LCCI Calls for Government Support to Boost Local Paper Manufacturing

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The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has urged the Federal Government to provide policy support and incentives to boost local paper manufacturing in Nigeria. The call was made at a meeting with stakeholders at NIXIN Paper Mill, where the Chairman of LCCI’s Printing Publishing and Allied Group (PPA), Gabriel Okonkwo, highlighted the urgent need for government intervention in the paper manufacturing sector.

Okonkwo condemned the current tariff regime, which imposes duties on plain paper imports but allows for the importation of printed materials duty-free. “This has led to a situation where it’s cheaper to print books and other materials abroad and import them, rather than produce them locally,” he said. “If local manufacturers can provide high-quality paper at competitive prices, it would reduce our reliance on imports, conserve foreign exchange, create jobs, and contribute significantly to the economy.”

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The Managing Director of NIXIN Paper Mill, Eric Wang, highlighted the potential of Nigeria’s paper industry, noting that the country’s large population and educational demands should translate to a much higher demand for paper products. “We see that over 80 per cent of Nigeria’s educational and printing materials are imported from Asia,” Wang stated

The Managing Director of NIXIN Paper Mill, Eric Wang, highlighted the potential of Nigeria’s paper industry, noting that the country’s large population and educational demands should translate to a much higher demand for paper products. “We see that over 80 per cent of Nigeria’s educational and printing materials are imported from Asia,” Wang stated.

Wang advocated for the imposition of punitive tariffs on imported paper to protect and encourage local industry. Business Manager, NIXIN, Williams Sun, echoed this sentiment, noting that Nigeria significantly underutilises its local paper production capacity. Sun urged the government to support investors and take steps that will attract more players into the publishing and paper production space.

The LCCI and NIXIN Paper Mill are calling for government support to boost local paper manufacturing, including reduced or duty-free importation of essential production materials and punitive tariffs on imported paper. “We mix 30 per cent imported pulp with 70 per cent local material to achieve the right quality. But if the government could support us by waiving some import duties, we could reduce our prices and meet more of the market demand,” Sun said.

The Secretary of LCCI PPA, Olakunle Ogunjobi, warned that the shortage of long fibre pulp is stalling Nigeria’s paper production, urging the revival of local paper mills to drive down costs and create jobs

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