Major stakeholders in Nigeria’s paper manufacturing industry have raised concerns over the sector’s exclusion from meaningful benefits under the Federal Government’s newly approved Renewed Hope Nigeria First Policy, warning that the country risks losing billions in economic value if urgent policy reforms are not implemented.
The Nigeria First Policy, signed by President Bola Tinubu and designed to prioritise locally made goods and services in public procurement, has been hailed as a bold step towards reducing import dependence and promoting job creation. However, key players in the paper sector say the reality on the ground tells a different story.
Chief Executive Officer of Forcefield Paper Mills, Williams Sun, said the sector is battling an unchecked influx of underpriced and substandard imported paper that continues to dominate the Nigerian market. According to him, despite massive investments in upgraded production lines capable of producing international-grade 50 gsm, 60 gsm, 70 gsm, 80 gsm, and 100 gsm paper, local producers are unable to compete fairly.
“There is available top-tier technology, and we run our mills 24/7, but many printing presses operate for only three to four months a year,” Sun told reporters in Lagos recently.
“The challenge isn’t capacity; it’s that over 80 per cent of Nigerian textbooks are still printed abroad. Local presses are idle, and we are drowning in poor-quality imports that don’t face the same regulatory scrutiny.”
He added that many of the imported paper products enter the country without proper quality checks and bypass taxation frameworks intended to protect local manufacturers. “This undermines price competitiveness and results in serious economic loss,” he said.
Managing Director of Royal Paper Industries, Rajeev Kumar, echoed similar concerns, warning that the sector is on the brink of collapse if the government fails to enforce the local content provisions in its new policy.
“We are effectively exporting jobs and importing poverty,” Kumar said. “We have invested billions of naira in facilities, but without consistent policy enforcement, we cannot recover those investments. Every tonne of paper we fail to produce locally is a missed opportunity for economic growth.”
The paper sector, once considered a robust component of Nigeria’s industrial base, is now characterised by low capacity utilisation, rising production costs, and limited support from the government. According to Kumar, the consequences stretch beyond the economy into education, sustainability, and national resilience.
The Nigeria First Policy mandates that all ministries, departments, and agencies prioritise locally made goods, with any procurement of foreign products requiring a formal waiver certifying the non-availability of local alternatives. But industry leaders argue this requirement is not being applied in the printing and publishing sectors.
“Despite being able to meet over 60 per cent of national demand for writing and printing paper by 2026, we are still overlooked in government procurement,” Sun said. “We are not asking for handouts, only a fair policy environment where local investments are protected.”
