The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria has called on manufacturers to adopt Artificial Intelligence, advanced technologies and energy-efficient solutions as a way of curbing rising production costs, strengthening energy security and improving industrial competitiveness.
The appeal was made in Lagos at the 2026 Manufacturers Energy Security and Energy Efficiency Summit, where industry leaders and government representatives discussed how technology, sustainable energy supply and structured financing could ease the energy challenges facing Nigerian manufacturers.
The summit was jointly organised by Manufacturers Power Development Company Ltd. (MPDCL), GIZ and the Nigerian Energy Support Programme (NESP).
MAN President, Ifeanyi Okoye, said the industrial energy cost reduction and adoption programme would promote rooftop solar installations in factories, battery energy storage systems, captive natural gas solutions and smart energy management networks.
He explained that the programme was designed to address rising energy costs, which he said had significantly hurt manufacturing operations and competitiveness.
Okoye disclosed that manufacturers spend about 40 per cent of their profits on energy challenges, while high electricity tariffs, unreliable grid supply and reliance on fossil fuels continue to weaken industrial production.
“The summit is to facilitate access to long-term financing instruments, climate funds, green investments, and asset-financing mechanisms to support manufacturers’ transition to more efficient energy systems,” he said.
Also speaking, MAN Director-General, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, said the adoption of emerging technologies had become critical to raising production efficiency, cutting energy consumption and making manufacturing operations more resilient.
He added that AI and smart manufacturing systems could help industries make better use of energy, reduce production losses, lower operating costs and improve product quality, especially in the face of persistent electricity supply challenges.
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of MPDCL, John Aluya, observed that the high cost of self-generation had eaten into manufacturers’ profit margins and weakened their competitiveness.
Aluya stressed that reliable and affordable energy was vital to the survival of Nigerian industries. He added that the summit was intended to explore practical solutions, including solar photovoltaic systems, battery energy storage, captive gas power, energy efficiency and carbon credit monetisation.
Delivering the keynote address, the Chief Executive Officer of IKAPITAL Family Office & Friends, Ulf Brackmann, said AI could significantly raise industrial productivity and create new job opportunities rather than push workers out. He urged manufacturers to take advantage of the opportunities that technological innovation offers.
Brackmann, however, cautioned that AI could reduce costs and improve efficiency for manufacturers only where factories had dependable electricity and sound digital foundations. He warned manufacturers against viewing AI as an instant fix for their production problems.
“AI is very often seen as a magic pill or sold as a magic pill to manufacturers as if it would solve all the problems. No, it doesn’t,” he stated.
