Manufacturers Now Label Nigerians Goods As Made-in-Asia

           

Mr Frank Jacobs, President, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria(MAN) has decried the trend of labeling Nigerian goods as made-in-Asia or made-in-China.
Jacobs said that it was an ugly trend that was common among small and medium scale manufacturers entering the nation’s  market.


He told NAN 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.