Enoh highlights FG’s plan to boost Nigeria’s industrial growth

The Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Enoh, has highlighted the Federal Government’s renewed efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s industrial sector, saying the country now has a clear policy direction to drive production, value addition and economic growth.

Enoh spoke during an interview on Arise Television, where he discussed the Nigerian Industrial Policy, the performance of the manufacturing sector and efforts by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to address major challenges facing industries.

He said the Nigerian Industrial Policy, launched on February 17, 2026, provides a roadmap for the growth and development of the country’s industrial sector.

According to the minister, the policy was approved by the Federal Executive Council in the last quarter of 2025, describing it as the first major industrial policy introduced in Nigeria in several decades.

He said the policy places production and value addition at the centre of efforts to transform the economy and move Nigeria closer to its target of becoming a $1 trillion economy by 2030.

“One of the major things that we have now is a clear industrial policy and an implementation plan to guide the growth of the sector,” Enoh said.

The minister noted that the manufacturing sector had also shown signs of improvement, with growth rising to 3.24 per cent in the second quarter of 2026, compared with 1.60 per cent recorded in the same period of 2025.

He said the sector recorded successive improvements from the first quarter to the second quarter of 2026, signalling what he described as a gradual recovery.

Enoh identified electricity and power supply as one of the major challenges affecting manufacturers and industrial production across the country.

He said the new industrial policy prioritises a combination of grid electricity, gas-powered energy and renewable energy to provide more reliable power for industries.

“Power remains one of the critical constraints facing our industries, and that is why the government is looking at different sources of energy to support industrial production,” he said.

The minister also disclosed that the Ministry of Industry had created a platform bringing together manufacturers and members of the organised private sector to discuss and address major challenges confronting businesses.

He added that the government was developing the Idu Industrial Cluster as a model for improving power supply to industries, with collaboration involving Wellbeck and other partners.

According to Enoh, the initiative is expected to demonstrate how improved and reliable energy can support production and increase the competitiveness of Nigerian industries.

Speaking on the country’s broader economic outlook, the minister said the reforms introduced since President Tinubu assumed office in 2023 had helped to create greater economic stability.

He pointed to Nigeria’s 4.43 per cent Gross Domestic Product growth as evidence of progress, while stressing that the government was targeting stronger growth in the coming years.

“Four point four three per cent is progress, considering where we are coming from, but we are aiming much higher. We are looking towards six per cent, seven per cent and beyond,” he said.

Enoh further said the Ministry of Industry would release regular 90-day implementation reports to track progress and ensure accountability in the implementation of the industrial policy.

He also noted that the Bank of Industry had released its first-ever Annual Development Impact Report for 2025, reflecting a growing focus on measuring the impact of industrial financing.

The minister maintained that stronger production, industrialisation and value addition would be central to increasing the contribution of different sectors to Nigeria’s economy and achieving the country’s long-term growth ambitions.