Lagos — The Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization (CBAAC) has urged the Federal Government to create an enabling environment for ‘Made-in-Nigeria’ goods to thrive in the country.
Dr Ferdinand Anikwe, the Director-General of the centre, said in Lagos that such a policy would motivate and encourage local manufacturers to produce quality goods that would be accepted locally and internationally.
“Creating enabling environment for local manufacturers will also ensure the sustainability of the Made-in-Nigeria goods and promote employment for many unemployed.
“It will also help to increase the nation’s foreign exchange earnings from those exported overseas, “he said.
He said that the country could earn huge revenues by investing in our diverse locally made goods such as crafts, local fabrics, beads and agricultural products.
Anikwe said that CBAAC was doing all within its reach to promote this policy of the Federal Government to its logical conclusions.
The CBAAC boss also urged Federal Government to ensure that more locally made goods were exported than importing foreign products.
He lauded the role Nollywood through their movies saying it had continued to serve as a platform to promote goods manufactured in Nigeria such as textile materials, songs, local expressions and other cultural values.
“Most Africans have begun to acquire some Nigerian language expressions, dressing in tie-and-dye fabrics, proverbs and wise sayings which they had seen in and learnt from Nigerian movies produced by Nollywood actors.
“Many foreigners admire African and Nigerian cultures, fashion designs and life styles because they are very unique.
“Many foreigners appreciate these values than we do, which is not encouraging.”
Anikwe advised Nigerians to start appreciating and embracing their cultural and traditional values.
With that they would continue to sustain their identities and ways of life and remained relevant locally and internationally.
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