MAN champions AI as key to manufacturing growth

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has positioned artificial intelligence as a game-changer for the nation’s manufacturing sector, advocating its adoption as a tool to boost efficiency, enhance productivity, and equip workers with advanced skills.

Speaking at the MAN Presidential Media Luncheon in Lagos, the Chairman of the association’s Corporate Affairs and Strategic Planning Committee, Kofo Akinkugbe, dismissed fears that AI threatens job creation. Instead, she described it as a critical enabler for streamlining operations and driving global competitiveness.

“AI is not a threat to job creation. Instead, it is a benefit in terms of helping our processes, helping our machine learning, and helping us to plan better,” Akinkugbe stated. She highlighted the benefits of AI in optimizing production, cutting redundant processes, and elevating overall operational efficiency. “It helps us to cut out unnecessary critical processes. So, AI is a tool that we must adopt, and it is here to stay,” she affirmed.

Akinkugbe also emphasized the need for manufacturers to invest in AI training and seamlessly integrate the technology into their systems to maximize its potential. “Manufacturers would adopt it, ensure that they are trained, and use AI to better improve the processes on the manufacturing floor,” she urged.

She further pointed out that AI adoption goes beyond corporate advantages, offering workers opportunities to acquire strategic and technical skills. “As the people get trained in AI, it helps those within the manufacturing sector to be a lot more skilled, a lot more strategic, and they can plan better,” she added.