The Federal Government has supported nearly 300,000 Nigerians through skills development initiatives aimed at enhancing employability, entrepreneurship, and economic growth, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, has disclosed.
Speaking on Wednesday at the 17th National Council on Industry, Trade and Investment (NCITI) in Enugu, themed “Enhancing Competitiveness in Industry, Trade and Investment for Inclusive Growth and Global Market Integration,” Mrs Oduwole said the interventions were part of broader efforts to translate President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda into tangible outcomes.
According to the minister, the ministry has facilitated over $50 billion in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) commitments, recorded approximately $6.1 billion in non-oil exports, and captured more than 500,000 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in its national database.
“The Bank of Industry has disbursed over N600 billion to businesses, and nearly 300,000 Nigerians have been supported through skills programmes,” she stated. “Our focus remains on converting training into jobs, enterprise, and sustainable economic growth.”
Mrs Oduwole described the council as a vital platform for aligning national and sub-national strategies to transform Nigeria’s economy, emphasising that competitiveness would depend on the nation’s ability to produce efficiently, improve logistics, regulate markets, and attract quality investments.
She added that the ministry was implementing policies to strengthen manufacturing, agro-processing, industrial clusters, special economic zones, technology, and skills development. The National Talent Export Programme (NATEP) is also positioning Nigerian professionals to capitalise on opportunities in the global services market.
The minister urged states to develop their comparative advantages into productive industrial clusters and investment-ready projects through partnerships with the private sector and development organisations.
In his remarks, the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, John Enoh, stressed that industrial competitiveness was critical to Nigeria’s economic future amid rapid changes in technology, trade, climate, and manufacturing. He noted that the Nigerian Industrial Policy 2025 provides a framework for positioning industry as a driver of economic growth, value addition, employment, and export competitiveness.
Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, represented by his deputy, Ifeanyi Ossai, called for policies that would remove barriers to investment and industrial development, identifying access to finance, infrastructure, and effective policy implementation as key to improving Nigeria’s competitiveness.
Earlier, the Enugu State Commissioner for Trade, Investment and Industry, Sam Ogbu-Nwobodo, reaffirmed the state’s commitment to creating a business-friendly environment to attract investment and promote industrial growth.