Governor Diri Ticks All the Boxes as MAN Stakeholders Endorse Bayelsa as Ready for Investment and Manufacturing
Stakeholders at the just concluded 41st Annual General Meeting of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) have unanimously endorsed Bayelsa State as an emerging prime destination for investment and manufacturing in Nigeria.
The two-day event, held from November 13–14, 2025, at the Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha Memorial Banquet Hall in Yenagoa, the state capital, brought together leaders of industry, government officials, and academics from Rivers State, Bayelsa State, and beyond.
Speaking during one of the sessions, the President of MAN, Otumba Francis Meshioye, alongside the keynote speaker and MD/CEO of Juhel Nigeria Ltd., as well as other captains of industry, commended Senator Douye Diri, Executive Governor of Bayelsa State, for what they described as his holistic and strategic development agenda.
The stakeholders highlighted Governor Diri’s consistent investments in human capital development, infrastructural expansion, and reforms aimed at enhancing the ease of doing business in the state. They gave particular commendation to the recent procurement of a 60MW gas turbine, a landmark intervention expected to significantly boost power supply, enhance industrial productivity, and strengthen Bayelsa’s investment climate.
According to MAN leadership, any state aspiring to attract local and foreign investors must demonstrate clear readiness in critical areas such as power availability, security, human capital quality, infrastructural development, and regulatory efficiency. After reviewing Bayelsa’s current developmental trajectory, the stakeholders agreed that the state has performed impressively and is steadily positioning itself as a competitive industrial hub in the Niger Delta and across Nigeria.
They also commended the stability and business-friendly environment fostered under Governor Diri’s administration, noting that the state’s improving infrastructure, expanding road networks, and deliberate focus on youth empowerment and entrepreneurship have created new opportunities for growth in the manufacturing sector.
Stakeholders further encouraged the state government to sustain ongoing reforms and continue to deepen engagement with the private sector to unlock even greater economic potential.
The 41st AGM of MAN continues with strategic sessions focusing on driving national industrial growth, enhancing value addition, and building resilient manufacturing systems across the country.
