The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank of Industry (BOI), Dr. Olasupo Olusi, is expected to highlight the importance of access to funding for Nigeria’s manufacturing sector as a critical driver of industrialisation and the Federal Government’s ambition of building a $1 trillion economy by 2030.
Olusi, who will attend the 2026 Commerce and Industry Correspondents Association of Nigeria (CICAN) Annual Workshop and Awards Ceremony as Special Guest of Honour, is expected to outline BOI’s financial interventions for manufacturing businesses and other enterprises.
He will also highlight the bank’s role in strengthening local production, expanding industrial capacity and accelerating economic development through targeted financing and enterprise support.
The event, scheduled for Thursday, November 19, 2026, at Protea Hotel, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, will examine the theme: “Implications of Mandatory ESG on Nigeria’s Business Climate Ahead of the 2030 Deadline Date.”
In an invitation letter dated October 26, 2026, jointly signed by CICAN National Chairman, Comrade Taiwo Ademola Hassan, and Secretary-General, Comrade Olufemi Orioye, the association said Olusi’s contributions to Nigeria’s economic development, particularly in industrialisation, manufacturing and enterprise development, informed his selection.
He is also expected to deliver a goodwill message on BOI’s contributions to the Federal Government’s industrialisation agenda, with particular emphasis on supporting local manufacturers and advancing the $1 trillion economy target.
According to CICAN, the workshop will bring together policymakers, industry leaders, manufacturers, entrepreneurs, financial institutions, regulators and media professionals to examine the implications of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards for Nigerian businesses.
Participants will discuss strategies for promoting sustainability, regulatory compliance and business competitiveness, alongside the potential impact of Nigeria’s new tax regime on the manufacturing sector.
The association said discussions would focus on how the new tax framework could influence production costs, business sustainability, investment flows, employment generation and the competitiveness of locally manufactured products.
Expected participants include representatives of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), Nigerian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME), Nigerian Association of Small Scale Industrialists (NASSI) and the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE).
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, is expected to serve as Chief Host, while the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole; Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. John Owan Enoh; and Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs. Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, are among government officials expected at the event.
Other invited dignitaries include the Executive Chairman of the Nigerian Revenue Service, Dr. Zacch Adedeji; Director-General of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, Mr. Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke; Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye; Managing Director of the Development Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Tony Okpanachi; and Director-General of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Mr. Charles Odii.
President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, is expected to chair the occasion as Father of the Day.
CICAN, which has over 100 members drawn from leading print, broadcast and online media organisations, said the annual workshop is part of its efforts to promote informed public discourse on commerce, industry, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and the broader Nigerian economy.
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