The new Chairman of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Anambra/Enugu/Ebonyi States Branch, Ada Chukwudozie has called on government at all levels to give manufactures enabling support and encouragement as it is the only major sector that has all it takes to revive the sick national economy and create employment.
Chukwudozie, who made the call at the 34 Annual General Meeting of the branch where she took the mantle of leadership of the branch as the first woman Chairman and the eleventh Chairman of the branch, said that the manufacturing sector has great prospect of improving and overcoming the country’s present challenges.
She emphasised that over the years, Nigeria’s manufacturing sector has been acknowledged as one of the highest contributors to the other sectors as it affects, supports the economy and directly contributes to the GDP and the labour market. She noted that the manufacturing sector has a multiplier effect on the economy, creates wealth via trade and drives innovation.
The Chairman nevertheless, lamented that today “the sector has been confronted with several challenges ranging from inconsistent and unfavorable government policies, multiple taxation, poor access to cheaper funding and forex , insecurity and poor infrastructure among others.”
She also noted that combination of local and international events have changed the business environment thereby impacting negativity on members.
The event, which was well attended by Captains of industry all over Nigeria including the Ooni of Ife and the wife of former president of the Senate, Hellen David Mark as Father and mother of the day respectively took place in Enugu without any government representatives from the three states Anambra, Enugu and Ebonyi.
Chukwudozie in her acceptance speech, exhibited confidence to tackle and solve most of the challenges facing her branch through a six-point agenda which she called ‘MRSMAN’ agenda.
She pointed out that by adhering strictly to six-point agenda in tackling some of the challenges in her branch they would be able to change the narratives.
The AGM was themed: ‘The Declining Ethical Values and Cultures of the 60’s and 70’s in Today’s Current Clime Causes, Effects and Solutions.’
Chukwudozie explained that top in her agenda was to create a strong cohesion within members and double our membership base and to identify key intervention areas and impact opportunities to be pursued by the association
This, she said, would be in a bid to enhance the operational efficiency of members and ensure that they are able to optimise economies of scale that comes from shared infrastructure and services.
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According to Chukwudozie, “These partnerships are geared at cost reduction, improved production and services, equitable risk and opportunity share for our members”.
She said that the future of “manufacturing is changing globally, and the era of mass production of goods is giving way to the new growing days of mass customisation of goods.”
She also spoke about the negative effects of Covid-19 and Russia-Ukarain war as they affects manufacturing and further aggravated the cost of production with rising cost on factors of production, making cost of production extremely high.
The chairman further warned on the implications of Nigeria’s participation in African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as cheaper goods and services would flood Nigerian markets from cross border manufactures that have access to better economics of production.
Speaking also, the National President of MAN, Mansur Ahmed, commended the new Chairman and her agenda and also promised to adopt it not only at the branch but the national body of MAN would study it and adopt the six-point agenda for effective development of the sector.
Ahmed said that MAN would tackle challenges confronting the manufacturing sector by robust partnership with policy makers especially over local or environmental challenges to manufacturers.
“We must partner and work closely with other stakeholders to ensure local or national policies support the manufacturing sector to create wealth, employment opportunities and national growth.
“Manufacturers must take advantage of 200 million Nigerians and the over 1.3 billion people in the Africa continent as a huge market,” he said.
Earlier, the out gone Chairman of the branch, Anietom Igweobi, congratulated Chukwudozie for her emergence and assured her administration maximum support to succeed.
Igweobi said that he believed that the resilient and doggedness of Chukwudozie would definitely move the branch to greater height; while thanking Nollywood veteran, Pete Edochie, for delivering the theme lecture of the AGM.
Goodwill messages were received from Sen. Victor Umeh; former Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Uche Ogah, Oba Murawa Adedioye, representing the Ooni of Ife, Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) and National Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) among others.
