The federal government will establish an Industrial Revolution Task Force to put the manufacturing sector on a path to sustainable growth, create more jobs and strengthen economic growth and development.

The Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Enoh, gave the assurance during a meeting with manufacturers and key players in the industrial sector, as well as the Organized Private Sector (OPS) in Lagos on Wednesday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the objective is to receive first-hand information on the constraints limiting the industry’s performance and deliberate on practical solutions.

The minister said the group to be chaired by him would include the PAHO president among other key players.

He said the group would meet quarterly with stakeholders to review performance.

He said deliberate inter-ministerial collaboration was needed to achieve further progress in the industry.

“While the task force is tasked with identifying any challenges facing the industry, there is a need to collaborate with other ministries such as energy and finance to ensure we resolve the most pressing challenges. one after the other,” Enoh said.

He said a review of legislation and regulatory reforms would be considered to make doing business in Nigeria easier.

He added that the Federal Government is committed to resurrecting the textile industry to create more jobs for the youth.

Enoh assured stakeholders of its determination to succeed, while calling for resilience and more collaboration with stakeholders.

President of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Francis Meshioye, has said strategic collaboration with the sector would facilitate the much-desired improvement in the performance of the industrial sector.

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He said the industrial sector, as a catalyst for sustainable economic growth, remained a critical enabler, with its cross-sectoral linkages providing the quickest way to realize economic aspirations.

Meshioye, however, said there were challenges ahead.

According to him, the challenges are responsible for the poor performance of the industrial sector over the years.

“Clearly the challenges are enormous, but we are confident that if we work together we can co-create solutions and put the sector on a path to sustainable growth.

“We are committed to working collaboratively with your ministry to develop and implement policies that would accelerate industrial growth, increase productivity and create jobs.

“We are open to establishing a regular dialogue mechanism to re-evaluate existing policies and facilitate possible overhauls of some to achieve the desired results,” he said.

MAN Managing Director Segun Ajayi-Kadir said the manufacturing sector remained one of the major contributors to the economy despite the challenges.

He urged the Federal Government to provide equity funds to micro, small and medium enterprises and increase the provision of infrastructure to assist in the development of the country’s special economic zones.

He also urged the government to prioritize foreign exchange allocation to manufacturers, review the timeline for backward integration of crops and minerals, and strategically address the security challenge.

The Director General said the government at all levels should review the existing education curriculum to emphasize skill acquisition.

“The government should require all its institutions to prioritize locally produced products for all government contracts and purchases, in accordance with existing legislation and presidential decrees.

“We need adequate support for innovation in local production processes, and the government should step up efforts to increase the development and use of raw materials,” he said.