Professional Assessment of Industrial Automation Readiness Among Manufacturing SMEs in the Aba Industrial Cluster, Abia State

The Aba industrial cluster in Abia State, South East Nigeria, hosts thousands of small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises engaged in footwear, garment, plastics, and metalwork production. While global manufacturing is increasingly shifting toward automation and Industry 4.0 technologies, the automation readiness of Aba SMEs remains largely unexamined. This study conducts a professional assessment of industrial automation readiness among 85 manufacturing SMEs in the Aba cluster, using a structured readiness assessment framework adapted from the German VDMA Industry 4.0 Readiness Index and adjusted for the Nigerian industrial context. Assessment dimensions include current technology utilization, workforce digital skills, management awareness of automation benefits, financial capacity for technology investment, and availability of technical support services. Survey data were collected through structured questionnaire interviews with business owners and production managers, supplemented by facility walk-through observations. Results show that 61 percent of assessed enterprises are in the earliest automation readiness category, characterized by fully manual production processes and limited awareness of available automation options. Only 8 percent demonstrated readiness for advanced automation adoption within a two-year horizon. Key barriers identified include capital access constraints, limited availability of locally trainable technical personnel, inadequate electrical infrastructure, and uncertainty about return on automation investment. The study proposes a tiered automation adoption pathway appropriate for Aba SMEs and recommends government and development finance interventions to accelerate readiness building. Keywords: automation readiness, SME manufacturing, Industry 4.0, Aba cluster, Abia State