The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and the Federal Government have launched the Programme for Country Partnership (PCP) Flagship Strategy (2024–2028), aimed at stimulating economic growth, promoting and accelerating Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development (ISID), and fostering innovation for Nigeria’s prosperity.
They also inaugurated their National Coordination Body (NCB).
The PCP initiative has a total budget of $175 million, out of which the Federal Government will contribute about $25 million, representing 14.3% of the entire budget, while UNIDO is providing the PCP coordination budget of about $200,000.
Also, UNIDO will lead the process of mobilising partners to raise more than $50 million in support of the government.
The PCP will support the development of agricultural and mineral value chains, promote start-ups and MSMEs through science, technology, innovation, and digitalisation, and enhance industrial infrastructure through the establishment of special economic zones, industrial parks, and clusters.
In addition, the programme will advance sustainable energy solutions, including small hydropower, biomass, solar, and wind energy, as well as strengthen Nigeria’s trade capacity, particularly within the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Speaking at the event in Abuja, National Programme Officer, UNIDO Nigeria, Dr Ruben Bamidele, noted that the launch of the PCP and the inauguration of the NCB mark the official commencement of this transformative UNIDO-supported programme, reinforcing Nigeria’s aspiration to become a leading industrial and economic hub in Africa.
He stated that UNIDO has funding support from the EU through which it is building six small-scale power development sites across the six geopolitical zones in the country.
Bamidele noted that apart from small-scale power development, a demonstration of biomass energy using agro-waste to generate energy is being done in Ebonyi State, using rice husks as feedstock to generate electricity.
He observed that UNIDO has three capacity-building initiatives to build trust and enhance the quality of goods and services that emanate from the Nigerian manufacturing sector, such that the Nigerian public is happy to consume or buy what is produced locally.
“So, if Nigeria will not be a dumping ground in the AfCFTA implementation, there has to be capacity building in this regard to enhance quality and infrastructure.”
UNIDO Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ambassador Philbert Johnson, emphasised the strategic importance of the initiative, noting that in Nigeria, the PCP serves as the framework for implementing the industrial development component of the country’s medium-term plan.
He observed that the PCP is the rallying point for all industry stakeholders to advance inclusive and sustainable industrial development in Nigeria with UNIDO’s technical support and represents a shared responsibility to foster shared prosperity, enhance economic competitiveness, protect the environment, and strengthen institutional capacity through industrial development.
Johnson explained that the PCP seeks to strengthen existing partnerships and forge new alliances to build a diversified, competitive, inclusive, and sustainable industrial economy, with the Government of Nigeria providing strategic leadership and UNIDO contributing technical expertise.
Also speaking, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, said that the event is an indication that there are still countries and partnerships that believe multilateralism should remain a cardinal objective for promoting and sharing prosperity, adding that Nigeria has always supported multilateralism and the evolution of global trade.
Bagudu observed that the Federal Government is eager to make available $1.3 million already as part of the federal contribution.
He stated that the nation’s economy is growing at a very high rate, with inflation going downwards, while the government is putting in place a 2026–2030 national development plan.
“We are ambitious in that, because as the President has already said, we want to be a one trillion dollar economy by the year 2030, and that means growing almost at double digits or higher. It has been done elsewhere, and we have no doubt about achieving it.”
On his part, Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Owan Enoh, said that the PCP document identifies core pillars of Nigeria’s industrial transformation, expanding from agro-industrial and renewable energy and green industry to digital industrialisation, special economic zones, and local manufacturing.
He noted that these pillars are fully aligned with the government’s drive to promote made-in-Nigeria products as an aspect of Mr President’s announced Nigeria-first policy, to foster export-oriented growth, and to ensure that every industrial investment contributes to inclusive and regionally balanced development.
Enoh emphasised that the integration of the NCB represents a critical governance milestone, adding that the government intends to strengthen industrial infrastructure to deepen value chain integration, promote transparent technology innovation, and expand opportunities for MSMEs and local manufacturers.
To ensure effective implementation and realisation of the PCP’s objectives, the Federal Government of Nigeria will provide overall leadership and strategic direction throughout the four-year implementation period.
The PCP is the first of its kind in Nigeria and was agreed upon following a request by the Federal Government to UNIDO to facilitate and fast-track industrial growth and economic diversification across the country.
Cross-cutting areas of focus include industrial policy, research and statistics, circular economy, and women and youth employment, ensuring a holistic and inclusive approach to industrial development that leaves no one behind.
