Don’t label Nigerian products as Made- In-Asia, Manufacturers lament

Some manufacturers and experts on Thursday in Lagos
decried the trend of labeling Nigerian goods as made-in-
Asia or made-in-China.
They said in separate interviews with NAN in Lagos that
most of locally manufactured products like shoes, bags,
packaged food, and clothing were now labeled made in
China to attract more patronage.
Mr Frank Jacobs, President, Manufacturers Association of
Nigeria (MAN) said that it was an ugly trend that was
common among small and medium scale manufacturers
entering the nation’s the market.
He also said that it was a major challenge that was limiting
the competitiveness of Nigerian products and urging
manufacturers to desist from the act.
“We hear of such things as shoes and bags made here in
Aba, Nigeria being labeled as Made-in-US just to attract
the attention of Nigerian buyers.
“Somehow, the consumers also share a part of the blame
as they carry a poor perception about made-in-Nigeria
goods, and simply ignore them.
“This is very bad for our economy, and it is high time
people knew that most of the things they buy are now
produced in the country and not in Asia.

“We hope that dumping of foreign products are one of the
major issues the new government would address, as it is
really a contributing factor to this issue,” he said.
Also speaking on the issue, the Lagos Zonal Coordinator of
the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) frowned at the
trend, saying it was killing the manufacturing sector.
He said that manufacturers of such products should be
caught and punished, as they were selling the nation’s
‘birthright’.
He urged the government to pursue the proposed Local
Patronage Bill or any other policy that could encourage
Nigerians to patronize made-in-Nigeria goods.
Miss Kene Rapu, Chief Executive Officer of SBK Shoes, a
local shoe manufacturer said that manufacturers who
labeled their products wrongly suffered from low esteem.

          Frank Jacobs, President,
    Manufacturers Association of Nigeria

Rapu said that Nigerians were beginning to embrace
locally-made products and as such labeling products in
foreign names like popular designers was not needed.
She said that if the trend continued, it could destroy the
image of the manufacturing outfit and that of the country in
future.
A fashion designer, Mr Olakunle Afinni, Chief Executive
Officer, Avinni Clothings said that he was proud to label his
ready-made clothing items as ‘Avinni Nigeria’ unlike some
of his counterparts who did otherwise.
“I make the clothes myself and supply to online shops and
all my customers know that it is made in Nigeria, yet they
patronize me.
“Nigerian fashion designers label their items after their
names and Nigeria, because they are proud of their work, it
is mostly shoes and bag manufacturers who label their
items after world famous designers like Chloe, Gucci and
so on.
“But if you can allow a Nigerian tailor make clothes for
you, I see no reason why we should not wear made-in-
Nigeria shoes, so I guess it’s the attitude of Nigerians that
make them do that,” he said.
Mr Remi Bello, President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce
and Industry, (LCCI) said that dumping of goods from other
countries was a contributing factor to the trend.
Bello said that aside the review of interest rates on loans
for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), power supply,
remained a major issue that needed to be addressed.
He, however, urged the manufacturers to improve on the
quality of their products and packaging, to make the locally
made products presentable.
He also urged the incoming government to lay down stiffer
penalties for illegal importers of prohibited products and
increase waivers for exporters.
Mr Olusegun Aganga, Minister of Trade and Investment had
in 2014, during a forum, said that the government was
proposing a Local Patronage Bill which would encourage
the patronage of locally-made products.
He said that the manufacturing sector needed a lot of
supporting policies to break the hold of counterfeiting and
dumping that was choking the market for local
manufacturers.
NAN reports that President Goodluck Jonathan had in 2014
raised an awareness to increase the patronage of made-
in-Nigeria goods, named ‘Buy Nigeria’ and this, according
to some manufacturers helped to boost patronage of their
goods.

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