Regional Shifts in Nigerian Manufacturing

Abstract

The changes in Nigerian manufacturing have generally made a positive contribution to the country's development planning goals and aspirations. A net gain of over 177,000 jobs in ten years (1968-78) has offered some relief to unemployment in the country. Similarly, the growth in manufacturing's contribution to gross domestic product, from about 4.0 per cent in 1958 to about 8.0 per cent by 1975, is significant. Also, although the rate is still slow, the intermediate and capital goods sectors are gradually expanding at a rate faster than that of the consumer goods sector. Finally, from the time when emphasis shifted from a growth pole strategy to a balanced development growth approach, there has been considerable redistribution of manufacturing in the country. This was precipitated largely by the creation and multiplication of states, and by the consequent impact of political and tribal forces on regional policy decisions.