The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), South-East Zone, has launched a new industrial energy initiative aimed at reducing the high cost of electricity for manufacturers across the region.
The initiative, unveiled on Friday, July 31, 2026, at the Prof. Dora Akunyili Women Development Centre, Awka, is the Industrial Energy Adoption Programme (IEAP), to be implemented through the MAN Power Development Company Limited (MPDCL).
The unveiling took place during the MAN South-East Industrial Energy Solutions and Investment Symposium, themed “Unlocking Affordable Industrial Power through Innovative Financing, Technology and Strategic Partnerships.”
The event attracted key stakeholders, including the President of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Otunba Francis Oluwagbenro Moshioye; Anambra State Secretary to the Government, Mrs. Chiamaka Nnake, who represented Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo; Commissioner for Power and Water Resources, Engr. Casmir Chinenye Agumadu; Commissioner for Information, Dr. Law Mefor; Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs, Barr. Vin Ezeaka; Commissioner for Youth Development and Sports, Hon. Patrick Agha Mba; Chairman of the House Committee on Power and Water Resources, Hon. Engr. Golden Chukwuebuka Iloh; Special Adviser to the Governor on Investment, Hon. Christian Udechukwu; the traditional ruler of Umueri, Igwe Ben Emeka, as well as captains of industry from within and outside Nigeria.
Speaking with journalists after the symposium, the Chairperson of MAN South-East Zone, Lady Ada Chukwudozie, appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, South-East governors and other critical stakeholders to urgently address the country’s persistent electricity challenges to prevent further decline in industrial productivity.
She disclosed that most manufacturers in the South-East currently operate below 30 per cent of their installed production capacity due to the high cost of electricity and alternative energy sources.
According to her, the newly launched Industrial Energy Adoption Programme, through MPDCL, is designed to provide manufacturers with access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy solutions that will improve productivity, strengthen partnerships and support informed investment decisions.
“Many manufacturing hubs are almost going moribund in Nigeria. Most industries in the South-East are operating below 30 per cent capacity because they depend heavily on diesel-powered generators,” she said.
Lady Chukwudozie, who is also Chairman of Keystone Bank Plc and Vice-Chairman of Dozzy Group, lamented that manufacturers in the South-East are particularly disadvantaged because the region is not connected to the national gas pipeline network.
She said the situation has significantly increased production costs, reduced competitiveness and left many manufacturers with large volumes of unsold inventory.
“The South-East manufacturing sector has suffered immensely from the energy crisis. However, with this initiative, we are optimistic that access to more affordable energy will improve production capacity to at least 45 per cent,” she stated.
She described energy as the foundation of industrial productivity, competitiveness and economic growth, stressing that unreliable and expensive electricity continues to discourage investment and expansion in Nigeria’s manufacturing sector.
“For manufacturers, energy is far more than a production input. It is the foundation of productivity, competitiveness and growth. When energy becomes unreliable or unaffordable, production costs increase, expansion slows, competitiveness declines and investment becomes more difficult. That is why energy has become one of the defining issues for the future of manufacturing in Nigeria,” she said.
Lady Chukwudozie explained that the symposium provided a platform for government agencies, regulators, financiers, technology providers, engineering experts and manufacturers to collaborate on practical solutions to Nigeria’s energy challenges.
She commended Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo for creating an enabling environment for industrial development in Anambra State and praised Juddy-Bolema Industries Limited for becoming one of the first companies to participate in the initiative.
She added that MAN was committed not only to identifying the challenges confronting manufacturers but also to developing practical solutions through strategic partnerships and innovation.
In his keynote address, the Chairman and Executive Commissioner of the Anambra State Electricity Regulatory Commission (ASERC), Prof. Frank Nwoye Okafor, said the commission had introduced regulatory measures to promote efficiency and encourage investment in the state’s electricity sector.
He noted that Anambra’s electricity market is open to competition, provided consumers receive value for the money spent on power supply.
According to him, one of the priorities of the Soludo administration is to ensure stable electricity for residents and support the development of the state’s emerging industrial city.
Also speaking, MAN President, Otunba Francis Oluwagbenro Moshioye, commended the South-East leadership of the association for initiating the programme and urged the Federal Government to support manufacturers through policies that would lower energy costs and enhance industrial productivity.
Earlier in her welcome address, the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Chiamaka Nnake, representing Governor Soludo, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to improving electricity supply through the establishment of the Anambra State Electricity Regulatory Commission, which oversees electricity distribution and regulation within the state.
The symposium also featured participation from chairmen and chief executive officers of leading organisations, including Dozzy Group, Paras Energy, Huawei Technologies Nigeria, Keystone Bank Plc and Pine Leaf Estate Company, among others.
