The Sea Empowerment and Research Centre (SEREC) has urged the Nigerian government to develop a coordinated national response to boost productivity, industrialisation, competitiveness, trade facilitation, local value addition, and export expansion. This call was made by Dr. Eugene Nweke, Head of Research at SEREC, in a policy position paper released on September 22, 2026. The paper, titled ‘A Strategic Wake-Up Call on the Changing Structure of Nigeria’s Domestic Market, Foreign Competition, AfCFTA and the Urgent Need for Industrial Diversification,’ emphasised the need for Nigeria to transition from an import-dependent economy to one driven by production, value addition, and exports.
According to Dr. Nweke, the recent protest by traders at the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex on September 15, 2026, over the alleged increasing participation of Chinese businesses in direct retail and domestic distribution, is a strategic warning about the changing architecture of international commerce and competition in Nigeria. He noted that the traditional business model, where foreign manufacturers produce goods, Nigerian importers bring them into the country, and local wholesalers and retailers sell to consumers, is being challenged by integrated global supply chains.
Dr. Nweke highlighted that the changing business model is driven by globalisation, e-commerce, technology, logistics integration, and sophisticated supply-chain management. He posited that foreign businesses are coming into Nigeria’s markets because they can combine production, financing, shipping, warehousing, digital commerce, distribution, and retail in ways that reduce dependence on traditional intermediaries. This development is not exclusive to Chinese businesses but a wider transformation affecting Nigeria’s business landscape.
SEREC believes that Nigeria must urgently transition from an economy dependent on importation and resale to one driven by production, value addition, manufacturing, logistics, branding, and exports. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Nigeria’s Free Trade Zone (NFTZ) system, and the country’s large domestic market provide important platforms for this transition. The goal is not to isolate Nigeria from foreign competition but to make Nigerian enterprises competitive within Nigeria and across Africa.
The Nigerian consumer, according to SEREC, is primarily concerned with affordability, quality, availability, durability, convenience, and value for money. Where imported products are cheaper or more readily available than locally produced alternatives, consumers will naturally respond to market incentives. Therefore, Nigerian policy cannot be built around asking consumers to permanently pay more simply because a product is locally produced.
SEREC recognises the legitimate responsibility of the government to enforce Nigerian laws governing immigration, business registration, taxation, investment, customs, competition, standards, local participation, and sector-specific regulations. However, regulatory protection cannot substitute for competitiveness. The centre called on Nigeria to pursue a balanced strategy of protecting legitimate Nigerian enterprise while making Nigerian enterprise competitive enough to survive and expand.
SEREC believes that the Nigerian importer and trader should not be regarded as casualties of industrial transformation but should become its participants. The Nigerian entrepreneur who has spent decades importing a particular product has valuable market intelligence that can become the foundation for industrialisation. The progression should increasingly become: Import, Assemble, Manufacture, Brand, and Distribute, thereby making the transition from trader to industrial entrepreneur.
Key points
- SEREC urges a coordinated national response to boost productivity, industrialisation, and competitiveness.
- The centre emphasises the need for Nigeria to transition from an import-dependent economy to one driven by production, value addition, and exports.
- The Nigerian government is called upon to pursue a balanced strategy of protecting legitimate Nigerian enterprise while making Nigerian enterprise competitive enough to survive and expand.
