The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has demanded tighter regulatory oversight on foreign operators infiltrating the country’s retail sector, warning that unchecked expansion into non-traditional fields threatens domestic commerce.
Speaking at a Lagos media briefing ahead of the association’s 54th Annual General Meeting, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, MAN Director-General, urged authorities to strictly enforce trade and immigration laws against expatriates operating outside their permitted scopes.
Citing Ghana as a benchmark for protecting local markets, Ajayi-Kadir questioned the complicity of regulatory bodies. “If there are no extant laws to deal with that kind of thing, I think this is the time that should be considered,” he stated.
Shifting focus to regulatory overreach, Ajayi-Kadir slammed the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) over its approach to banning sachet alcoholic beverages. Labeling the enforcement strategy “reckless,” he warned that factory closures and product seizures would destroy jobs, slash tax revenues, and drive consumers toward dangerous, unregulated alternatives.
“The fact that somebody consumes alcohol is not because it’s available in sachets. Bleach is available in sachets; why are people not drinking it?” he asked, emphasising that demand, not packaging, drives consumption. He urged the agency to focus on monitoring and compliance rather than using a “hammer” approach against legitimate businesses.
Addressing broader macroeconomic headwinds, Francis Meshioye, MAN President, highlighted the crippling impact of high energy costs, infrastructure deficits, foreign exchange volatility, and scarce finance on local factories.
Meshioye stressed that while the National Industrial Policy (NIP) offers a strong blueprint for economic transformation, its ultimate success hinges on aggressive, results-driven execution.
These pressing industrial challenges will form the core agenda of MAN’s upcoming 54th Annual General Meeting, themed ‘Leveraging National Industrial Policy to Position Nigeria as Africa’s Industrial Hub,’ slated for October 5 to 7 in Lagos.
