Manufacturers leverage expo to reduce raw materials importation
Frank Jacobs, MAN President
Despite recording an improvement in local sourcing of raw materials for production, manufacturers in the country have expressed optimism of further reducing their level of imports as well as deepen access to plants and machineries necessary for value addition at this year’s Nigeria manufacturing and equipment (NME) and raw materials (NIRAM) expo.
President, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Dr Frank Jacobs, explained that the expo will give stakeholders in the private and public sectors, especially small businesses, a platform to learn hands-on processes on how to boost their output, reduce cost, drive quality improvement, manufacturer for new market and secure funding for growth.
Jacobs during a press briefing to announce the expo in collaboration with Clarion Events West Africa, said the yearly event was carved out in response to federal government’s commitment to industrialise and diversify the Nigerian economy.He maintained that last year’s edition has made great impact on the economy as attested to by the participants that cut across various sectors of the economy.
The MAN boss said this year’s event is expected to attract over 3,000 visitors and exhibitors from multinationals, large and small medium industries (SMIs) and other manufacturing equipment distributors from leading local and international suppliers.
The Equipment expo, scheduled to hold between the 13th and 15th March, at the Landmark event centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, is expected to drive the nation’s quest to achieve a virile industrialised economy.He pointed out that the fair would be the most exciting thing to happen to the industrial sector in Nigeria in 2018, adding that it would also provide opportunities for the large and medium size corporations to retool, and get local sources of raw materials to boost production, reduce cost and time of procurement.
The Director General, Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Dr. Hussaini Ibrahim, said the previous editions of NIRAM expo have attained modest achievements, saying that today, industries can source for high quality starch, glucose syrups and extracts, fruit juice concentrates locally.Ibrahim, represented by the Director, Investment and Consultancy, RMRDC, Mrs. Zainab Hammanga, said the expo had also created a platform for highlighting the challenges to local sourcing of gypsum notingd that most of these challenges have been addressed by giving cement industries the opportunity to source for gypsum from local miners.
He added that there have been increased activities by farmers and miners because of the increase in local patronage.He expressed the hope that these trends would further improve with the 2018 edition to support the efforts of the federal government aimed at diversifying the economy through value addition to the nation’s agricultural and mineral resources.
The Events Manager, Clarion Events West Africa, Joseph Oru, said expected manufacturers and manufacturing equipment distributors will have the opportunity to evaluate and purchase latest equipment, machine tools, technologies, spare parts, and raw materials as well as display their technologies to over 120 leading local and international suppliers.
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