Things to correct as a nation

Let me point at the two (2) scenarios taking place in this country (Nigeria).

1)      The unemployed or underemployed graduate will not buy the same product made in Nigeria but will prefer to buy an imported version of the same product.
To such fellows, they keep themselves in the unemployment market, simple! For every one shirt you wear that is made in outside Nigeria, you are closing a shop down in Nigeria and reducing the number of job giving organization. So one of the easiest ways to reduce the high rate of unemployment and underemployment in Nigeria is for Nigerians to buy and sell made in Nigeria goods. Until we have this mindset shift we may not be numbered among the 20 world economies by 2020. The average Aba boy dealing in tailoring and bags, shoes, and belts etc needs encouragement. The leather bags, shoes and textile making Fulani boy in Kano needs to be encouraged. The rice farmer in Abakaliki, Minna, Makurdi etc also needs the same encouragement. Our continued preferences for foreign products have all discourage these ones. If I am to plot a graph of the production in Nigeria from 1960 to date, you will release that we have a downward slope which implies that many firms and organizations are closing up day by day in Nigeria due to discouragement.

Yes! We have power problem but the impact will have been less if we solely buy and use Nigerian products, the only difference is that it will be costly. Why naira will continue to depreciate against the dollar is because most of our transactions are in dollars, period! Until there is a reverse, there will be no appreciation of the naira against the dollar even with all CBN measures.

2)      One unpatriotic approach of importers is to actually frustrate small and medium scale industries in Nigeria. One of the ways they do this is by selling below (even there cost price while they make loss) local producers until there come a time when the local producers has been completely out of business, they then become market leaders in such areas and dictates the price of such goods. This indeed brings more profit to them but it is actually mortgaging the future of the next generation who will still come out and find jobs. It is the same thing government officials does when they go to foreign hospitals for treatment of less alarming ailment like malaria, typhoid and running stomach which we have developed expertise for in the country. The truth is that the importer can start producing the same product in the country the same way Chief Obi Ezeude did when importation of biscuit was banned in Nigeria.

Think Nigerians! Think! That’s one area I know we are mostly defaulting as a nation is in the aspect of thinking.