TEXT OF A PAPER PRESENTED BY DR. LANRE ADEBAYO, CENTRE FOR APPLIED POLICY AND SOCIAL ADVOCACY(CAPSA) AT THE DIALOGUE AND SENSITISATION SESSION WITH STAKEHOLDERS ON THE PROMOTION OF MADE IN NIGERIA PRODUCTS, ORGANISED BY THE FEDERAL MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND THE CSO COALITION FOR MADE IN NIGERIA PRODUCTSAT THE EDINAN HOTEL, UYO ON JUNE 29, 2017.
PROTOCOLS
Please permit me to begin by thanking the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology and their Partner, the CSO Coalition for Made in Nigeria Products(CONMAP) for inviting me to be part of this important Session which has brought all critical Stakeholders together to discuss an important national issue. I am even more delighted that we are here to brainstorm on how to advocate for made in Nigeria Products. More than that, we are here to advocate for Nigeria. I wish to congratulate the Honourable Minister of Science and Technology for this patriotic Initiative. The Initiative underscores the strategic importance of the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology in our National efforts to diversify the economy as well as creating jobs for teeming millions of Nigerian youths at home and our compatriots who are busy developing other Countries. I have always argued that the most important key ingredient in development is leadership. The Honourable Minister has provided leadership, and we are very proud of him.
KEY ISSUES
I will begin by identifying the key issues in this presentation. They are as follow:
- Made in Nigeria Products
- Advocacy for Made in Nigeria Products
- Plan of Actions
What does Made in Nigeria Products mean? According to the Business Dictionary, a Product is ‘A good, idea, method, information, object or service created as a result of a process and serves a need’ By implication, a product could be human resource and or goods either in the original raw form or after value has been added. The ‘Dictionary.com’ agrees. It defines product as ‘a person or thing produced by or resulting from a process’ The contention here is that every manufactured product or goods in raw form are products of a process initiated through a human resource. In essence, Made in Nigeria Products can be defined as including the Country’s human resource/services, institutions manufactured or packaged raw materials.
The issue of human resource is especially critical in view of the millions of skilled Nigerians who were trained either locally in Nigeria’s tertiary Institutions or in foreign Universities. In the context of the Mandate of the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, we are referring to men and women in science and technological related fields. These are the groups of experts who have the capacity and skills to transform the country into a 21st Century Economy. They have been making highly productive and ground- breaking contributions to the development of other Countries. It is time for us to harnesstheir potentials to further develop our Country. Please note that the role of human resource in this aspect of made in Nigeria Products is at the level of services involving skills, expertise and capacity. It is within this context one should add Nigerian Universities and tertiary Institutions.
At the level ofproducts, I will like to make a distinction between manufactured products and some basic agricultural products that have been added some value in the production’ chain. For example, smoked fish, palm produce, cassava and its by-products, etc. I believe that our focus here is on manufactured products. It is nonetheless important to draw attention to these agricultural products because Nigeria has the potentials to become the largest world producer given its comparative advantage in the production of some of these farm produce. In my view, we should be giving incentives to Nigeria’s leading manufacturers to invest more towards adding value to these products.
There are other categories of other products which we cannot ignore. These include local or cultural materials such as clothing materials many of which are already in high demand abroad. Others include our spices, foodstuffs. In view of the large number of Nigerians in diaspora, there is large market for them.
ADVOCACY FOR MADE IN NIGERIA PRODUCTS
Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines advocacy as ‘the act or process of supporting a cause or proposal’It could therefore be a one-time off activity or a series of activities organised on a sustainable basis in pursuance of a cause or proposal. Advocacy could also be defined as ‘profession or work of a legal advocate’ Within the context of our discussion we are obviously referring to the former definition.
Although advocacy appears so simple by definition, it is a very complex process especially because the ultimate goal is to convince the target recipients of your efforts to believe you. Therefore, advocacy requires some basic steps to succeed. These include the following steps:
- Initial basic research which will help to define the nature and character of the problem
- Develop the Mission, goal and objectives of the advocacy project or proposal. The Mission provides a broad statement of what campaign is all about while the goal gives a general direction. The objectives, on the other hand, are designed to be measurable. This enables the organisation to determine how much success is being achieved within a particular time frame
- This is followed by the effort to design the campaign. This stage is very critical to the success of the programme because it is at this stage that you will determine what changes to effect, whether new or modified policies, practices and policies will be introduced. It also involves allocation of responsibilities.
- The fourth step involves the important task of identifying resources and assets to be deployed
- Identify potential allies and competitors oropponents
- Identify potential target and agents of change.
PLAN OF ACTION
As could be seen above, advocacy is a scientific, systematic and sustained efforts to achieve a pre-determined objective or objectives. Within the context of our subject of discussion, it seems to me that the following steps will be undertaken:
- Establishment of a Task Team that will serve as the coordinating body to undertake advocacy for Made in Nigeria Products. One is aware that there had been several government initiatives and there are still some ongoing programmes in that direction. However, advocacy is more than slogans or mere public declaration of intent. It is a rigorous process of research, planning, implementationand evaluation. Such a Task Team should comprise of knowledgeable Non -State Organisations, Standard Organisation of Nigeria, NAFDAC (in the case of Pharmaceutical products) under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology. Other relevant Government Agencies may also be included.
- The Task of the Team will undertake a comprehensive census of made in Nigeria Products with a view to establishing a data base of these products. I think the best way to start will be to determine the range of products to be covered. It may include Nigerian Universities. The census should include Nigerian scientists and technologists at home and abroad. These groups of Nigerians who have capacity to render quality services should be deliberately promoted by the Nigerian Government to fill the Country’s quota in international organisations. The Federal Government should demand as of right that its contributions to international organisations such as the ECOWAS, AU, the Commonwealth etc should be adequately appreciated through the employment of her qualified citizens.
- With the assistance of the SON, the Team provides guidelines on standards and make these available to the stakeholders. This should be followed with training on standards to anyone who desires to be captured in the data base of the Committee.
- Producers captured in the database will be beneficiaries of aggressive advocacy efforts by the Task Team at home and abroad using the above-mentioned steps. In that case, such Producers will be exposed to international market where their products will be show cased and sold. It is important to emphasise that this is perhaps one of the ways to ensure that the country’s currency is strengthened. The era of struggling self- efforts by Nigerian business should be over. In essence, what is being suggested here is greater synergy among Government Agencies, the Non-State sector and the Private Sector for the greater good of the country and her citizens.
- It is also suggested that there should a national agreement that advocacy of Made in Nigeria Products should target both local and foreign markets.
It should be noted that a major pre-condition for advocacy efforts to succeed is the conviction by the persons undertaking the efforts that their products are good. It is therefore important to suggest that Government officials should desist from making derogatory remarks about Nigeria, her Institutions and products. Irrespective of any advocacy efforts, statements by Senior Government officials are used by foreign concerns to determine their decisions about the Country.
It is also important the critical role of the mass media in the advocacy efforts. I know that the first point of contact for any foreign concern who is interested to do business with any Country is the Country’s media. Where the dominant reports are on violence, high level crimes etc, it is not likely that they will want to do business in that country. The mass media are therefore important element in governance. In my view, there is a need to encourage greater synergy between the Government and the mass media. This is standard practice all over the world, and Nigeria must evolve a way of reaching consensus with the media practitioners on this strategic area of engagement.
CONCLUSION
On the whole, today’s programme has provided a platform for us to identify the missing link in our national efforts to create jobs, wealth, strengthen the Naira as well as promoting positive international image for the Country. That missing link is advocacy. In our view, a national advocacy programme on Made in Nigeria Products will effectively positively improve the Country’s image. There is there an urgent need for concerted national efforts in that regard.
