We’ll Count Factories As Measure Of Industrial Policy Success, Says Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday launched the Nigeria Industrial Policy 2025.

Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the official launch held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja, Tinubu described the policy as a roadmap for re-engineering Nigeria’s industrial base and placing production, competitiveness and jobs at the heart of the nation’s economic strategy.

The president directed ministries, departments and agencies to ensure its speedy implementation, noting that the policy’s success would be judged by factories built, jobs created and exports shipped.

Tinubu acknowledged years of structural failure, saying Nigeria had for too long grappled with fragmented value chains, high production costs, infrastructure gaps, policy inconsistency and poor coordination between government and industry.

Quoting him, “We have realised that industrialisation 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 added, “The defining strength of this policy is its insistence on implementation. 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.”

Outlining key aspects of the policy, the President said it prioritises strategic sector focus anchored on the nation’s comparative and competitive advantages.

He continued: “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.”

While calling for more private sector participation, the Nigerian leader urged support for the sector “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.”

President Tinubu commended the Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Owan Enoh, “for his disciplined leadership and clarity of purpose in driving” the process, adding that the Minister “has demonstrated that policy leadership is not about noise, but about substance, coordination, and follow-through.”

He also applauded the Ministry’s technical teams, industry stakeholders, manufacturers, investors, and practitioners for shaping the “policy into a document grounded in reality and informed by experience” with their insights.

Earlier, the Minister of State for Industry, Chief John Owan Enoh, said the campaign marked a turning point aimed at building an industrial Nigeria that produces, competes, and prospers.

On his part, business mogul and Chairman of Dangote Group of Companies, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, thanked the federal government for introducing a progressive industrial policy, observing that Nigeria is the only country in Africa where the private sector is bigger than the government.

Dangote said domestic manufacturers are pleased with the policy the Tinubu administration has created, expressing firm belief that “the naira, this year, will be at ₦1,000 to $100.”

Announcing that many investors are willing to invest in Nigeria due to FX stability and other reforms, Dangote suggested that the only thing remaining is the protection of indigenous industries, saying “if there is no protection, there is no way any industry will thrive here.”

For his part, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr. Mohamed Malick Fall, expressed confidence that, with the official launch of the policy, Nigeria has taken a step into its future where hope is turned into action, resulting in inclusive economic growth.

He explained that the policy is the outcome of an ongoing partnership between the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and Nigeria, aimed at transforming the country into a beacon of prosperity and a key player in regional and global value chains.

Also, the President of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Otunba Francis Meshioye, commended the President over the launch of the policy, noting that manufacturers are focused on the effective implementation of the policy.

He backed the promotion of indigenous entrepreneurship enshrined in the policy, assuring that MAN will give its full support to ensure its successful implementation.