Nigeria must urgently cut down its dependence on imports and focus on producing what it can locally, the Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Owan Enoh, has said.
Speaking at the Redeemed Christian Church of God Lagos Province 35 Economic Summit, the minister warned that Nigeria’s large population will only become an economic advantage if it is actively engaged in productive industrial activities.
He stressed that the success of President Bola Tinubu’s Nigeria-First Policy, announced in 2025 to prioritise local industries in government procurement, depends on predictable policies, coordinated execution, and effective use of public procurement to stimulate domestic manufacturing.
According to Enoh, sectors such as textiles, automotive manufacturing, medical equipment, and furniture have strong potential if government demand is deliberately channelled toward local producers.
“Public procurement is a powerful but underutilised tool.
When government demand is predictable, it encourages private investment, expands value chains, and creates jobs,” he said.
The minister cited countries like Bangladesh and Vietnam, which built global manufacturing strength through policy consistency rather than perfect infrastructure.
He noted that manufacturers are willing to invest when policies are stable and rules are clear.
“One manufacturer told me: ‘I don’t need everything to be perfect; I just need things to be predictable.’ That sums up what businesses need to grow,” Enoh stated.
He warned that Nigeria’s youthful population could become a burden if industrial capacity is not expanded quickly enough to absorb labour and reduce unemployment.
“A large population only makes sense if it is productive. Otherwise, it becomes pressure, not potential,” he said.
Enoh added that aligning industrial policy with procurement reforms would reduce import dependence, strengthen local industries, and ensure government spending supports Nigerian manufacturers.
“Our goal is to convert population into demand, demand into production, and production into jobs,” he concluded.
