Manufacturers To Deliberate On Improving Value Chain In Manufacturing Sector At 47th MAN AGM

L-R: Director Corporate Communication Affairs, MAN, Mr Ambrose Oruche; President, MAN, Engr. Mansur Ahmed; Director General, MAN, Segun Ajayi-Kadir at a press conference organized by the association.

By Blessing Okezie and Loveth Azodo

Issues bothering on “Improving value chain in the manufacturing sector for competitiveness and job creation” will form the main thrust of discussions at the 47th Annual General Meeting of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria(MAN) to be held in Lagos.

The meeting, scheduled to hold between September 2 to 4, 2019, will take place at the Lagos Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island Lagos.

Addressing the media at MAN house, Ikeja Lagos on the meeting , MAN President, Engr Mansur Ahmed, said
the theme of the meeting was chosen because of the need to highlight the significance of improved manufacturing value chain linkages in the efforts to make the sector competitive; contribute more to the Gross Domestic Product and create the much-needed jobs in Nigeria.

He said the association has lined up a good number of activities to promote manufacturing in Nigeria and make this year’s edition of the meeting unique and more beneficial to MAN members.

“This is the first time we are hosting the AGM for three consecutive days and the activities we have lined up include the following:

“Exhibition of Made in Nigeria products to run for the three days beginning at 10:00a.m and closing at 6:00p.m each day,4th Manufacturers Annual Lecture/Presidential Luncheon, road show by Afreximbank, private session of members to review the performance of the association,interactive session with the Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service”, MAN president stated.

According to him, first day of the meeting (Monday 2nd September 2019) will commence with the opening of the Made-in-Nigeria exhibition at 10:00a.m.

He said already,100 exhibitors have indicated interest and these cut across the ten (10) sectors of MAN and would be showcasing the best of Made-in-Nigeria Products that meet local and international standards.

According to the MAN president, the second day of the meeting (Tuesday 3rd September 2019) has been set aside for the Manufacturers Annual Lecture/Presidential Luncheon.

“His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR is expected to attend the event as the Special Guest of Honour, while Prof.

Benedict Okey Oramah, President and Chairman Board of Directors of Afreximbank will be the distinguished guest speaker”.

According to him, the choice of Oramah as the speaker is based on his pedigree and antecedent of over 25years in the economic and financial sectors.

He said Oramah has been President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank since September 2015, adding that Prior to this, he was Executive Vice President responsible for Business Development & Corporate Banking.

He said Oramah, currently serves on the Practitioner Advisory Board of the Institute for Trade and Innovation of Offenburg University, Gengenbach, Germany; a member of the Emerging Markets Advisory Council of the Institute of International Finance; an Executive Committee Member of the Factors Chain International; a member of the Consultative Board on the World Cocoa Economy of the International Cocoa Organisation.

Ahmed, said after the Lecture, the AGM would proceed with another highpoint of the event, which is road show when the Afreximbank President would showcase the demos of the Pan- African Payment System (PAPS) endorsed by the African Union as well as the African Customer Due Diligence Depository Platform (MANSA).

He said the third day of the meeting being the last day would witness the Private Session which is exclusive to MAN members to reappraise the performance of the Association in the past year.

Members of the Association, Ahmed said will have an interactive session with the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd).

He was optimistic that the session, would afford members of the association opportunity to interface with the service and address the challenges they face in their normal course of doing business.