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Dike Onwuamaeze

The President of Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Mr. Leye Kupoluyi, has cried out also that manufacturers, particularly Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, (SMEs) are facing excessive regulatory burdens arising from multiple registration requirements for products with identical formulations but different packaging sizes.

Kupoluyi raised this concern during a press conference on the state of the economy, where he also decried the declining patronage of indigenous printing press and the fiscal regime that waved duties for imported books while slamming duties on imported printing inputs.

He said: “Manufacturers, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, have continued to face excessive regulatory burdens arising from multiple registration requirements for products with identical formulations but different packaging sizes.

“This duplication increases compliance costs, delays market entry, and constrains business expansion. We call on relevant regulatory agencies to harmonize product registration requirements and adopt a risk-based approach that eliminates unnecessary duplication while maintaining product safety standards.”

He also declared that policy inconsistencies regarding exports of agricultural products is discouraging investments in the sector.  

He said: “Frequent policy reversals and inconsistencies, particularly regarding agricultural exports and monetary policy, have continued to discourage investment within the sector. Uncertainty surrounding cocoa export policies, combined with high interest rates, is increasing production costs and reducing investor confidence.

“We urge the government to ensure greater policy consistency, maintain predictable export policies, and improve access to affordable financing to support agricultural productivity and export competitiveness.”

Kupoluyi said that Nigeria’s printing industry has continued to face declining patronage despite possessing the capacity to execute large-scale printing projects in the country.

According to him, “the current policy environment has encouraged the outsourcing of printing jobs and weakened the competitiveness of indigenous operators. We call on the federal government to prioritise local printing firms in public procurement, promote the use of locally produced printing services, and implement policies that strengthen domestic paper production and local value addition.”  

Kupoluyi also said that local printing companies have continued to face an uneven competitive environment as imported books enjoy zero import duty under international agreements, while printing inputs imported by domestic operators remained subject to import duties.