President Bola Tinubu has officially launched Nigeria’s Industrial Policy 2025, issuing a directive to all relevant ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to fast-track its implementation.
Representing the President at the Bola Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja on Tuesday, Vice President Kashim Shettima performed the official unveiling.
In a statement released by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Tinubu characterized the new policy as a “practical roadmap.”
He emphasized that the framework is designed to revitalize Nigeria’s manufacturing sector, capitalize on emerging market opportunities, and place industrial productivity and job creation at the heart of the national economic agenda.
“We have realised that industrialization is not a wish you think about; it is an action you perform.”
“More than that, we must remind ourselves that this task demands coherence across energy, trade, infrastructure, finance, skills, and innovation. It requires partnership between government and the private sector,” he said.
President Tinubu observed that national policies typically falter not at the drawing board, but during execution.
He acknowledged Nigeria’s long-standing struggles with fragmented value chains, high production costs, and poor coordination between the public and private sectors.
Declaring that “this stops now,” the President asserted that the 2025 policy is specifically designed to confront these systemic bottlenecks head-on, with success being measured solely by “tangible outcomes.”
Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Chairman of the Dangote Group, lauded the federal government’s progressive stance, noting that Nigeria’s private sector—uniquely larger than its government—is ready to drive this change.
Expressing strong confidence in current economic reforms and exchange rate stability, Dangote projected a bullish outlook for the local currency, stating, “the naira, this year, will be at ₦1,000 to $100.”
The business mogul, however, issued a firm reminder that local industries require strategic support to survive. “If there is no protection,” he warned, “there is no way any industry will thrive here.”
“This administration will not measure success by the number of documents we produce.
“We will measure success by the number of factories that open their gates at dawn, by the jobs created for our young men and women, by the exports that leave our ports bearing the mark of Nigerian excellence, and by the value retained within our own economy,” he said.
Outlining the policy’s focus areas, Tinubu said it prioritises strategic sectors based on the nation’s comparative and competitive advantages.
“It advances value chain development so that Nigeria moves steadily from exporting raw materials to producing finished goods.
“It integrates our micro, small, and medium enterprises into the heart of industrial growth, because prosperity must not be exclusive. It aligns infrastructure and energy with industrial ambition, for factories cannot run on policy alone.
“It strengthens skills, technology, and innovation to prepare our people for the industries of today and tomorrow.”
He called for increased private sector participation, urging businesses to invest with confidence and responsibility, to deepen local value chains, to create jobs and transfer skills, and to partner with government in building a productive economy.
Tinubu commended the Minister of State for Industry, Sen. John Enoh, “for his disciplined leadership and clarity of purpose in driving” the policy. He noted that the minister has demonstrated that leadership is “not about noise, but about substance, coordination, and follow-through.”
Enoh described the launch as a turning point aimed at building an industrial Nigeria that produces, competes, and prospers.
He also praised technical teams, industry stakeholders, manufacturers, investors, and practitioners for shaping the policy into a document grounded in reality and informed by experience.
The United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr Mohamed Fall, expressed confidence that the launch marked a step toward inclusive economic growth.
He highlighted the ongoing partnership between the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation and Nigeria, aimed at transforming the country into a key player in regional and global value chains.
President of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Francis Meshioye, commended the President on the launch and pledged full support to ensure the policy’s effective implementation, backing the promotion of indigenous entrepreneurship enshrined in the policy.
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