Despite the Federal Government’s consistent calls on Nigerians to patronise Made-in-Nigeria products in order to strengthen the economy and aid national development, investigation has shown that President Muhammadu Buhari and members of his team are using foreign products.
Investigations showed that except their clothes, the President and his team have been using foreign products ranging from their shoes to their cars.
The price of the shoes was put at $640 at that time.
Not a few Nigerians were surprised that with his acclaimed austere lifestyle, the President could be spotted in such expensive imported shoes.
President Buhari's designer shoes: The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) director of new media, Deji Adeyanju, has alleged that the pair of shoes worn by President Muhammadu Buhari to Equatorial Guinea on March 14, costs $8,000 (about N2,592,000).
The President’s wife, Aisha, has also been attracting comments to herself lately over the various expensive and foreign fashion accessories that she uses.
She had earlier been spotted holding a Hermes Birkin 35cm Porosus Crocodile Gold Hardware Bag in Washington DC recently.
The bag was said to be worth over $70,000.
A Hermes Himalayan Crocodile Birkin bag was said to have been auctioned for $432,000 recently.
A news portal had claimed that the pink version of Mrs. Buhari’s Hermes handbag was auctioned in 2015 for $222,912 at a Christie’s auction in Hong Kong.
Shortly after that, the President’s wife was again on October 18 spotted wearing a $2,600 multicoloured cape to Brussels.
She was also said to have been seen with an expensive diamond wristwatch by Chopard.
A black crocodile skin Hermes Birkin handbag toted by the wife of the president, Mrs. Aisha Buhari caused a social media storm. Mrs. Buhari was spotted with the 35cm Porosus Crocodile bag, which is estimated to cost anywhere between $50,000 and $300,000, at the airport in Washington D.C. A Hermes Himalayan Crocodile Birkin bag was auctioned for $432,000 recently.
The Managing Director Innoson group of companies, Dr Innocent Chukwuma last month said that adequate investment on technological advancement would pave way for local manufacturers and as well proffer lasting solution to the realisation of the present economic struggle in the country.
The pioneer of local vehicle manufacturing in Nigeria also said that for any country to become an exporting nation, it has to patronise locally made goods to boost local production and the country’s economy.
But further investigation showed that none of the vehicles in the President’s convoy was manufactured or assembled locally.
His official car is a Mercedes Maybach S600 described as “an extra highlight in the luxury segment.”
The vehicle in base-line configuration is said to cost around $258,000.
A look at Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo’s convoy also showed that most of the cars are expensive imported cars except for the Nissan Patrol Sports Utility Vehicle being used by some security operatives.
Our correspondent also observed that Buhari’s 36 ministers have Toyota Land Cruiser VXR V8 cars as their officials cars.
The President’s security chiefs also ride exotic bulletproof BMW cars. But when contacted on the matter, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said that the President and Vice-President are already leading by example.
Shehu however said it was not the idea of government that officials should stop riding cars made abroad simply because those cars were bought overseas.
Such, he said, would be ridiculous and result to a waste of resources. He said, “It is not the idea of government that its officials should stop riding cars made abroad simply because those cars were bought overseas. That will be ridiculous, and a waste of resources.
“The purchase and use of home made goods and services is a new campaign that will take time to fully entrench itself. This country has not banned the importation of goods.”
Haunted by recession and fast-depleting foreign reserves, President Muhammadu Buhari told Nigerians he has bought into a campaign by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group to encourage Nigerians to patronise Made-in-Nigeria products.
At the 2016 edition of the NESG forum, the President aligned with the theme of the summit, whose goal is to wean the country from its addiction to imported commodities.
However, the strategies to be employed in achieving this ambition are not that straightforward.
Brand new IVM G6 from Innoson factory in Nnewi, Anambra state.
Dr Chukwuma, noted that the decline in technological advancement at rural communities were the causes of the present economic challenges in the country, stressing that the need for local manufacturers to collaborate with government research agencies and universities, in order to actualise the vision of the present adminisration in the country and the Minister for science and technology Ogbonnaya Onu, for Nigerians to patronise locally made goods.
During a one day visit to the Centre for Basic Space Science (CBSS), University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Dr Chukwuma said that “any country that depends on importation of products would forever continue to depend on other countries for its economic survival.
The more a country imports everything the more the economy of such country declines. Patronising locally made goods will not only improve the economy of the country but also help to reduce unemployment in the country” he said.
Dr. Chukwuma expressed satisfaction on the standard of work at the centre through research and pledged to collaborate with the centre as Innoson group of companies makes use of research findings in its day to day production.
He noted that the present economic challenges in the country was normal as every developed country in the world once went through the same hardship before attaining high economic standard, appealing to high level civil servants in Nigeria to avoid bribery and corruption while those in manufacturing sector should ensure its products meet international standard so that it can be used locally as well as be exported.
The M/D Innoson group also said that developed countries like America and China at one time went through the same economic hardship, they did not run away from their countries rather they joined hands to caution the effect of its economy.
A director centre for basic space science (CBSS) University of Nigeria, Nsukka Prof. Fidelis Opara expressed gratitude to Innoson group of companies.
He said that the breakthrough of Innoson in the manufacturing sector and vehicle assembling plant has shown technological advancement in Nigeria.
Prof. Opara said that Innoson has become source of inspiration to many people in the country because of breakthrough in producing made in Nigeria vehicles, expressed optimism that the visit would open doors of partnership with the centre.
The director noted that the centre have team of scientific engineers who have the potential of producing sophisticated scientific equipment that that will help to fast track technological development in the country but the centre greatest problem has been inadequate funding.
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