Few years ago, I bought a very beautiful pair of sandals. The colour was just perfect for my skin type.
Everybody loved this pair of sandals whenever I decided to wear them. But this pair of sandals were Aba-made. That is to say, they were locally produced in Aba.
I know what you’re thinking. The sandals were probably inferior right?
In Nigeria, we have this status quo that whatever is manufactured in this country is bad and can not meet up with international standard. While this maybe true in some cases, it is not in all cases.
What is most important in purchasing a product, is the quality of that product and the price. Now in a situation where you label all Nigerian products bad, you miss out on products with very good quality at a fair price. And settle for good quality too but at a high price.
But how you spend your money is not the reason for this article.
Nigeria is a country that has been through a lot! I mean, a whole lot! Yet here we are today still pushing through.
How patriotic are you? Do you want Nigeria to stand tall or do you want to put out the glowing split? Do you want this Nation to rise from the ashes or would you rather be the wind to blow it out? Now is the time to show your solidarity!
Everyday the price of goods and services climb up the ladder with us in pursuit. We all have our eyes fixed up. I think it’s time to look down. We have at our disposal numerous natural and human resources, but instead of making good use of them, we are looking at what the other countries have to offer.
Thereby, crippling our economy and ridiculing the naira. We are our own problem.
The way we put all the blame on the governing body, one will think we are saints. But if given the same power, we might probably do worse. Not to be cynical, but I think it’s about time we took a stand.
What’s the best way you can show someone that you care? It’s by getting involved in things that concerns the person. Buying locally made goods, patronizing local foods, prioritizing locally made graduates over foreign ones, getting involved in all things Nigerian.
Now, don’t you hear me saying, buy inferior and fake goods. I didn’t say that. You can always select. But don’t choose a product because it’s from the UK or Italy. When you see a good Nigerian made product, buy it. Increasing local demand will really help Nigeria right now. In doing small things like this, you contribute your own quota to nation building.
How patriotic are you? What need are you meeting? Are you just sitting and waiting for that white collar job while you eat “mama thank you “? Look around you, there’s a problem you can solve. A societal need that you can perfectly meet. If you have the means, start that business, here in Nigeria. Get Nigerians involved. You help solve to a certain degree, the problem of unemployment.
And finally, to round up this tirade of mine. When given a choice to involve in corruption and crime, kindly decline. You don’t need to fight it, you might not have the power to. But you certainly have the will, power and right to walk away.
How patriotic are you? How much do you really care? Quit complaining, act now!
