As the stage is set for the 2026 CICAN annual workshop and awards ceremony, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank of Industry (BOI), Dr. Olasupo Olusi has been pencilled down to highlight the importance of funding Nigeria’s manufacturing sector as a critical driver of industrialisation and the federal government’s ambition of achieving a $1 trillion economy by 2030 at the event
Olusi who will be the Special Guest of Honour at the occasion will also outline the bank’s interventions in providing financial support to manufacturing businesses and other enterprises, as well as its role in strengthening local production, expanding industrial capacity and accelerating Nigeria’s economic development.
The event is scheduled for Thursday, November 19, 2026, at Protea Hotel, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, with 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 highlighting BOI’s contributions to the Federal Government’s industrialisation agenda, particularly its support for local manufacturers and the drive towards achieving a $1 trillion economy by 2030.
According to CICAN, the workshop will provide a platform for policymakers, industry leaders, manufacturers, entrepreneurs, financial institutions, regulators and the media to examine the implications of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards for businesses.
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Discussions will also focus on strategies for promoting sustainability, regulatory compliance, and business competitiveness, as well as the implications of Nigeria’s new tax regime for manufacturers.
The association said participants would examine how the new tax framework could affect production costs, business sustainability, investment, 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, Mr. John Owan Enoh; and Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs. Folashade Ambrose-Medebem is 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 NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye; Managing Director of the Development Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Tony Okpanachi; and Director-General of SMEDAN, Mr. Charles Odii.
The 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 forms part of its efforts to promote informed public discourse on commerce, industry, MSMEs and the broader Nigerian economy.
