Manufacturers in Nigeria are beginning to experience some relief as foreign exchange pressures ease, while major structural and subnational challenges continue to threaten the sector’s recovery, a member of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Mrs Ijeoma Ezeasor, has said.
 
Ezeasor, a member of MAN for Anambra, Enugu, and Ebonyi states, told newsmen in Enugu that manufacturing in the country had long been treated as a “suicide mission,” largely due to volatility in the forex market and a harsh operating environment.
 
She noted, however, that recent developments suggest a measure of stability in foreign exchange, offering cautious optimism for manufacturers, even as she stressed that “a lot still needs to be done” to fully restore confidence in the sector.
 
Speaking on the role of state governments, Ezeasor said while states were under pressure to increase internally generated revenue, the focus should be on enabling businesses rather than repeatedly hiking rates, charges, and levies.
 
According to her, creating a more conducive business environment would attract new investments, expand production, and ultimately yield higher revenues for states through Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) taxes as manufacturers create more jobs.
 
She warned that persistent increases in landing charges, road levies, and other fees, especially those imposed by non-state actors, were undermining productivity and competitiveness, particularly for manufacturers operating outside state capitals.
 
Ezeasor expressed concern over what she described as a breakdown of governance in parts of Enugu State, citing illegal toll gates along major routes such as Oji River and Obollo Afor, where informal groups reportedly block federal highways and collect levies.
 
She said the activities of such groups, including occasional road blockades arising from disputes with tanker drivers, raise questions about the reach of state authority beyond capital territories.