The Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers (NSChE) has urged governments and policymakers to strengthen Small Medium Enterprise (SMEs)-focused industrial parks and cluster hubs across the country.
The organisation also called on government to provide tax incentives, access-to-finance instruments for technology-based SMEs and to support local fabrication of processing equipment and spare parts
through research–industry partnerships.
Mr Bayo Olarewaju-Alo, National President of NSChE, made the call while briefing newsmen on NSChE’s 55th Annual Conference/Annual General Meeting/Exhibition, on Thursday in Enugu.
It was reported that the conference is themed “The Role and Contribution of SMEs to National Industrial Development and Growth”.
Olarewaju-Alo emphasised the need for government to promote gas utilisation projects and renewable energy systems to lower production costs as well as encouraging procurement policies that favoured local manufacturers and service providers.
He said that while SMEs represented an immense opportunity, there remained formidable challenges such as high cost of energy, poor infrastructure, especially in rural and industrial clusters.
“Others are low technology adoption and weak linkages between research and industry, import dependence on machinery and intermediate materials,” he said.
He added that the conference would generate concrete recommendations to help overcome these obstacles, stressing that the theme for the conference reflected the society’s deep understanding of Nigeria’s current economic realities.
According to him, SMEs are the engine room of industrial growth, providing over 80 per cent of employment and accounting for nearly half of the national GDP.
“They are critical in value addition, innovation, and technology diffusion, yet often lack access to the enabling environment required
to scale operations.
“The Nigerian industrial landscape cannot thrive on multinational operations alone but requires a strong network of local producers,
fabricators, processors, and service providers that can bridge the gap between raw materials and finished goods.
“This conference is therefore a call to action to strengthen SME participation in Nigeria’s industrial value chain — from agro-processing to energy, petrochemicals, renewable technologies, and advanced manufacturing,” he said.
The president explained that this year’s sessions would provide a robust mix of policy dialogue, technical insights, and entrepreneurial showcases, focusing on industrial policy and SME competitiveness by identifying frameworks to make small businesses sustainable.
He further said that the NSChE vision aligned with the broader national aspiration to transition from a consumption-based to a production-driven economy.
“This conference is therefore a call to action to strengthen SME participation in Nigeria’s industrial value chain — from agro-processing to energy, petrochemicals, renewable technologies, and advanced manufacturing,” he said.
The president explained that this year’s sessions would provide a robust mix of policy dialogue, technical insights, and entrepreneurial showcases, focusing on industrial policy and SME competitiveness by identifying frameworks to make small businesses sustainable.
He further said that the NSChE vision aligned with the broader national aspiration to transition from a consumption-based to a production-driven economy.
This, he noted, was SME-powered industrial system that would create jobs, reduce imports, stabilize foreign exchange, and foster inclusive growth.
“Chemical engineers, working with other professionals can enable this
transformation by providing the technological backbone for sustainable manufacturing, especially in agriculture, pharmaceuticals,
petrochemicals, and energy,” he stressed.
On youth mentorship, the national president, said the organisation nurtured engineers who would establish processing plants, recycling facilities, and energy start-ups across Nigeria’s regions by turning ideas into scalable impact.
“So, let this conference catalyse policy reform, technology diffusion, and industrial partnership that ensures that SMEs become the true
drivers of Nigeria’s industrial renaissance,” he said.
