•As consumers canvass Competition Bill to ensure quality
The Manufactures Association of Nigeria (MAN) has been urged to incorporate ‘Manufacturers Guarantee’ in their products to assure the confidence of the public in their products. It is believed that this will engender the patronage of such products in preference to imported products.
Nigerians are known to ignore locally made products as a result of its doubtful quality and quantity, but elsewhere manufacturers give guarantee on what they produce and its efficacy and durability. Experts believe that except indigenous manufacturers move up the ladder in quality standards and attestation it may be a long while before they can be wholly accepted in preference to imported products.
A Consumer advocate Mrs. Shola Salako- Ajulo who spoke at a Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) Forum on made-in- Nigeria goods in Lagos, canvassed the need for consumers to understand the opportunity cost of quality as against cost and the need to support products with the insignia of quality made by indigenous manufacturers.
Further in her advocacy she canvassed the need to instill ‘Competition Bill’, to check counterfeiting and the protection of every organisation’s products, marks and logos.
Ajulo attested that there has been a lot of improvement in the quality of locally manufactured goods in the recent past arguing that what is needed most is for government to support these effort by providing the needed infrastructure to make the products competitive with imported ones.
Earlier, MAN President, Dr. Frank Udemba Jacobs regretted that indigenous manufacturers loose over three billion dollars to their taste for foreign goods to the detriment of locally made goods. He said this culture is not limited to individuals but also government who should have put a strategy in place to curb this and grow the local economy. He lamented that over 800 firms shut down in three years and asked that government act quickly to stem the tide.
He called for a 60 per cent home-bias in public procurement where locally produced goods and service will be given preference against their foreign alternative.
He explained that in support of the campaign for Made-in-Nigeria goods, his association partnered ENABLE2, a DFID programme to drive home the message. He said the idea was aimed at improving the patronage of locally manufactured products by Nigerians, the government, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) through an effective and inward looking Public Procurement process.
On the success of the campaign, the MAN boss it has made reasonable progress and necessitated the call for the review of the current public procurement Act. Others are the introduction of the Executive Order, improved government patronage of ‘Made-in-Nigeria’ products and the current build up against smuggling and counterfeit activities in the economy.
On the poor quality of locally made goods, the MAN president said most goods manufactured locally are of good quality but are counterfeited by some unscrupulous business men who go outside the country especially China to mass produce a cheap and poor quality look-alike to deceive consumers.
On the advantages of buying locally made goods, he said it has the capacity to expand the industrial base of our country, create jobs and reduce the human misery brought about by poverty.
On the success so far, he stated that before now the manufacturing sector had huge inventory of unsold finished products occasioned partly by poor patronage of locally manufactured products by government, backlashes from smuggling and counterfeiting activities. Others are the general apathy of the consuming public towards locally produced products.
On the choice of sectors on the advocacy campaign, he said it was based on Sector-Specific Margins of Preferences (MOP) such as the textile, wearing apparel, carpet, leather, footwear, chemical and pharmaceuticals. Others are pulp, paper, printing, publishing and wood products industry.
He said: “Although the MOP for the five pilot sectors averaged 63 per cent, MAN suggests 35 per cent for starters, taking into cognizance of the tight financial position of the government at the moment.
