The Nigerian government has announced a strategic move to reposition the country's workforce as a globally competitive force driving industrial transformation. Through the forthcoming National Industrial Manpower Summit, the Federal Government aims to spark a nationwide skills revolution essential to powering Nigeria's rise as Africa's industrial powerhouse.
The Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Senator John Owan Enoh, made this known while inaugurating seven committees tasked with planning the summit, which he described as a national imperative. According to the Minister, Nigeria's future industrial growth will depend not just on infrastructure or policy reforms, but on a modern, skilled, and adaptable workforce.
"This summit is not just an event — it's a declaration of intent. We are determined to unlock the full potential of Nigeria's industrial transformation through human capital development," Enoh stated.
He added that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda places human capacity at the centre of national development, stressing that Nigeria cannot afford to rely on imported technical expertise when its youth population holds vast potential.
The upcoming summit will serve as a convergence point for government, academia, the private sector, labour unions, and development partners to redesign the country's industrial skills pipeline — aligning it with digital innovation, green economy competencies, and the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
"This is our moment to co-create a future where Nigerian industries are built and sustained by competent, competitive, and future-ready Nigerians," Enoh noted.
Human Capital Is the Real Infrastructure
Speaking at the event, Mr Adamson Ayinde, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industrial Training and Development, said the summit reflects the urgency of building a workforce that meets global standards. He identified capacity building as the critical pillar of Nigeria's industrial future.
"Technological advancement is rapidly redefining industry standards. Our workforce must evolve — not just in skills, but in creativity, adaptability, and a hunger for innovation," he said.
Ayinde emphasized that the summit will help craft actionable frameworks to address workforce gaps, anticipate future labour needs, and strengthen local capacity in key sectors.
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Backing the initiative, the Director-General of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Dr Oluwatoyin Ogun, stressed that Nigeria must urgently phase out its dependence on foreign technical manpower. She said the ITF is already executing projects under President Tinubu's mandate to raise the bar for technical skills training.
"We have commenced programmes to retrain Nigerian artisans under global benchmarks. The ITF is fully committed to ensuring the summit becomes a turning point for human capacity development in Nigeria," she affirmed.
Broad Stakeholder Engagement
The summit's planning committees comprise representatives from key institutions, including the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Bank of Industry (BOI), ITF, NSITF, SMEDAN, organized labour (e.g. Trade Union Congress), and critical private sector players. Their collective task will include stakeholder engagement, resource mobilization, technical planning, and post-summit implementation.
Responding on behalf of the committee members, Mr Abdulghani Arobo, the Planning Committee Chair, promised that the team will deliver a robust roadmap for Nigeria's industrial manpower evolution.
"We understand the magnitude of this assignment. Our goal is to set a new national standard — one that ensures no Nigerian is left behind in the march toward industrial greatness."
The Vision Ahead
With rising youth unemployment and global competition accelerating, the National Industrial Manpower Summit signals the government's intent to transition from policy talk to actionable solutions. If successful, it could set Nigeria on a new path — one where its workforce becomes its most powerful industrial asset.
