Manufacturers in Kaduna and other North-West states have called for stronger collaboration with the government to tackle persistent challenges around power, infrastructure and the business environment, as operators grapple with the impact of ongoing economic and tax reforms.

The call formed part of the discussions at the 29th Joint Annual General Meeting of the Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara state branches of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), held in Kaduna last week.

he manufacturers’ position came as the Kaduna State Government pledged to deepen partnership with the organised private sector and work with MAN to remove barriers to investment and production in the state.

Speaking during a courtesy visit by MAN President, Francis Meshioye, Director-General, Segun Ajayi-Kadir and other MAN executives to the Deputy Governor’s Council Chambers at Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, the government said a more structured and continuous relationship with MAN was necessary to address challenges confronting manufacturers jointly.

Meshioye urged the state government to work with them to provide a permanent solution to the power and infrastructure challenges facing members while urging manufacturers to invest more in Kaduna, expand existing operations and develop local supply chains.

He said both sides should work together to attract investment, create jobs and make the state a competitive manufacturing destination; highlighting the sector’s contribution to the national economy. He noted that the sector accounted for 8.05 per cent of Nigeria’s real GDP in 2025, generated about N1.17 trillion in VAT, and recorded 3.29 per cent year-on-year growth in Q1 2026.

The engagement came against the backdrop of the association’s yearly meeting, which focused on the theme, ‘Nigerian Tax Reform Acts and the Way Forward for Kaduna State’.

At the AGM, the state’s Deputy Governor, Dr Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, said they realise that taxation must not become an obstacle to production, stressing that the success of tax reform should be measured not only by revenue generation but also by the confidence it creates among businesses.

“For manufacturers, the success of tax reform cannot be measured merely by how much revenue the government collects. It must also be measured by how much confidence it creates among businesses. It should not become an obstacle to production,” she said.

Balarabe said the central issue was how the government could mobilise revenue to provide infrastructure and public services while simultaneously creating an environment where businesses survive, expand and prosper.

She said the current administration knows that sustainable development cannot be achieved by the government alone and therefore needs a strong partnership with the private sector.

According to her, the state’s tax administration philosophy is increasingly centred on partnership with taxpayers and ease of tax payment. She cited the Cross-Sector System for Revenue Administration, Project CRAFT and the PAYKADUNA Portal as key initiatives designed to improve revenue administration.

She also said they intend to align their tax administration with the emerging national tax environment, including the passage of the Kaduna State Tax Consolidation Law; describing the approach as a foundation for a more coherent and modern tax system suitable for manufacturers operating in the state.

While calling for an enabling business environment, Balarabe also reminded manufacturers that taxation remained a civic responsibility and an important instrument for financing development. She, however, maintained that government must strike a balance between revenue mobilisation and sustaining productive economic activity.

The government, she said, is pursuing a broader strategy to reposition the state as an industrial hub for Northern Nigeria, leveraging its historical industrial base, strategic location, agricultural resources and human capital.

She said manufacturing already contributes significantly to the state’s economy, particularly in food, beverages and textiles, while identifying agro-processing and value addition to agricultural produce as major opportunities.

Balarabe said the state government’s efforts included investment promotion, agro-processing, industrial clusters, infrastructure development, support for MSMEs, skills development and measures to improve the business environment.

She urged MAN members to take advantage of the opportunities by investing in Kaduna, expanding existing businesses and developing local supply chains. She also pointed to the SAP-Z project and its potential role in promoting exports when completed.

She said maintaining an open channel of communication with the organised private sector was critical to the future of Kaduna’s economy.

Hailing MAN for choosing Kaduna to host the meeting and for selecting a theme that addresses the prevailing economic realities of the country and the state; she urged participants to move beyond discussing challenges alone and identify practical solutions that would make Kaduna and the other states in the branch more competitive destinations for manufacturing and investment.

She called for a tax system that promotes compliance without stifling enterprise, a business environment that rewards investment and a government-private sector relationship built on trust, transparency and shared responsibility.