By Esther Onyegbula

Architect Abiodun Akinrimisi has called on the Federal Government to urgently pursue practical, people-focused industrialisation by exploiting “low-hanging” manufacturing opportunities as a pathway to economic recovery, job creation and sustainable development.

Akinrimisi, a graduate of Ahmadu Bello University, made the call while speaking to journalists in Lagos at the weekend, arguing that Nigeria does not need to reinvent the wheel to industrialise but should deliberately emulate countries such as China and India through backward integration and strategic adaptation of existing technologies.

According to him, industrial progress often comes from adaptation rather than originality, noting that many countries Nigeria now looks up to began by copying and improving existing ideas. He dismissed the notion that industrialisation must start with high technology or space exploration, stressing that Nigeria should first focus on industries within reach.

“There’s one thing about life: only one person invented the television; the others copied it,” he said. “China copied. India copied. Even the Middle East copied. Why are we stagnant? We are not even copying.”

Akinrimisi urged Nigeria’s numerous research institutes to focus on adapting existing technologies to local needs, insisting that industrialisation should begin with simple, everyday products that Nigerians consume in large quantities but still import.

He cited household items such as ceramics, sanitary wares, refrigerators and freezers as examples of “low-hanging fruits” that could be manufactured locally. According to him, producing such items domestically, “no matter how crude,” would help conserve scarce foreign exchange and reduce import dependence.

Describing Nigeria’s heavy reliance on imports as economically dangerous, Akinrimisi said the country imports almost everything, including items that could easily be produced locally. He decried the importation of toothpicks from China despite Nigeria’s abundance of crude oil derivatives, urging the country to focus on what it can readily produce to cut costs and save foreign exchange.

He also criticised Nigeria’s export structure, which he said is dominated by raw materials. “We should stop exporting raw materials,” he said, describing the export of cocoa, cashew and other commodities in raw form as wasteful, and calling for value addition before export.

On the role of academia, Akinrimisi questioned the relevance of scholarly research to national development, urging the Federal Government to better harness the expertise of Nigeria’s professors and researchers to drive industrial growth.

Using vivid metaphors, he called on the country to retrace its steps and adopt a more realistic development path, insisting that industrialisation does not have to start on a large scale. He cited Aba-made shoes as an example of a local industry with export potential if properly supported and improved.

Akinrimisi also criticised Nigeria’s focus on large, often stalled projects such as the Ajaokuta Steel Complex, noting that billions of naira continue to be budgeted for the facility despite its dormancy. He argued that the country would benefit more from pursuing multiple smaller industrial projects across the states.

As part of his proposals, he suggested a structured funding model in which the Federal Government sets aside ₦1 billion monthly for each state from its allocation for industrial development, amounting to ₦36 billion nationwide. He said such investments would stimulate production, create jobs and reduce social vices linked to unemployment.

“All these insurgencies, kidnapping and other vices are largely due to joblessness,” he said, adding that deliberate industrial planning could help address restiveness across the country.

Drawing further lessons from China, Akinrimisi pointed to the country’s consistent five-year development plans, which he said underscore the importance of intentional and long-term planning. He argued that funds saved from fuel subsidy removal and other subsidies should be channelled into industrialisation.

He concluded that Nigeria’s progress depends on taking deliberate, achievable steps, warning that inaction would only perpetuate stagnation. According to him, empowering local industries and committing to practical industrialisation remain the surest path to economic revival.