Sustainable Solutions: The New Era of Industrial Policy”, underscores the crucial role of industry as a driver of job creation and economic growth – and as such a key element in fighting poverty and hunger.

 The IDR24 also said industrial firms hold approximately 60 per cent of all green patents worldwide, despite representing a smaller share of the overall number of firms, thus highlighting their crucial role in innovation for sustainable economic development.

The report, which was released on Tuesday and accessed by The Nation, shows the transformative potential of modern industrial policies to offer novel solutions to current global challenges, from resource scarcity and climate change to widening socioeconomic disparities and a growing world population.

Commenting on the report, UNIDO Director-General, Gerd Müller said: “We have the technologies and the knowledge to provide effective answers to growing global challenges.

The countries of the Global South need a development perspective – and modern sustainable industry plays a central role in this.”

Müller, however, said a precondition is access to sustainable energy for all because energy is the basis of any and all development. “Moreover, the growing population in developing countries will need decent jobs and industry can provide these,” he added.

According to the UNIDO DG, “Our new report shows that every job created in manufacturing generates more than two other jobs in the wider economy.

“Therefore, we need long-term investment in sustainable industrial development including skills training, and above all true global partnership and solidarity to give the hundreds of millions of young people worldwide a promising perspective for the future.”

IDR24 emphasises why and how modern industrial policies must leverage megatrends such as the energy transition, the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), global trade rebalancing and demographic shifts.

The report said such policies must not only be Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)-oriented, but also future-ready, collaborative, and regionally coordinated.

Based on a novel framework to comprehensively assess progress on sustainable industrialisation and economic growth, the report finds that progress towards industry-related SDGs has been too slow, particularly in innovation, clean energy and job creation.

“These trends can only be reversed through bold and tailored interventions. The IDR24 outlines areas of opportunity for Nigeria and other developing countries to accelerate progress, including the generation of renewable energy – from green hydrogen to ocean energy to the critical minerals and components needed for the energy transition,” Müller said.

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It also includes the use of 4IR technology like Artificial Intelligence (AI) or blockchain to increase competitiveness; attracting foreign direct investment which is relocating due to ongoing global rebalancing as well the trend to regionalization.

The IDR24 highlights best practice interventions in opportunity areas from all over the world.

A region-specific assessment of progress on sustainable industrialisation reveals varying regional challenges and opportunities. In Africa, for instance, it noted substantial gaps in several key areas compared to other developing regions, yet IDR analysis highlights Africa’s enormous potential.

“There has been significant progress in infrastructure, energy and resource efficiency over the past decade, with great opportunities for transformative economic growth by leveraging abundant renewable resources to leapfrog into clean industrialization,” the report said.

IDR24 is the result of extensive collaborative research conducted by UNIDO together with various partners, as well as conclusions drawn from regional workshops and expert consultations.

By engaging stakeholders across all regions, the report integrates a wide array of perspectives and data, ensuring that its recommendations are both globally relevant and locally actionable.

Regional events will be organised throughout the second half of the year to present and discuss the findings, fostering multi-stakeholder dialogue and policy learning around sustainable industrial development.

• Partners MAN to drive energy efficiency

Despite the importance of energy to Nigeria’s economy, low access to modern energy services remains one of the principal constraints to the country’s economic development, the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) has said.

 The UNIDO National Programme Coordinator, Environment & Energy, Oluyemi Banjo, said the economic impact of Nigeria’s unreliable grid operations is estimated at $28 billion.

 He said Nigeria has one of the highest energy poverty rates in the world, with 47 per cent of her population not having access to grid electricity and those who do have access, face regular power cuts.

 Banjo spoke during a ‘Public-Private Dialogue Session for Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and Relevant Government Agencies on the Global Environment Facility (GEF)-UNIDO Industrial Energy Efficiency (IEE) and Resource Efficient Cleaner Production (RECP) Project’ held yesterday (Wednesday) in Lagos.

The GEF-UNIDO IEE and RECP Project was aimed at driving the adoption of energy efficiency by industries in order to increase production efficiency by reducing energy use and by implication, cost; enhance environmental and social management, and optimize the use of natural resources.

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 The dialogue session was organised in partnership with Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), and was exclusively for CEOs of companies operating within five sectors including Food and beverage, Basic Metal, Wood, Textile & Lather sectors, and the Petrochemical sub-sector.

 Banjo, in his welcome remarks, said lack of reliable access to electricity is one of the major constraints to the private sector, according to World Bank’s ‘2020 Doing Business Report’. He, therefore, said improving power sector performance, particularly in the non-oil sector, will be crucial to foster economic growth.

 “Globally, industries account for one-third of total energy consumption and for almost 40 per cent of worldwide CO2 emissions. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has emphasized that industries will need to reduce their current direct emissions globally by about 24 per cent in comparison to 2007 levels.

 “The need to reduce energy consumption, environmental degradation, and resource depletion by industries in emerging economies is especially evident…,” Banjo said, noting that the GEF-UNIDO IEE and RECP project will, to a large extent, address the question on how industries can improve their efficiency and increase profitability.

The UNIDO National Programme Coordinator also said the project will address how industries operate at international best standards, comply with regulations and maintain improved relationship with policy makers.

 Banjo said a pilot financing RECP-IEE scheme has been executed through the Bank of Industry (BoI), while issues around ISO 50000 and 14001 are executed through Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).

 “We hope to support not less than 75 industries across five sectors. We will develop the capacity of the Organised Private Sector (OPS) and develop not less than 300 Nigerian RECP-IEE experts, he announced. 

 MAN President Otunba Francis Meshioye in his welcome address said the implementation of the GEF-UNIDO IEE and RECP Project marked the beginning of a defining moment in manufacturing industries’ collective journey toward sustainable practices that not only drives growth but also preserve the planet for generations to come.

 Meshioye, who was represented by Prince Felix Oba Okojie, said the challenges posed by energy efficiency are multifaceted, encompassing not only economic considerations but also environmental impacts and social implications.

 He, however, embedded within the challenges are opportunities to innovate, optimize, efficiently utilize resources and to lead the way toward a more sustainable future.

 “As we embrace the principles of energy efficiency, we will not only be reducing our carbon footprints, but also be mitigating environmental degradation and saving energy cost.

 “In return, the efficiency, competitiveness and resilience of our operations will be enhanced to meet the increasing demands of our ever-evolving global marketplace,” Meshioye said.

 The session, which considered the project implementation status, also provided the platform to deepen conversation on the impact of relevant energy and environment related policies on the continued survival of industries.

 It also discussed the role of CEOs and regulators in ensuring the successful actualisation of the project’s set objectives. In addition, CEOs of selected industrial enterprises shared experiences and testimonies on the benefits of adopting IEE & RECP methodologies in manufacturing operations.