UNIDO Regional Director, Bankole urges Nigerians to Patronise Goods, Services Produced Locally in Nigeria

• To encourage local manufactures to support the economy growth.

United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Regional Director for West and Central African Regions, Mr. Jean Bakole has called on all Nigerians to start patronising goods and services produced locally in Nigeria to encourage local manufactures to support the economy growth.

Bakole made the call in his address as a Special Guest of Honour to declare open the 3-days Made-In-Nigeria Exhibition, at the 51st Annual General Meeting of MAN, held at Lagos Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Tuesday 17th October, 2023.

He stated that Nigeria is a leading economy in Africa, and so it is expected to make steady progress through accelerating inclusive and sustainable industrial development, noting that in order to achieve this and promote economic growth and sustainable development there is need to support local manufacturers/MSME and Start-ups who are involved in producing made-in-Nigeria goods.

He recalled that over the years, Nigeria has been growing other countries’ economies through over-dependence on imported goods, especially those which have local substitutes, stressing that Nigeria can easily experience a breakthrough in the quest for local content development and a stable, strong and advanced economy if Nigerians would encourage the production and patronise made-in-Nigeria products.

According to the UNIDO Director, “It is a well-known fact that the economy of any nation grows rapidly when locally made goods are promoted through patronage, first by its people then through export. Over-dependence on importation of goods weakens the currency, creates unemployment, and consistently reduces the GDP.

“On the other hand, local production will promote gainful employment for Nigerians and will reduce the dependence on the consumption of foreign products and reduce poverty.”

He opined that the government of Nigeria is showing greater interest and providing more support for local production to encourage the growth of local industries, adding that the intervention of the Federal Government in developing local industries will result in a boom in the growth of local businesses. Thus, he said, that the local production of various goods is beginning to gain grounds and the materials produced locally can compete favourably with the imported ones, while Nigerians are increasingly using products branded made-in-Nigeria.

“This development will no doubt attract several benefits to the country including an increase in its GDP, generation of employment opportunities and reduction in the cost of production. Therefore, government should sustain the tempo through appropriate policies, provision of basic infrastructure (energy, roads, etc) and other key incentives as well as effective continued support to MAN and its members,” he added.

Bankole highlighted that UNIDO is a specialised UN Agency with a broad mandate in promoting inclusive and sustainable industrial development, adding that in Nigeria, UNIDO, through the Country Programme is promoting the formulation of appropriate industrial policies, development of MSMEs and Startups by providing technical support to them to produce standard and high-quality products locally.

He disclosed that during the Covid-19 pandemic, UNIDO supported about 174 local MSMEs to produce PPEs and other standard and quality healthcare products, while UNIDO in collaboration with the ECOWAS Commission is implementing the West Africa Competitiveness and Quality infrastructure Project (WACQIP) to improve the quality of locally manufactured goods in Nigeria and the ECOWAS region.

He stated further that the activities involved setting-up quality testing laboratories, developing the ECOWAS certification Mark, and digitalization of the processes for the harmonization of standards and technical regulations, as well as the Quality management Systems of enterprises, maintaining that the overall objective is to manufacture standard and high-quality products within its member states that will be consumed locally as well as for regional (AfCFTA) and international markets.

“In UNIDO, we show greater interest and provide more support for local production in order to encourage the growth of local industries. Therefore, I implore MAN and all standards regulatory agencies to provide all the necessary guidance to local producers to ensure their products meet local, regional and global quality and necessary standards. This will encourage greater consumption of locally produced goods and reduce over-dependence on imported goods, especially those which have local substitutes,” he emphasized.

He congratulated the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria and all industrialists in the country and pledged UNIDO’s continuous support and collaboration to strengthen local manufacturers to produce standard and quality made-in-Nigeria products to promote economic growth, sustainable development and reduce poverty.

The high point of the event was the declaration of the exhibition of made-in-Nigeria products open by the UNIDO Regional Director for West and Central African Regions, Mr. Jean Bakole and the guided tour of all the exhibition stands with him, the MAN president, DG MAN, invited guests, stakeholders and the general public with a charge for them to patronize made-in-Nigeria products.

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