Kobojunkie:

Would you then be more willing the Government purchase the buses from Japan then?

eku_bear:

So you buy your laptop from japan (sony, I guess?). . . but want someone else to support local nigeria businesses?

na wa o

EzeUche_:

If I could get a laptop made in Nigeria, maybe I would be more inclined to. But that is a red herring and you know it

eku_bear:

Abeg, you can easily get a laptop made in nigeria. Or at least assembled there. That ain't an excuse. You want other people to be protectionist, but you yourself are free to buy cheaper goods from abroad.

EzeUche_:

If I could get a laptop made in Nigeria, maybe I would be more inclined to. But that is a red herring and you know it. I am a protectionist. It is time to protect our industries from the Chinese menace. We are not the only ones discussing this. People and the West are also pushing for more protectionist policies.

Kobojunkie:

Why exactly can't you get a laptop made in Nigeria? They do make them, you know? Remember DDC Machine fiasco? Many of the units were Nigerian made. I am sure if you are serious about supporting local content, you would have no problem getting your hands on a Nigerian made machine.

seanet02:

Arrant Nonsense!! If the government/citizens does not patronize locally made products, how do you expect them to finetune their products to meet international standards? It is buy patronizing locally made products that the companies involved can work on areas of complaints and finetune their products. Do you expect Ghana people to test your products for you? If the government is actually sincere about promoting local products, it should led by example and patronize this automobile companies, if you are talking of locally made products as being costly, is our government not the main root of the problem, in a country where goverment can not provide basic infrastructures like good road, electricity, railway and others. Imagine if our steel project at Ajaokuta in kogi state has been functional, will this people need to import steel from far away germany which invariably leads to high overhead cost? This country is bullshytt,

fried-rice:

FG buying Buses from China??. Is this the most pressing issue amongst the nations problem
Why don't they concentrate on fixing the roads instead. This is one sector the private sector has contributed
immensely in improving, all they are asking the government is Fixing the roads, and this they wont do.
Clueless Jonathan and his cabinet of Dull brains .

@Onlytruth: I'm not arguing against patronage. I just want us to first grab (patronize) the low-hanging fruit that is easiest to get, rather than the fruit at the top of the tree that is more difficult/costly to obtain.

Nigeria right now cannot beat China at manufacturing cars. But building a factory that supplies a single component for a car (e.g., tires)? Well, do that well, make sure the plant is supplied with natural gas/rubber/etc so that you can produce at competitive prices, and you can probably steal the Chinese tire business in Nigeria and all of West Africa. Once you secure that business, you move into other components of the car. Until one day you manufacture (at competitive prices) all the components of a car.

Anyone who is seriously suggesting that Nigeria should spend enormous amounts of resources patronizing car manufacturers without ensuring that one of the inputs to said car (electricity) is available at reasonable prices simply doesn't have a clue what is going on.

Otoh, if government policy will allow massive subsidies to companies who aren't otherwise economically viable. . . well, I too can start an economically unviable business, and thus demand to be propped up by the government  Grin

EkuBear Aerospace can produce airplanes at 3X the cost of the big names. Let us buy from EkuBear Aerospace though, in the name of patriotism

hercules07:

@Kobo

Nobody makes any computer in Nigeria, the DDC machines were imported and Zinox is a glorified computer village, their branded systems are assembled in China.

calddon:

chinko busses, haba! hasent the phone taught nigerians anything

Dede1:

It is embarrassing to read from the same punks who will readily invoke USA in their useless argument when engaged in debate about regressive state of Nigeria. USA government will never allow loan money given to any group to purchase vehicles not made in USA. It must be part of loan agreement that proceeds should be channeled towards local economy. Even local governments must make sure that brands of three major USA automakers are included their fleets.

The same approach of buy-America-first is also applied in acquiring weapons. There was no doubt that AK-47 proved to be a better assault rifle than M16 both in price, reliability and durability, yet USA insisted in purchasing the more expensive, less reliable and often jamming M16 rifles.

However, individuals in USA could buy any brand of products manufactured by any country since the government can not force individuals to buy from a particular manufacturer or country.

ANNAMCO is a subsidiary of Mercedes Benz and it’s products have proven beyond the scrutiny of time as most commercial and luxurious buses plying on Nigeria’s routes were built in Enugu.

I have said and will continue to say that Nigeria is a piece of lamb dung and do not qualify to be mentioned as a country.