Oba of Benin gives recipe to boost patronage of made-in-Nigeria goods

The Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, has said that Nigerians would patronise made-in-Nigeria goods only if the products were competitive in quality and pricing.

DAILY POST reports that the monarch stated this when the president of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, MAN, Otunba Francis Meshioye, paid him a visit to his palace in Benin City.

A statement signed by Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Chief Press Secretary to Oba of Benin, made available to newsmen, said the monarch lamented the influx of fake imported goods, especially pharmaceutical products, into Nigeria by unpatriotic merchants.

“I do not know how you are going to deal with the problems of importation and exportation, among others, but, by and large, the federal government needs to do a lot of work.

“It is good to do more advocacy to patronise made-in-Nigeria goods, but if made-in-Nigeria goods are competitive in quality as well as pricing, I am sure that Nigerians will patronise them,” he said.

The royal father called on relevant government agencies to address the fake drug menace and other factors that made illicit deals thrive.

While suing for enduring intervention that will boost Nigerians’ confidence in local pharmaceutical industries and patronage, the monarch tasked governments at all levels to put modalities in place and boost productivity.

He opined that the modalities would help to reduce the high dependency on crude oil export revenue for economic survival.

Earlier, the President of MAN, Francis Meshioye, appealed to the monarch to help drive advocacy for made-in-Nigeria products to boost local content for sustainable economic growth.