The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria Export Promotion Group (MANEG) has called for a review of global trade barriers and protectionist policies that continue to undermine Nigerian exporters under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The group made the appeal on Wednesday in Lagos during its 8th Annual General Meeting (AGM).
The theme of the AGM is “Difficulties in Export Trading under Multilateral Trade Agreements: A Threat to AfCFTA Implementation”.
Director-General of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Segun Ajayi-Kadir, said export remains the foundation of economic independence for any developing nation.
Read also: Nigeria’s SMEs at a Crossroads: Competing for Relevance in the AfCFTA Era
He urged the Federal Government to strengthen local production and refine export policies.
Ajayi-Kadir noted that although Nigeria had launched several economic recovery plans over the years, poor implementation had hindered sustainable growth.
“The early years of independence held great promise for our economy, but successive governments have failed to implement key industrial plans.
“Yes, the current administration has made commendable reform attempts, but it is now time to translate them into measurable results,” he said.
He observed that manufacturing had taken a back seat in national development, leaving the country overly dependent on imports.
Ajayi-Kadir, however, expressed optimism that the current exchange rate regime could serve as a catalyst for export competitiveness.
“A weaker naira can actually make Nigerian products more attractive in global markets, but only if the right export incentives and logistics support are in place,” he added.
The MAN chief stressed that the association’s Export Promotion Group plays a vital role in addressing the challenges faced by Nigerian exporters and in strengthening the country’s export ecosystem.
Read also: Can AfCFTA still deliver for Nigeria’s economy?
Chairman of the MAN Export Promotion Group, Mrs Odiri Erewa-Meggison, said the meeting’s theme reflected the realities confronting exporters under the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) and the AfCFTA framework.
She warned that while AfCFTA offers broader opportunities across 54 countries, unresolved bottlenecks within ECOWAS, involving just 15 nations, could spell deeper trouble for manufacturers seeking to benefit from the continental agreement.
Quoting data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Erewa-Meggison said the value of manufactured goods exported in the fourth quarter of 2024 stood at N494.2 billion, representing 110.3 per cent increase compared with the same period in 2023.
“Although the data suggests growth, the reality for many manufacturers is quite different.
“We still struggle with high operating costs, low domestic sales, logistics delays, unpredictable exchange rates, and rising taxes.
“These challenges make survival extremely difficult,” she said.
She urged the Federal Government to revisit its policies on non-oil export incentives and expedite the disbursement of the Export Expansion Grant (EEG) to save the manufacturing export sector from collapse.
Read also: Why AfCFTA’s $450 billion promise hangs on logistics and investment
“We remain committed to promoting export-driven industrialisation, but the right policies and incentives must be in place for manufacturers to thrive,” she added.
Also speaking, Olawale Ogunkola of the Department of Economics, University of Ibadan, emphasised the need for structural transformation of the Nigerian economy.
He lamented the nation’s overdependence on the oil and gas sector, warning that shocks in that sector could cripple the entire economy.
According to him, diversification, innovation, and value-added production are critical to Nigeria’s long-term stability and global competitiveness.
“With the right policies and strong institutional support, Nigeria has what it takes to become a major global exporting power,” Ogunkola said.
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