Nigeria manufacturing GDP target set at 25% by 2035, as government launches Industrial Policy to drive economic growth and diversification

The federal government has announced an ambitious plan to raise the manufacturing sector’s contribution to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product from 8.2 per cent to 15 per cent by 2030 and 25 per cent by 2035.

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The policy is part of the newly launched Nigeria Industrial Policy (NIP), unveiled in February 2026 by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI).

The government said the framework aims to drive economic growth, reduce dependence on oil exports, and promote sustainable development, aligning with Nigeria’s $1 trillion economy aspiration by 2030.

Senator John Owan Enoh, Minister of State, FMITI, described the NIP as “a comprehensive framework that reaffirms our national resolve to diversify the economy, create inclusive prosperity, and secure Nigeria’s rightful place as a leading industrial hub in Africa and the wider global economy.”

The policy targets four key sectors: metals and solid minerals, oil and gas, construction, and manufacturing. Each sector includes multiple sub-sectors identified as strategic for industrial growth.

The government highlighted these areas for their comparative advantages, potential to generate large-scale employment, promote local value addition, and expand exports.

“The Nigeria Industrial Policy will accelerate industrial transformation by leveraging natural and human capital to promote inclusive, sustainable, and competitive manufacturing, deepen economic diversification, and generate mass employment through innovation, infrastructure development, investment, and export,” the federal government said.

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According to FMITI, the policy framework represents a deliberate effort to position Nigeria as a leading industrial economy on the African continent while ensuring economic resilience and long-term sustainable growth.