Dangote, Guinness, Nestle, Nigeria Breweries, among nominees for The Guardian Manufacturing Excellence Awards

The Guardian, Nigeria’s premium and most respected newspaper in collaboration with African Consolidated Analytical Limited, will on March 27, 2020, hold the 2019 edition of the Manufacturing Excellence Roundtable and Awards (MERA). The theme of the roundtable is:
“The Manufacturing Sector as Catalyst for Industrialization: Issues & Prospects.” 

The MERA was conceptualised to celebrate the achievements of those who are spurring growth, development, creating new economic opportunities for citizens and communities and inspiring the new generation in Nigeria’s manufacturing sector.
 
The Guardian supports the advancement of the manufacturing ecosystems; and so, is poised to recognise the individuals and companies that are driving growth in the sector. Today, manufacturing is a key driver of organic growth for all economies—regardless of the nation.

The place of the manufacturing sector in the economic and industrial development of any nation, Nigeria inclusive, cannot be over-emphasised. There is, therefore, an obvious linkage between economic growth and development with industrialisation. Industrialisation involves extensive technological development of the production system of an economy. And industrial development portends a deliberate and sustained application and combination of suitable technology, management techniques, and other resources to move an economy from the traditional low production to a more automated and efficient system of mass production of goods and services.

In Nigeria, there are challenges that are general to every business. However, there are peculiar challenges that confront the manufacturing or real sector; some of these challenges may have been addressed or are being addressed by the government, while many of them are still unattended to.  It is for the reasons above that this roundtable seeks to bring the nation’s economic managers, manufacturers, large and small and all stakeholders together for an elevated conversation on how to remove the bottlenecks militating against industrialisation in Nigeria.
 
The MERA categories include baby care products manufacturing company of the year; beer manufacturing company of the year; cement manufacturing company of the year; flour miller of the year; lubricant manufacturing company of the year; malt drinks manufacturing company of the year; mattress manufacturing company of the year; paint manufacturing company of the year; personal care/hygiene products manufacturing company of the year; pharmaceutical manufacturing company of the year; sugar manufacturing company of the year; plastic manufacturing company of the year; soft drink manufacturing company of the year; build materials manufacturing company of the year; beverages manufacturing company of the year; food products manufacturing company of the year. Others include the manufacturing company of the year; manufacturing CEO of the year; best manufacturing company in corporate social responsibility; best bank in support of manufacturing and best manufacturing company in health, safety, and environment.
 
For the different award categories, the Award Committee employed various parameters and criteria in the process of selecting and short-listing the nominees out of hundreds of thousands of manufacturing companies, institutions and businesses registered and operating in Nigeria. Subsequently, some of the trailblazing companies that made the list in the different categories include Dangote Group, Lafarge Africa Plc, Guinness Nigeria Plc, Nigeria Breweries Plc, Nigeria Bottling Company Limited, Nestle Nigeria, Friesland Campina Wamco Nigeria Plc, Unilever Nigeria Plc, Honeywell Flour Mills Plc, UAC Foods Limited, Bank of Industry, May & Baker, CAP Plc, Vitafoam Nigeria Plc, Mouka Foam, Chi Limited, Nigerian Wire and Cable, Nigerite Limited, Fidson Healthcare Plc, De-United Foods Industries, Sonia Foods Industries Limited, and Beloxxi Industries Limited.