The level of investment is a key driver in helping Multinational enterprises (MNEs) face the challenges of today’s fast and dynamic 21st Century global business environment. Prior studies reveal a significant decline in manufacturing industry output and its contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) in Nigeria since the mid-1970s. We use Dunning’s foreign direct investment (FDI) motives as basis for examining the impact of socio-cultural factors on FDI inflows to the Nigerian manufacturing industry since 2000. Between 2011 and 2015, we carried out a Questionnaire Survey of 925 respondents in Nigeria. The data analysis reveals that since 2000, the lack of a coherent and consistent ‘child protection mechanisms’ coupled with the lack of ‘consensus building on individual security matters’ led to a significant decline in FDI inflows to the Nigerian manufacturing sector. A key limitation of this study is the fact that, it does not critically address the strategic impact of the current Boko Haram insurgence in Nigeria; as such an area for further research would use Qualitative methods to examine the impact of child protection, gender inequality and ethnic tensions on FDI into the Nigerian manufacturing industry.