Economy
THE National Orientation Agency (NOA), has created a platform of interaction between producers and users of made-in-Nigeria goods to enhance economic development.
The Director-General (D-G) of NOA, Dr Garba Abari said this in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday.
According to him, the platform is also created to sensitise Nigerians on the need to prefer and patronise made-in-Nigeria products and services.
Abari said that this became necessary as the country over the years depended on petroleum products for income generation.
He said that evidence from the vibrant economies of countries such as China, India, United States and Brazil had shown that diversification, local sourcing and production had great potential for exponential economic growth and development.
According to him, NOA as a government agency believes that Nigeria economy has relied too much on oil revenues and it is long overdue to diversify.
“So, we are sensitising Nigerians on the need to diversify and patronise our local production sectors to generate more manpower, increase revenue and transform the economy.
“This is being done in line with our key function which is to propagate and promote the spirit of dignity of labour, honesty and commitment to qualitative production, promotion and consumption of home produced commodities and services
“The various strategies and approaches we deploy to sensitise and mobilise the citizens to act in ways that encourage, promote and support local production and services include documentary, town hall meetings and community engagements.
“Others are association meetings, school outreach, motorised rallies and roadshows and theatre for development,’’ the director-general said.
He called on Nigerians to patronise locally-made products and services, describing it as path to poverty reduction, wealth creation and economic growth and development.
He said the purpose of the exhibition was to complement the Federal Government’s efforts to grow and sustain the nation’s economy.
Abari said that the agency was working with regulators, investors, investment promoters and potential markets toward deepening the penetration of local goods in the country.
He said most importantly, the agency was partnering with both public and private sector stakeholders at all levels to improve the quality and patronage of locally made goods and services.
The D-G urged Nigerians to demonstrate similar faith in the locally made products, adding that without sufficient local patronage, the survival of any economy could not be guaranteed.
However, Mr Christopher Adebayo, a consumer, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that one of the major reasons he prefers foreign goods was for economic value.
Adebayo said that money spent for a product should re-invigorate a high sense of value for the product, as the quality of local products are lower than imported ones.
Another consumer, Mrs Rose Williams, described foreign goods as durable when compared to locally made ones.
“As you can see this bag, it is foreign and I have been using it for the past ten years. You can see that it is everlasting, that is why I go for foreign materials,’’ she said.
Mrs Tosin Olawepo said that she preferred foreign wares due to people’s behaviour toward made-in- Nigeria wares.
“If l wear foreign made dress to a special occasion or conference, I feel very important and more acceptable than wearing locally made dress,’’ she said.
She urged Nigerian manufacturers to improve on their local production to meet global standard. (NAN)
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Tags: Christopher Adebayo Garba Abari NOA Rose Williams Tosin Olawepo
