Manufacturers to deepen local raw materials sourcing, value-addition

To reduce dependence on importation of raw materials for local production as well as deepen access to plants and machineries necessary for value addition, Nigerian manufacturers hope to leverage this year’s Nigeria manufacturing and equipment (NME) and raw materials (NIRAM) expo to achieve the objective.

According to the President, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Dr. Frank Jacobs, the expo will give top stakeholders in the private and public sectors opportunity to appraise developments in manufacturing and industry to jointly propose quick-win solutions that will help Nigeria revive its manufacturing sector.

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 edition has made great impact on 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 3,700 visitors and exhibitors from multinationals, large and small medium industries (SMIs) and other manufacturing equipment distributors from over 120 leading local and international suppliers.

The Equipment expo, scheduled to hold on the 14th to 16th of March, 2017 at Landmark event centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, is expected to drive the nation’s quest to achieve a virile industrialised economy. It also provides a platform for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to learn new processes on how to boost outputs, reduce costs, drive quality improvement and manufacture for new emerging markets across the globe.

He pointed out that the fair would be the most exciting thing to happen to the industrial sector in Nigeria in 2017. He stressed 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.

The Director General represented by the Director, Investment and Consultancy, RMRDC, Mrs. Zainab Amanga, said the expo had also created a platform for highlighting the challenges to local sourcing of gypsum. She noted that most of these challenges have been addressed giving opportunities to 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 2017 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 Managing Director, Clarion Events West Africa, Dele Alimi, said over 4500 manufacturers and manufacturing equipment distributors expected to attend, evaluate and purchase latest equipment, machine tools, technologies, spare parts and raw materials will have opportunities to display their technologies to over 120 leading local and international suppliers.