By STANLEY NWANOSIKE

Lady Ada Chukwudozie, the new Chairman of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), South East, says manufacturing sector has great prospect of improving and overcoming its present challenges in the country.

Chukwudozie said this while reeling out her six-point agenda in her acceptance speech after emerging the 11thChairman during the 34th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of MAN Anambra/Enugu/Ebonyi branch held in Enugu on Thursday.

The AGM was themed: “The Declining Ethical Values and Cultures of the 60s and 70s in Today’s Current Clime – Causes, Effects and Solutions”.

She said that in recognition of the challenges of the sector, her administration would tackle them headlong with a six-point agenda, “which I call MRS MAN agenda”.

The new chairman said: “M stands for Membership – Top in my agenda is to create a strong cohesion within members and double our membership base.

“To identify key intervention areas and impact opportunities to be pursued by the association, in a bid to enhance the operational efficiency of its members.

“R stands for Relationship – To further strengthen relationships and deepen MAN’s strategic partnership with government and other economic actors and stakeholders nationally and internationally.

“S stands for Structure – to build an administrative structure for our branch.

“M stands for Media – To improve the public image, visibility of MAN, its noble objectives and to showcase the various products of its members using the print, electronic and social media.”

According to her, the A, which stands for Alliance, will push MAN to forge partnership with our tertiary institutions, research institutions, independent power generating and distribution companies, local and international organisations with shared vision, skill sets and smart technologies.

“These partnerships are geared at cost reduction, improved production and services, equitable risk and opportunity share for our members.

“N, which stands for Network, MAN will network with all government institutions, agencies, and stakeholders, economic actors on policies that affect members and deploy effective communication tools or channels to explain these government policies, guidance and getting feedback.”

The new chairman said that the future of “manufacturing is changing globally”, adding that the era of mass production of goods was giving way to the new growing days of mass customisation of goods.

The National President of MAN, Mr Mansur Ahmed, after mentioning some challenges facing manufacturing sector, noted that the national body of MAN would adopt the six-point agenda of the new branch chairman nationally.

Ahmed said that MAN would tackle challenges confronting the manufacturing sector by robust partnership with policy makers, especially over local or environmental challenges to manufacturers.

“We must partner and work closely with other stakeholders to ensure local or national policies support the manufacturing sector to create wealth, employment opportunities and national growth.

“Manufacturers must take advantage of 200 million Nigerians and the over 1.3 billion people in the African continent as a huge market,” he said.

Earlier, the immediate past Chairman of the branch, Mr Anietom Igweobi, congratulated Chukwudozie for her emergence and assured her administration maximum support to succeed.

Igweobi said that he believed that the resilience and doggedness of Chukwudozie would definitely move the branch to greater height, while thanking Nollywood veteran, Pete Edochie, for delivering the theme lecture of the AGM.

Goodwill messages were received from Sen. Victor Umeh; former Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Oba Murawa Adedioye, represented the Ooni of Ife.

Others include Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) and National Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA). (NAN)

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