The recent decision of the Nigerian Army to buy some of their kits locally is the strongest indication yet that the ongoing campaign to conserve scarce foreign exchange by patronising made-in-Nigeria goods is gaining traction, even among government institutions. The next logical step now should be for the government to come up with an official policy to compel the procurement departments of all public institutions to give preference to locally manufactured goods whenever they make their purchases.
What the Army has just done is quite significant, given the culture in the country of importing practically every item used in public institutions: from toothpick to cutlery and crockery. It is indeed an important paradigm shift, considering the fact that a military institution recently ordered N4.9 billion worth of kits from abroad. Regrettably, the kits, ranging from berets, footwear and head warmers to cardigans and belts, among others, could conveniently be produced locally.
Therefore, for the Army to order 50,000 pairs of boots from shoemakers in Aba, Abia State, is quite thrilling. Despite the fact that some people might see it as an attempt to atone for the “sins” of spending such a prodigious amount in these hard times to import materials that could be produced locally, yet, it is a sound economic decision and a vote of confidence in local manufacturers. Notably, gestures such as this can revive the country’s comatose manufacturing sector, with its huge capacity for job creation.
It is, therefore, not surprising that encomiums have been trailing the Army since the news broke. The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, in a statement, described it as pacesetting. “We will by doing that (patronising locally-made goods) increase our Gross Domestic Product, empower our youths, challenge their creativity, increase revenue generation ability of state governments and improve the sense of self pride and patriotism of Nigerians,” he said. A former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, did not just stop at commendation, he also ordered some shoes for himself through the Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu.
It is obvious that convincing Nigerians to start patronising locally-made goods is a project that should be government-driven. If the government at all levels can take the initiative, there is no way that ordinary Nigerians will not follow. A good way to kick-start the process is to compel government establishments to embrace locally assembled vehicles as was the case in the past when Peugeot was the official car for every government official in Nigeria, from the lowest level to the highest.
This was the policy that strengthened the Peugeot Automobile of Nigeria until it was jettisoned when Shehu Shagari took over government in 1979 and ordered luxury Mercedes Benz cars for himself in place of the Peugeot cars. Needless to say, the gesture, which was replicated at other levels, sounded the death knell for local assembly plants in Nigeria.
The role of government in energising the local manufacturing industry was amply demonstrated by Ghanaian leader, Jerry Rawlings. Shortly after transmuting from military to civilian leader, Rawlings adopted a simple dress code made of the smock, or fugu in local language. His action quickly awakened interest in that style of dressing, just as did his predecessor and great pan-Africanist, Kwame Nkrumah.
This quickly shot the demand for the material to an unprecedented level, thus creating a boom for the people of Daboya, whose main vocation is the weaving of the distinctive Ghanaian smock. As a result, smock is now a national attire in Ghana, competing well with kente and helping in job creation. It is now rare to see John Mahama, the current president, in any other attire than smock.
Interestingly, shoemaking in Aba is not the only vocation with potential for financial reward in the country. Earlier in the year, the Nigerian Air Force signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company, in Nnewi, Anambra State, for the research and manufacturing of spare parts for its fighter jets. This must have taken by surprise many who might not even be aware of the existence of any company in Nigeria with the capacity to engage in such high-level technological and engineering endeavours.
Before Japan became a world power in science and technology, its products were once looked down upon as inferior. But through patronage and persistence in perfecting what they were doing, the Japanese goods can now match the very best from any part of the world. The same story can be created in Nigeria.
The campaign of the National Economic Summit Group to encourage the patronage of made-in-Nigeria goods will amount to nothing if the local manufacturers are not empowered to meet the needs of Nigerians, both quantitatively and qualitatively. With the Navy also partnering Almarine, a division of John Holt, for the manufacture of gunboats, it is time for Nigerians to turn the current economic adversity into prosperity.
But for the ingenuity of Nigerians to fully flourish, the government has to provide an enabling environment, especially in the area of infrastructure provision and policy direction. A lot is expected in the area of ease of doing business, where Nigeria currently ranks a dismal low of 169 out of 180 countries. Without a conducive environment, economic growth and foreign investment will remain a fleeting illusion.
