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By Temitope Aina
Manufacturers have called on the Federal Government to urgently reduce production and logistics costs as Nigeria’s non-oil exports rose to a record $6.1 billion in 2025.
The Manufacturers’ Association of Nigeria Export Promotion Group (MANEG) said high interest rates, unreliable electricity supply, energy costs, poor roads and logistics bottlenecks were undermining the competitiveness of Nigerian products in international markets.
The group made the call at its ninth Annual General Meeting in Lagos, themed, “Unlocking Nigeria’s Manufacturing Export Performance Through Tackling Cost, Logistics as Competitiveness Constraints.”
Chairman of MANEG and Director, Corporate and Regulatory Affairs, BAT Nigeria, Mrs Ruth Owojaiye, said exporters needed measurable progress in reducing operating costs.
“Manufacturers are itching. Exporters are asking the government for support to ensure everything works. We know that it’s not going to happen in a day. But we need to see steps happening to ensure that logistics issues are being dealt with, the roads are being fixed, interest rates are being addressed,” she said.
Owojaiye welcomed the reduction of the Monetary Policy Rate to 23 per cent but said businesses would judge its impact by whether it eventually translated into cheaper financing.
She also renewed MANEG’s call for settlement of outstanding Export Expansion Grant claims, saying the payment would help exporters reinvest and cushion cost pressures.
Director-General of the Manufacturers’ Association of Nigeria, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, said Nigeria’s challenge was not merely to increase exports but to create a business environment in which local manufacturers could compete successfully.
He said the high-cost operating environment could undermine benefits offered by the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Mrs Nonye Ayeni, said Nigeria recorded its highest-ever non-oil export performance in 2025.
She said non-oil exports reached $6.1 billion, while export volume rose to 8.02 million metric tonnes.
According to her, Nigeria exported 281 products to 120 countries during the year.
Ayeni said the NEPC was also pursuing initiatives aimed at reducing export logistics challenges, including domestic export warehouses, the Single Window trade facilitation system and air cargo corridors.
MANEG called for stronger collaboration among government, manufacturers, exporters, financial institutions and regulatory agencies to improve competitiveness and expand Nigeria’s manufacturing exports.
