Business
MAN, NECA Seeks Governor Sanwo-Olu’s Intervention over Factories Shutdown by LASWARCO

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) is imploring the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to use his good office to order the immediate reopening of the closed factories of Nigerian Bottling Company, Friesland Campina, and Guinness Nigeria Plc by the Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LASWARCO).
This is even as the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) condemned the regulatory actions by LASWARCO, warning that it is capable of scaring potential investors away from the state.
In an open message to Governor Sanwo-Olu today, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, the Director-General of MAN, said that the association is constrained to convey this open message to the Governor of Lagos State, as all attempts at approaching the relevant heads of agencies and ministry have failed.
He said: “MAN is appalled by the inauspicious act of sealing factories over their purported refusal to pay the astronomical and unjustifiable water abstraction fees imposed by the Commission.
This action is ill-timed and quite unfortunate, as the Commission and MAN had engaged in meaningful dialogue and reached some agreements over the lingering issue about three months ago.
This was expected to culminate in an MoU to commence in January 2025. Only three weeks ago, another round of discussions took place between LASWARCO and representatives of MAN, including the affected member companies, which led to ongoing discussions in the companies as to the most viable option for addressing the alleged outstanding payments from earlier contested fees.
It was while these discussions were going on and during the Yuletide that the Commission decided to cause this major and unwise shutdown of the companies.
It is important to properly situate this inappropriate action within the context of the prevailing inclement operating environment in general and the downturn in the manufacturing sector in particular.
A situation where industries are burdened with payments above N100 million for generating water for production purposes, in the face of the government’s failure to supply the same, is unfair.
The exorbitant fees and the untoward means of extracting payment exemplify the negative impact of the tyranny of regulation on private business.
To date, manufacturers across the country are saddled with more than N1.2 billion of unsold inventory, borrowing at more than 30 percent and struggling under a debilitating 250 percent increase in the cost of power.
Numerous taxes, fees, and levies by the three tiers of government and non-state actors in some cases, numbering between 60 to 120, confront each manufacturer, not to mention the disruption of production activities due to insecurity and the high cost of logistics.
There are more! So to add this oppressive water abstraction fee in Lagos state that may potentially be adopted by other States presents an ominous and rancorous future for manufacturers in particular and private businesses in general.
MAN, therefore, implores the Governor of Lagos state to use his good office to order the immediate reopening of the closed factories.
This will pave the way for a logical and passable conclusion of the ongoing conversations on how to permanently resolve the matter of outstanding fees, as well as conclude the impending MoU between the Water Commission and the Organised Private Sector.
This is more so that the private sector is currently awaiting the finalization of the text of the MoU from LASWARCO. We are full of expectations that immediate action is taken in the interest of the state’s economy and to forestall a possible degeneration in the already tense business atmosphere.
The possible loss of jobs and its attendant socioeconomic implications, as well as the negative signal to the investing public, should serve as a deterrent and encourage a business-friendly regulatory environment.”
NECA’s Director-General, Mr Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, appealed to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to intervene in the matter to save businesses in Lagos from further woes.
The director-general emphasized that organized businesses are not against responsible regulations.
He, however, noted that in the quest for revenue generation, the LASWARCO and, indeed, all other regulatory agencies should adopt a more legitimate and civil approach rather than the predominant disruptive pattern of recent times.
“Those patterns are directly against the efforts of the Federal Government to attract investment, promote job creation, and facilitate responsible regulations,” Oyerinde said.
Oyerinde described the demand for unjustifiable multimillion sums as water abstraction levies from businesses that had already paid many other forms of taxes for the same activities they use the water for as unreasonable.
“May we reiterate that it is the responsibility of the government to provide water for its citizens and businesses,” he said.
He noted that the government was not currently fulfilling this noble responsibility. “
It will be highly insensitive, harsh, and punitive for the same government that has failed to adequately provide water to also impose punitive levies on businesses that are constrained to make investments in providing water to run their businesses,” he said.
Business
FG Announces New Procurement Policy Shift Favouring Local Manufacturing

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved a “Nigeria First Policy” aimed at prioritising the use of locally made goods and services in all government procurements.
The Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, made the disclosure saying that the policy seeks to domesticate all government processes.
The Nigerian government expects that with the new policy, local manufacturers will get priority in the provision of goods and services.
“No procurement of foreign goods or services already available locally shall proceed without justification, and where there is an exceptional need for these services to procure from outside, there must be a waiver to be obtained, written waiver to be obtained by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP),” Mr Idris said.
“Where no viable local option exists, contracts must include provisions for technology transfer, local production or skills development.
For example, the provision of portal allocations under the sugar master plan should take into consideration participants’ backwards integration plans and investment in Nigeria and ensure compliance with the Master Plan.
“The MDAs have also been directed to immediately conduct an audit of all procurement plans and submit revised versions in line with these directives. Breaches will attract sanctions, including cancellation of procurement processes by such MDAS, and indeed disciplinary action against responsible officers,” the minister noted.
The federal cabinet approved these proposals on Monday and the office of the Attorney General of the Federation has been directed to prepare an Executive Order to be issued by President Bola Tinubu.
This is a major shift in government policy, Mr Idris added. “It puts Nigeria – not foreign companies, not imports – at the heart of our national development.”Once signed into law, Mr Idris said, the legislation will “foster a new business culture that will be bold, confident, but also very, very Nigerian, and it aims at making the government invest in our people and our industries by changing how the government spends money, how we procure and how we also build our economy.”“Going forward, Nigerian industry will take precedence in all procurement processes,” the minister said.
This is a major shift in government policy, Mr Idris added. “It puts Nigeria – not foreign companies, not imports – at the heart of our national development.
”Once signed into law, Mr Idris said, the legislation will “foster a new business culture that will be bold, confident, but also very, very Nigerian, and it aims at making the government invest in our people and our industries by changing how the government spends money, how we procure and how we also build our economy.”
Where local supply falls short, contracts will be structured to build capacity domestically, according to Mr Idris. “Contractors will no longer serve as intermediaries sourcing foreign goods where local factories die. I take the example of the sugar industry.”
“For example, we still have so much importation of sugar coming into this country, yet we have the Nigerian sugar council that was set up to look inward to see how sugar production can be produced, you know, for the benefit of Nigerians.
President Tinubu has proposed that we will no longer just sit there and allow importation to come into this country where there is the capacity for production of these commodities locally.
Now, as I said, the president has proposed the following directives, and all of them have been approved by the Federal Executive Council.”
President Tinubu has proposed that we will no longer just sit there and allow importation to come into this country where there is the capacity for production of these commodities locally. Now, as I said, the president has proposed the following directives, and all of them have been approved by the Federal Executive Council.”
Business
Dangote Group Sponsors Nasarawa Trade Fair
The fair is a collaboration between NASSI and the Nasarawa State Chamber of Commerce Agriculture and Industries.

The Dangote Group is sponsoring the 2025 Nasarawa Trade Fair Exhibition, which officially opens this Wednesday in Lafia, the state capital.
The Theme for this year’s Fair is: Investing in Nasarawa’s Future: Fostering Economic Development Through Mineral and Agricultural Cottage Industrialisation
The trade fair, according to the Chairman of the Nigeria Association of Small-Scale Industrialists (NASSI), Nasarawa State Chapter, Nidan Sambo Manasseh, will be declared open by the state governor, Abdullahi Sule.
He said the fair is a collaboration between NASSI and the Nasarawa State Chamber of Commerce Agriculture and Industries.
Business
Rite Foods Drags Mamuda Beverages to Court Over Products Semblance
Justice Nwite has scheduled a hearing for May 28, where the court will deliberate on Mamuda Beverages’ objection to the case and determine whether Rite Foods’ lawsuit can proceed.

Rite Foods Ltd, the manufacturer of Fearless Energy Drinks, has filed a N1.6 billion lawsuit against Mamuda Beverages Nig. Ltd, producer of Pop Power Energy Drinks, citing trademark infringement and unauthorized replication of its product design.
The lawsuit seeks both damages and an injunction to prevent Mamuda Beverages from continuing to manufacture energy drinks that bear a striking resemblance to Rite Foods’ registered products.
In the writ of summons filed on April 14 before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Rite Foods claims that Mamuda Beverages has violated its intellectual property rights by introducing a nearly identical design for its Pop Power Energy Drinks.
The plaintiff alleges that the defendant has copied its distinctive bottle design, ornamental features, and brand identity, leading to consumer confusion.
Rite Foods Ltd, stated that its Fearless Energy Drinks feature a unique 500ml plastic bottle design incorporating a lion head logo, a specific shape, and color scheme, all of which were officially registered under the Patents and Designs Act on August 24, 2020.
The plaintiff argues that Mamuda Beverages’ 330ml Pop Power Energy Drinks replicate the shape, color, and overall aesthetic of the Fearless brand, with some consumers referring to it as “small Fearless” due to its resemblance.
The lawsuit demands an order of perpetual injunction restraining Mamuda Beverages, its distributors, and associates from further infringing on Rite Foods’ trademark, including manufacturing, distributing, or selling energy drinks that imitate its design.
The plaintiff also seeks N1 billion in damages for losses incurred due to the alleged unlawful use of its registered design, as well as N60 million in legal costs.
Previous injunction Rite Foods had previously secured an injunction against Mamuda Beverages in January 2025 before Justice Inyang Ekwo, restraining the defendant from continuing the production and distribution of Pop Power Energy Drinks.
The parties later reached a settlement agreement , which required Mamuda Beverages to alter elements of its product design to ensure differentiation from Fearless Energy Drinks.
However, Rite Foods claims that Mamuda Beverages has since violated the terms of the settlement, reintroducing a “remodeled” version of the Pop Power Energy Drinks that remains substantially identical to the original design.
This alleged breach prompted the fresh lawsuit, as Rite Foods insists that court intervention is necessary to protect its exclusive rights over its registered trademark and product design.
Mamuda Beverages has responded with a preliminary objection, urging the court to dismiss the case because the lawsuit constitutes an abuse of the court process.
The defendant argues that the matter was already litigated and resolved in an earlier consent judgment, rendering the court functus officio—a legal principle preventing the relitigation of settled disputes.
Justice Nwite has scheduled a hearing for May 28, where the court will deliberate on Mamuda Beverages’ objection to the case and determine whether Rite Foods’ lawsuit can proceed.
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