From Johnkennedy Uzoma, Owerri
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has attributed the craze for foreign goods by Nigerians to closure of many local industries, unemployment which has dwindled Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and capital flight.
Vitus Ekeocha, the state Director of NOA stated this at a one-day interactive forum on The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has attributed the craze for foreign goods by Nigerians to closure of many local industries, unemployment which has dwindled Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and capital flight.
“Patronizing Made-in-Nigeria Goods: ‘Buy Nigerian, Eat Nigerian, Wear Nigeria” held at Government Secondary School Owerri at the weekend.
He said the forum was organised by the agency to sensitize and re-orientate Nigerians to change their attitude toward locally made goods and to revive local industries, create employment and restore the national pride.
He said it was imperative that the country sustained the national campaign to sensitize and re orientate the people to change their attitudes toward locally made goods to achieve the purpose.
Ekeocha noted that for some time now, the low patronage of Nigerian made products in comparison with foreign (imported) products in the markets had been of grave concern to every patriotic Nigerian.
READ ALSO: 2023: Yoruba presidency is deceit
“This low patronage of Nigerian goods is further compounded by the fact that domestic manufacturers, in reaction to the prevailing negative attitude toward Nigerian products, have now resorted to deceptive branding of their products by packaging them with foreign labels and tags,” he said.
He said the objective of the campaign was to sensitize Nigerians to patronize and use made in
Nigeria products; educate Nigerians on the implications of preference of foreign goods on the national economy and to encourage producers to take pride in their own products.
“We strongly believe that if this campaign is sustained, Nigerians will patronize and use made-in-Nigeria products, which will reduce the rate of unemployment in the country and revive moribund industries,”
Ekeocha called on relevant stakeholders, especially in the manufacturing and industrial sector as well as the regulatory agencies to collaborate with NOA to ensure that the campaign succeeded and that the GDP grew.
READ ALSO: Re: Men, stop raping your wives
Chairman, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Barr. Tommy Anyanwu, explained that government Executive Order 3 encourages all government ministries and agencies to patronise locally manufactured goods.
He said it also mandated the purchasing agencies of government to increase their purchase of goods manufactured in Nigeria.
He said government has started reviewing tariff on imported raw materials to encourage local producers and introducing policies that could cushion manufacturing challenges.
Anyanwu pointed out that Nigerian products are often of higher quality than foreign goods but is being encumbered by cost of production.
Our correspondent reports that the participants drawn from the local government areas, various ministries and organizations called on MAN and SON to prevail on the government to handle the issue of power supply in the country as well as check the activities manufacturers of unwholesome goods.
They also wondered why the local rice is more expensive than foreign rice, full of sands and also scarce.
