Why Nigerians must patronise local products —Ooni

Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, yesterday, charged the Federal Government to intensify its patronage of local manufacturers, as a deliberate means of growing the economy.

He decried the government’s usage of the dollar as a means of benchmarking the economy, saying it is time for the government to be serious about building a productive economy.

Speaking with journalists at his palace in Ile-Ife in commemoration of his eighth anniversary of ascending the Ooni throne, the monarch said the country’s political leaders must begin to patronise local industry in every sector in a bid to generate employment for Nigerians.

His words: “It is time our leaders ensure that 70% of the product they use or consume is made locally. Their fleet of cars should be made up of the likes of Innoson vehicles. Our leaders should lead by example. They should make it a policy for foreign companies to produce 70% of their product in Nigeria or they cannot get contracts in the country.

“Lawmakers and the executive should start using local products. I am a good example of a local content user, my attire is 75% made in Nigeria. How many of our leaders wear made-in-Nigeria products? How many of their cars are made or assembled in Nigeria? My cap is made in Ife, Osun State, my outfit was made in Iseyin, Oyo State; my beads are made in Edo and Ife, my shoes are made in Aba, Abia State and my cloth is made in Kano State.

“Our lawmakers should start wearing made in Nigeria to build the economy and stop using the dollar as the benchmark for everything, that is the best way to reduce the dollar pressure on our economy, that is the way to provide jobs for the youths and make our economy very productive and vibrant.”