Vincent Balogun, a lecturer at the Edo State University, Uzuaire, says for Nigeria to be considered one of the 20 biggest economies in the world, its manufacturing sector must contribute a minimum of 15 percent to the gross domestic product (GDP) annually.
Balogun, a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, made the submission while delivering the 3rd inaugural lecture of the university titled, “Green manufacturing: A novel approach to economic recovery in Nigeria”.
According to him, the manufacturing sector contributes 4.19 percent to the GDP. “But for Nigeria to be one of the 20 biggest economies in the world, the sector must be contributing a minimum of 15 percent yearly to its GDP and grow it steadily to a minimum of 30 percent.
He pointed to technological revolution and self-sufficiency in the production of green consumer goods as solutions to economic poverty in the country which can only be achieved through green manufacturing.
According to him, the way forward is for the country to take advantage of the green manufacturing strategy and evolve its manufacturing sector as we move towards the 4th industrial revolution.
“The state of manufacturing in our nation needs a change to enhance sustainability and transformation towards green. As a nation, we cannot continue to depend on imported technology and food and expect to be classified as a developed nation.
“Rather, we need to employ and develop our green manufacturing sector so that we can create more jobs and take our citizens out of the streets”, he said.
Read also: Economic diversification: From raw materials to processed goods
The professor, however, called on the Federal Government to create a favourable and enabling environment for the green manufacturing technology sector to thrive.
He also wants the government to develop green manufacturing technology through the use of its local content technology for the production of goods in the manufacturing sector.
The university lecturer, who noted that the manufacturing sector provides the greatest opportunity for the transformation of the Nigerian economy, opined that it is an antidote for unemployment, a creator of wealth and a threshold for sustainable development.
“Although manufacturing in Nigeria has a few challenges; among them are inadequate and epileptic power supply, regulatory issues, multiplicities of taxes, trade facilitation issues and infrastructural deficiencies.
“There are some areas of strength that Nigeria could build on if it considers the new trend of green manufacturing”, he added.
Balogun described green manufacturing as a product through economically-sound processes that minimise negative environmental impact while conserving energy and natural resources.
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