BY SOPE AKINTUNDE
When I was campaigning for President Muhammadu Buhari during 2015 elections, I was looking for a man who will champion Nigeria’s cause and take charge of African economy and finance.
What do I mean? There was a time in Nigeria that every products attributed to China are considered as fakes. Also we usually have Aba (christened after a city in Abia state of Nigeria) made. When I say “Aba made”, I am not currently referring to gadgets and mobile phones or other electrical products but our common products that we cannot do without with. We used to have ‘Aba’ jeans, trousers, shoes, slippers that can compete with any China products.
The time is now as we need to act fast by putting a stop to dominance of China in Africa. African market is ours for a grab.
For a start, I want to see a Nigerian President who will first visit Aba market before any other areas in the country, a President that will announce a financial scheme by making available to the operators a huge financial help that will boost their businesses and a challenge them on what you want them to achieve.
A President that will see the end of “Okrika” used clothes being dumped into Nigerian markets. We are still patronising the stuff today because they are still readily available in our shops.
A President that will also visits the South West and takes same similar step to set the tone for real development. I don’t know any country today that does not eat chocolate, but where are our cocoa farms?
Rather than making the announcement by sitting on couches in Abuja, a President that will go to the towns and cities where those raw materials are deposited, tell them what he wants them to achieve, make the necessary funds available to the local banks and not what’s currently operating.
A President that will stop trading of raw materials only but encourage making available means of turning the raw materials into finished products.
Yearly, monthly and daily, we are wasting huge fruits and vegetables that can be sold cheaply to the poor. What does it cost to produce fruit juice or to preserve those which end up as wastes?
Another area that needs urgent attention or government help is medicine. We are a blessed country with roots, herbs and vegetables. Our science departments need to be challenged with serious research findings on how to convert our herbs in solving some of our medical challenges. If you are in doubt, please do little reading about recent United Kingdom’s decision in allowing cannabis oil and today, the researcher is doing well.
Finally, I want to see a President that will visit African countries by signing bilateral trade agreements with other countries on the continent where those products will be prioritised.
With that, Nigeria can easily assume it’s elusive position of real giant of Africa and be its own CHAMPION or Africa’s new CHAMPION.
Sope Akintunde is an Executive member of Nigeria Movement for Positive Change (NMPC)
