Why buying Made-In-Nigeria should be more than a debate

The need to shore up the dwindling fortune of the Nigerian economy, develop local manufacturing capacities and strengthen the naira against foreign currencies recently gave rise to the clamour for patronising Made-in-Nigeria products.

Chiefly championed by Senator Ben Murray Bruce, with the Senate President Bukola Saraki, pledging to support necessary legislation to back it up, the Made-in-Nigeria movement seems to be more than just another topic for public debates.

Shortly after President Muhammadu Buhari signed the 2016 Appropriation Act, Saraki explained that the National Assembly has started the amendment of the Public Procurement Act to ensure that a substantial percentage of the money to be spent in the budget are made available to Nigerians through government patronage of Made-in-Nigeria goods and services.

“We aim to celebrate and promote the existing innovative solutions that have been deployed in Nigeria through enterprise and entrepreneurial machinations as synonymous with the national identity,’’ said Adedeji Alebious, Convener and Executive Director of the Made In Nigeria Project.

In line with the diversification of the economy trajectory of the Buhari administration, Alebious said the third edition of the Made In Nigeria conference to be held on June 29, 2016, would focus on showcasing essence of the Nigerian spirit as a people and as a nation by highlighting its growing opportunities, growth trajectory, “and cultural perspectives from a global context to boost tourism and attract investment.”

Experts say the patronage of Made-in-Nigeria products would enhance Nigerian manufacturers’ capacity to produce more, empower local raw materials suppliers and lead to job creation.

Director, Strategy and Operations, Made In Nigeria, Adelanke Ladejobi, noted that Nigeria was primed to take advantage of these benefits by taking the message to the outside world especially at this time, using an authentic ‘Nigerian voice’. “We seek to ensure balance and accuracy by speaking to a global audience using an authentic Nigerian voice, offering the country’s own perspectives,” Ladejobi said.

“In past editions, The Made In Nigeria Conference has hosted a myriad of prominent speakers in the Nigerian space who have commented and re-iterated the achievement, potentials for growth, development and the renewable prospects of Nigeria from a global prospective’’, Adelanke Ladejobi.