The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has called out local manufacturers for their failure to export goods successfully, blaming them for not seeking necessary information on export procedures.
At a high-profile Strategic Focus Group* meeting organized by the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) in Abeokuta, Ogun State, NEPC’s Head of Product and Marketing, Hadiza Kashiat, did not hold back, criticizing manufacturers for what she described as negligence and lack of initiative.
Many manufacturers do not seek information on what they need to export their products. Even when we provide publications on export requirements, most Nigerians do not read them. It is not enough to complain; we must make use of the information available to us, she stated.
Her comments have sparked heated reactions, with critics arguing that government agencies should do more to simplify export procedures rather than shifting blame onto struggling businesses.
Beyond the issue of exports, Kashiat also accused Nigerians of sabotaging their own economy by rejecting locally made goods in favor of foreign imports. She claimed that many high-quality Nigerian products, including lubricants, ginger, and palm oil, are secretly rebranded and sold abroad at premium prices, while Nigerians continue to undermine them at home.
If we continue to reject our own products, how do we grow our economy? Malaysia still comes to Nigeria to export palm oil, yet Nigerians refuse to embrace their own resources,she lamented.
NASENI’s team leader, Babajide Soyya, echoed similar concerns, warning that Nigeria’s preference for foreign goods is killing local industries and worsening unemployment. According to him, every imported product means another job lost to a foreign country.
NASENI, in response, says it is aggressively pushing for policy changes, collaborating with industries, and signing Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs)with key stakeholders to revive local manufacturing.
The meeting, themed Made in Nigeria for Everyone, is the fourth in a series of nationwide engagements aimed at addressing the growing crisis in the country’s manufacturing sector. However, critics argue that without drastic government intervention to address policy inconsistencies, high production costs, and infrastructural challenges, Nigeria’s export market will remain a struggling sector, regardless of how much manufacturers seek information.
