Dorman Long Engineering Limited is urging Nigeria to invest in domestic engineering and fabrication as the government pursues a 15% manufacturing share of gross domestic product by 2030.
The National Bureau of Statistics said manufacturing grew 3.24% from a year earlier in the second quarter of 2026. Even so, it accounted for 7.72% of real GDP, down from 7.81% in the second quarter of 2025. The industry expanded, but its share of overall output declined.
The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment’s Nigeria Industrial Policy 2025 sets the 15% target for 2030 and a further goal of 25% for 2035. It also calls for domestic technology development, greater use of local raw materials, technical skills and affordable long-term financing.
Chris Ijeli, managing director and CEO of Dorman Long Engineering Limited, said manufacturing growth depends on building a stronger local engineering base, according to a company statement carried by Premium Times. He called for longer-term financing for equipment, consistent enforcement of local-content rules and more technical training.
Dorman Long argues that local fabrication would keep more jobs, skills and spending in Nigeria. Its requests for financing and training overlap with priorities in the federal policy.
SEID said it launched its 2026 Nigerian Manufacturing Opportunity Report at the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria’s Oct. 5-7 annual meeting in Lagos. The group said the report mapped manufacturing opportunities worth more than ₦40 trillion.
The Guardian reported that President Bola Tinubu, speaking through Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment John Owan Enoh at the meeting, pledged a 20% to 25% manufacturing share by 2030. That reported pledge exceeds the published policy’s 15% target for 2030 and reaches the policy’s 25% benchmark five years earlier.
