The 16th meeting of the National Council on Industry, Trade and Investment has approved the establishment of Industrial Property Facilitation Centres at designated Special Economic Zones to improve enterprise registration, intellectual property protection, and investor support services.
The council meeting, which was held in Lagos, approved the implementation of a National Pre-Retirement Business Preparatory Programme to equip retiring public servants with the knowledge and tools to transition into productive entrepreneurship.
It also approved the development of a harmonised master plan for industrial clusters across the country, to guide infrastructure planning, spatial development, and investment targeting.
Other approvals given by the council were the upgrade of infrastructure at Bauchi and Port Harcourt Trade Fair Complexes, to improve the competitiveness of local trade exhibitions and promote Made-in-Nigeria products.
“The establishment of the SMEDAN Mentorship Programme (SMP) will bridge the gap between MSMEs and experienced entrepreneurs/industry experts, fostering business growth, job creation, and economic development.
“Promotion and development of the nation’s cold chain logistics and its entire sector, to minimise wastage of perishables and reshape the country’s food logistics landscape for enhanced non-oil export and economic growth.
“Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, adoption and implementation of the proposed export financing strategies to boost exports, strengthen trade resilience, unlock new investment opportunities, and foster long-term economic sustainability.
“The development of technical regulations on compressed natural gas (CNG) dispensers and other measurement devices not yet provided for in the regulations to the Weights and Measures Act (Cap W3 LFN 2004), to promote inclusivity, measurement integrity, consumer protection, and boost confidence in Nigeria’s trade measurement system.
“That SMEDAN should proceed with the National MSMEs Business Formalisation Programme (NMBFP) initiative in order to facilitate the mass formalisation of MSMEs in the country for smooth disbursement of incentives and other government support.
“Policy, infrastructural, and funding support and encouragement of inter-agency cooperation to drive the commodity trading sector for both domestic and international trade, and achieve NCX’s Strategic Execution Plan (SEP).”
The council recognised the critical role of collaboration among federal, state, and non-state actors in ensuring the success of industrial, trade, and investment programmes across Nigeria and acknowledged the input of the private sector and development partners in supporting the ministry’s objectives.
