"Some eight years ago, there were 500 factories around here. But today, only 150 of them are in operation. Lack of electricity accounts for more than 60% of the difficulties we face in running our factories in Kano and Kaduna."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6245448.stm

that is your OBJ-YARADUA Nigeria

Yar' Adua will turn things around for good. Trust me.

Dont go praising nobody until stuf is done. Yaradua said he'll declare an energy emergency. We still waiting.

Most of the disused churches in Nigeria have now been converted into churches where fat bible-thumping preachers relieve the poor of their meager savings in exchange for bogus promises of great rewards in heaven after they die, proportionate to the amount of cash they hand over to the pastor while they are still alive.

I can just imagine God totting up the donation figures on his giant calculator in the sky, and thinking to himself   "Damn, no wonder these people are poor, they just seem to get more gullible with each church service"

It will be a cold day in hell before any pastor gets his paws on a penny of my hard-earned income.  I'd rather spend it on wine. women and song than hand so much as a solitary dime over to some fat phuck who CLAIMS to have God's private phone number.  But hey, a sucker is born every second, and the pastors depend on that fact for a livelihood.

Its so sad and sickening when one sees all these dead industries at ABA, Ikeja , Ilorin and all the Industrial estates countrywide

Problems:

* Lack of Power
* Lack of Basic Infrastructure like roads, mass transport eg efficient railway system
* Inability to access competitive sources of finance
* MULTIPLE MULTI MULTIPLE Taxation


Solutions
* Allow Joint Venture arrangements with private sector to provide power and explore alternative sources of energy
*Private /Public Ownership of roads
*If we have infrastructure and security in place , foreign investors will find us out and more money becomes available and cheaper for that matter
*Scrap Local governments and councils, they are bleeding the national treasury to death, our Regional structure was better

Don't worry, Dangote's and Odetola's factories will never never die! There is hope for 2 factories in Nigeria!

boladez:

Its so sad and sickening when one sees all these dead industries at ABA, Ikeja , Ilorin and all the Industrial estates countrywide

Problems:

* Lack of Power
* Lack of Basic Infrastructure like roads, mass transport eg efficient railway system
* Inability to access competitive sources of finance
* MULTIPLE MULTI MULTIPLE Taxation


Solutions
* Allow Joint Venture arrangements with private sector to provide power and explore alternative sources of energy
*Private /Public Ownership of roads
*If we have infrastructure and security in place , foreign investors will find us out and more money becomes available and cheaper for that matter
*Scrap Local governments and councils, they are bleeding the national treasury to death, our Regional structure was better

I agree with you but i feel we are also part of the problem. We refuse to partronise mande in Nigeria Goods. Even when all these factors are addressed factories cannot survive without a market.

aisha,
Your comment is quite discordant to the issue at hand. We're talking about Nigerian factories that are dying as a result of the harsh operating environment , made possible by Ota farm and Amala politico-economic engineering. This surely has nothing to do with what naija people buys from anywhere.

The big companies, mostly owned by loyalists to PDP led government, are booming larger than life, while others are gradually going into extinction. This has the adverse effect of making the lives of the average Nigerian miserable - if that's not the case already.

ono:

aisha,
Your comment is quite discordant to the issue at hand. We're talking about Nigerian factories that are dying as a result of the harsh operating environment , made possible by Ota farm and Amala politico-economic engineering. This surely has nothing to do with what naija people buys from anywhere.

The big companies, mostly owned by loyalists to PDP led government, are booming larger than life, while others are gradually going into extinction. This has the adverse effect of making the lives of the average Nigerian miserable - if that's not the case already.

The truth is that if Nigerians buy products from these factories, then their is a limit to what Obj and Co can control. What i said was that this is part of the Prob mot the whole problem.
We like blaming other forces when we are also part of the prob. Simple economics, no bussiness can survive without a market.

The truth is that if Nigerians buy products from these factories.

This is not the problem. Countries cannot produce everything, so you still need to import some things.

What we are talking here is dying industries due to corruption by OBJ/Yaradua!-Govt

Power Generation is worse-off, no roads, no security etc

Na Todayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!

aisha2:

The truth is that if Nigerians buy products from these factories, then their is a limit to what Obj and Co can control. What i said was that this is part of the Prob mot the whole problem.
We like blaming other forces when we are also part of the prob. Simple economics, no bussiness can survive without a market.

The US imports most of its oil and fruit supplies from foreign countries, farms are not folding up yet.
How do Nigerians patronise made in Nigeria goods when they cant even feed themselves? Ordinary made in Nigeria garri we cannot buy, where will i get the money to buy made in Nigeria shirts?

the above in highlight is patently false. Prostrate energy sector, comatose transportation system, high exchange rate, unavailability of loans to local and small scale industries all contribute to the ultra high cost of production in Nigeria. this high cost is passed on to the consumer who has no jobs and is barely living on less than $1 a day!

this is the problem and it has nothing to do with Nigerians reluctance to patronise made in Nigeria goods. Even if they wanted to there is no money to do so.

davidylan:

The US imports most of its oil and fruit supplies from foreign countries, farms are not folding up yet.
How do Nigerians patronise made in Nigeria goods when they can't even feed themselves? Ordinary made in Nigeria garri we cannot buy, where will i get the money to buy made in Nigeria shirts?

the above in highlight is patently false. Prostrate energy sector, comatose transportation system, high exchange rate, unavailability of loans to local and small scale industries all contribute to the ultra high cost of production in Nigeria. this high cost is passed on to the consumer who has no jobs and is barely living on less than $1 a day!

this is the problem and it has nothing to do with Nigerians reluctance to patronise made in Nigeria goods. Even if they wanted to there is no money to do so.

Practical example, Textile industries. See what is happening in the food and juice industries after the ban on foreign juice. I nver said we should not buy foreign goods but we should buy more of our local products so that they can favorably compete with these imports in the market.

aisha2:

Practical example, Textile industries. See what is happening in the food and juice industries after the ban on foreign juice. I nver said we should not buy foreign goods but we should buy more of our local products so that they can favorably compete with these imports in the market.

I like the word compete as used in your post. If the quality of some certain products are improved upon, Nigerians will buy them. Look at electric wires. Made in Nigeria wires are known to be for better than imported wires and Nigerians prefer it over imported wires. The gorvernment banned the importation of spaghetti. Why should I have to eat that crappy Dangote spaghetti by force. Why are my being forced to eat that bird food Dangote calls rice? Nasco cornflakes to me is by far the best in the Nigerian and when I'm at home thats the only brand I buy. Indomie noodles rules the Nigerian market, and that is because they earned that right (not because there isnt any other brand out there).
If there is electricity, water, roads, railways, security and a good working environment, I'm sure our local industries will be able to improve on their output. But until then let them allow better quality foods into the country abeg.
Here in paris, when you walk into any shop, you will see that every food item is displayed and their country of origin is boldly written. The consumer should always have the power to decide. If I wanna eat made in italy spaghettis then that is what I should get. If I want to eat made in switzerland chocolate, then thats what I should get.
Instead of banning the importation of foriegn foods/goods into the country (thereby giving these industries monopoly to control the buyers choice), the government should rather strive to create a favourable working envinronment for these industries so they can improve on their products and compete with other top brand products around the world. You cant have any competition if na only you dey manufacture the product. rather you are just making some Nigerians rich.

Ordinary biscuit sef, we no get any top brand. See as Digestive and other imported ones dey sell.

Please understand my point, am not saying this is the main problem am saying it is part of the problem.
these wires you are talking about are made in China and Indonesia.
How will they grow to the extent of competing when the market is unbalanced. Textile Industries went down Primarily because of change in taste from Nigerian wax to Hollandis, and also due to power failure and other infrastructural problems. Let me ask you a question, If Government are able to revive some of these factories, do we still expect Government to keep them going? No factory will survive if people do not patronise their products.
Am not arguing with the fact that Poor power supply , Security and roads make factories fold up, however Communication outfits like MTN, GLO and Vmobile face all these problems especially power and security yet they still make profit. Why? Because of consumers like me and you, we keep them in business

There's genuinely serious work going on in trying to restore Power by the end of this year so please, yall should take heart.

Esss:

If there is electricity, water, roads, railways, security and a good working environment, I'm sure our local industries will be able to improve on their output. But until then let them allow better quality foods into the country abeg.

That's the meat of this matter. We can also point out the possiblity of buying high quality products like the Chivita fruit juices and other stuff of Nigeria, at a cheaper rate, if only government can make available the basic things the industries need to survive

Naija people buy a lot of made in Nigeria good that are of high quality.

In the meantime, if bottled water companies, food and beverage industries, pharmaceutical firms and others can operate and produce high quality stuff for the country, the harsh economic conditions as we have in Nigeria notwithstanding, then I suggest the ones that are folding up should learn from these ones how they're able to cope. There definitely is something they're not doing right.

aisha2:

these wires you are talking about are made in China and Indonesia.

No o! They are made in Nigeria, by Nigerians for Nigerians. Thats the only wire that can survive our Nigerian current. lol

aisha2:

How will they grow to the extent of competing when the market is unbalanced. Textile Industries went down Primarily because of change in taste from Nigerian wax to Hollandis.

You will also agree that Hollandis has much more designs and lasts much longer than Nigerian wax. Look at ATP wax, when they stepped up their game, their market also went up.

aisha2:

Am not arguing with the fact that Poor power supply , Security and roads make factories fold up, however Communication outfits like MTN, GLO and Vmobile face all these problems especially power and security yet they still make profit. Why? Because of consumers like me and you, we keep them in business

All these telecom operators are crap as far as I'm concerned. Look at Nitel, what happened when they started having competition? They are almost non-existent. Do you think I'll use MTN (south africa), vodacom (also south afican), Vmobile and all these mediocre operators if we had world class service providers like AT&T, ORANGE, SPRINT, CINGULAR, e.t.c who would offer me better services for my money.

My point is that the government should provide the suitable environment, and leave the rest to us. But whatever they do, the public should always be left with the power to choose. These products we are banning if they are not good, Nigerians wont buy them.

GOvernment , Government, Government, Who is Government? What are we going to contribute.
Government has a role and we have a role to be patriotic. I am tired of people whinning Government Government all the time. We also have a role to play in Nation Building and Economic Growth. Is it Government that Vandalises Public property? How many Nigerians pay Tax, Nepa or even Nitel . Nitel was run down due to bad management and bad debts consumed by Nigerians, me and you.
I am Tired of Blaming it all on 'Government" Contribute your share to Nation Building, be patriotic , pay your tax and bills without being forced, obey traffic laws, keep your environment clean, Volunteer your services to people who need them . Change starts with you and me.
The ear of Complaining is over. get up lets do something.

@aisha

I really don't think Esss overstepped the boundary of what government should do. They collect taxes for a reason.

1) government should put proper legislature in place to facilitate business development

2) government should construct roads, airports and railways so that businesses can easily transport goods, services and personell.

3) government should enhance security and strengthen the police.

4) The government should restructure educational curricula to fit the labour force requirements of the Nation.

5) The government should reform tax laws to reduce excess taxation and remove multiple taxation.

6) The government should equip and facilitate the standards organization of Nigeria to scrutinize and maintain quality and standards in the economy.

Surely, this is not too much for the government to do. If they can't do any of these, then I think they should remit our taxes back to us and apologise.

@denex
How many Nigerians actually pay taxes?
I know Government has responsibilties but if they fail should we just raise our hands and give up. The truth is that we also have to take responsibilty. We expect sort of a charity Government.

Considering the 5% VAT, even a day old baby pays taxes for wearing Pampers.

There are things that the government should do, like I wouldn't advise anybody to build an interstate railway line. The cost of purchasing land for it alone is impossible.

I am totally against government helping businesses by banning or subsidizing, but they should play their own role in providing what we pay taxes for.

Thats my word.

aisha2:

@denex
How many Nigerians actually pay taxes?
I know Government has responsibilties but if they fail should we just raise our hands and give up. The truth is that we also have to take responsibilty. We expect sort of a charity Government.

My dear dont even go there. Nigerians are way over taxed. And on the issue of nepa bills, why should I pay for light I do not get. I remember the time NEPA brought us a bill of 68 thousand naira (estimated bill). I beg you the light people get in a month is it up to 2000naira? But we paid. Do you think Nigerians are happy to spend 30,000naira a month on diesel for their generating sets or would they not gladly give that money to NEPA for hassle free light. You talked about Nitel, Those idiots became demi-Gods in that country, They cut you line without regard, brought you outrageous bills, If your line developed a problem, you will have to pay through your ass for them to even come and look check what the problem is. Water-works no need to even stress ourselves, Nigerians are paying millions of their hard earned naira to sink personal bore-holes in their houses. Roads, you know that one now. Nigerians now drive jeeps and four wheel drives in other to get by. Police, 20naira and you are all good. Banks (well they are on the rise), but people have died from banks closing up on them. Tax, Go and try building/buying a land in port-harcourt, and you will see extortion at its finest. You will pay for soil test, fencing permit, road permit, building permit, air-space (for high risers), and other funny sounding levies. Even commercial bus driver do pay their taxes. From environmental sanitation stickers, to local gorvernment sanitation stickers, to national union of road transport stickers, to commercial vehicle operation permit sticker, to federal road safety permit sticker, and a whole lot of other money extorting stickers.

Now do you agree that Nigerians are actually paying their taxes and even more??

We have done alot for our country and that is a fact. Nigeria needs to pay us back for all we have suffered.

@Esss

You no dey try at all O! So you let NEPA men bully you? I beat up one NEPA guy 3 months ago and seized their handgloves and some equipment when they threatened to cut my line before I was due for disconnection. Of course I wasn't alone. I called out my neighbour, who by chance is a bad ass exUNIBEN boy like myself.

Only last month, they came to install the new meter which is like 5 times cheaper than the old ones. No bill estimation, no fixed charge, no never maintenance fee, no cost of installation. It comes with free N2000 credit. It's simply amazing. And I still plan to get NEPA to refund the total of N42,000 excess I paid during the estimation regime.

@topic

The power sector is going to improve by at least 300% between December 2007 and June 2008. So lets keep working towards that. Power is our major problem and if Yar'Adua cannot tackle the power problem in one year with what OBJ left behind, then he should gerrooouuutt!

denex:

@Esss

You no dey try at all O! So you let NEPA men bully you? I beat up one NEPA guy 3 months ago and seized their handgloves and some equipment when they threatened to cut my line before I was due for disconnection. Of course I wasn't alone. I called out my neighbour, who by chance is a bad ass exUNIBEN boy like myself.

Only last month, they came to install the new meter which is like 5 times cheaper than the old ones. No bill estimation, no fixed charge, no never maintenance fee, no cost of installation. It comes with free N2000 credit. It's simply amazing. And I still plan to get NEPA to refund the total of N42,000 excess I paid during the estimation regime.

@topic

The power sector is going to improve by at least 300% between December 2007 and June 2008. So lets keep working towards that. Power is our major problem and if Yar'Adua cannot tackle the power problem in one year with what OBJ left behind, then he should gerrooouuutt!

See what i mean, Why should you beat up a NEPA official, you should do the right thing by writing formally and making a compliant. We are part of the problem. If you feel you are over billed, get a a pay as you go card, not beating up poor workers on duty.

LOL @denex

@Ess
u have said it all my brother. ur post is absolutely spot on! i am meant to be going to naija next month. i am already having sleepless nights cos of the flooding. wether person need buy jeep for 1 week visit again me i no know o!

@Aisha2
have u considered the quality of these nigerian goods? why should i buy nigeria wax over hollandis when all it takes is one wash and its all wiped! my sister it is the enabling environment that is absent that causes nigerians to produce sub standard goods and charge the odds for it. the govt should do their bit and leave us to do ours.

@aisha2

violence is not the answer, except when absolutely necessary.

By the way, after beating the guy up, I didn't have to apply for the prepaid meter. They brought it to me on a platter of gold.

For even the kingdom of God suffereth violence. And the violent taketh by force.

The overbilling thing was an error of estimation but trying to disconnect me without a disconnection notice? Lailai.

Not the present rebranded Nigerian wax. Anyway how will you get good quality when you conted with so many factors and at the end of the day you produce and no one buys because of unhealthy competition.
If we do not want to buy Nigerian goods then we should stop complaining about closing factories.

aisha2:

GOvernment , Government, Government, Who is Government?

Government are the selfish, greedy, inefficient and unqualified bunch of politicians who foist themselves on us in the name of the charade called elections. Unfortunately all they seem to want to do is dip their hands in the public treasury.

aisha2:

What are we going to contribute.

We've contributed our taxes, our votes, our patriotism and our patience only to be let down by those who call themselves the government.

aisha2:

Government has a role and we have a role to be patriotic.

What else do we do to prove our patriotism? Lay down our lives so those fat old men in Abuja may heap more money into their personal accounts?
What role does the government have since they can't guarantee us constant power, our roads are in a horrible state of disrepair, transportation system is collapsed, lecturers are on strike, our hospitals are public mortuaries, plenty of water none to drink, we can't even refine our oil and after 10yrs of never ending turn around maintenance our refineries still remain moribund. What is the role of the goverment if it can't even counduct a decent election and cannot count its own citizens?

What is the amorphous "role" of this our government?

aisha2:

I am tired of people whinning Government Government all the time. We also have a role to play in Nation Building and Economic Growth.

What role? How do we play our role when our taxes and resources are sitting idly in foreign bank accounts? How do we build a nation that cannot feed us nor can it guaratee even the lowest standard of living? How do we build a nation with jobless hands and frustrated minds?
What role do we have to play in economic growth? Last i checked most past governors left empty treasuries and mounting debts, are we to pursue them and prosecute them on behalf of the government or do we use our teeth to build the economy?

aisha2:

Is it Government that Vandalises Public property?

Has the government ever shown the ability to maintain public property? When men are hungry, in despair and jobless, they will do anything to survive. No well satisfied worker will have the time to go blowing up oil pipelines!

aisha2:

How many Nigerians pay Tax,

Every federal and state civil servant pays tax. Private companies pay tax, their employees pay tax. The bus conductor pays thousands of fees in tax, the pepper seller pays tax on her small stall in the market.

The appropriate question here is WHERE is all that tax?

aisha2:

Nepa

Since when did we start paying NEPA for using candles?

aisha2:

or even Nitel

Are they still existing?

aisha2:

Nitel was run down due to bad management and bad debts consumed by Nigerians, me and you.

No ma'am, NITEL was run down by bad management and bad debts CONSUMED BY GOVERNMENT PARASTATALS. The Nigerian army being the worst culprit!

aisha2:

I am Tired of Blaming it all on 'Government"

You have a government job so u can afford to be "tired of blaming it all on government". More than 100million Nigerians are BLAMING it all on government and rightly so.

aisha2:

Contribute your share to Nation Building,

What share and how do we build a nation that is being destroyed by those who claim to be serving us? Every year they announce budgets that go straight to their pockets, how do we now build the nation? With our hands?

aisha2:

be patriotic

All the children of our "leaders" are in foreign schools, they charter air ambulances to Germany to cure cattarh, they fly to England to check on a sprained knee, they have houses in South Africa, Europe and the US. And you ask us to be patriotic?

aisha2:

, pay your tax

We don't even have a choice not to pay, it is taken directly at source.

aisha2:

and bills without being forced,

For services not rendered?

aisha2:

obey traffic laws,

Including paying N20 at illegal checkpoints?

aisha2:

keep your environment clean,

At least we keep our homes clean. Its not our fault if the government fails in its social responsibility.

aisha2:

Volunteer your services to people who need them

While we are volunteering the senators are paying themselvs N8million in allowances alone just to sit for less than 100 days (not up to 4 hrs a day) to legislate for even more allowances.

aisha2:

Change starts with you and me.

If the engine is bad the tires can cry all they want the car is going no where.

aisha2:

The ear of Complaining is over. get up lets do something.

What?

@ david

WAT THE >>>>>

Have you thought of writing a book.

Davidylan,

We definitely need more of you in this country to remind us all of the truth. Nigerians are extremely hardworking,  resourceful, resilient,  we are hustlers and would thrive under even the HELL situation. All we need to complete the whole puzzle in Nigeria is GOOD LEADERSHIP AND GOVERNANCE. I get so MAD when those politicians tell us WE the people are GOVT!!!!!,

Your piece is the original "Nothing more to add"

David,
You are not even in Nigeria so i guess you get News from Nigeria, We live here we know what obtains and we have complained so much but have resolved to do something.
Point of correction, I dont have a Government Job, I do Volunteer work which i can not be paid for. If i wanted a lucruative Job i would have had one and be satisfied with Complaining but am part of the forward thinking Nigerians who are ready for change. Change in the sense that we want to pick up from where Govt drops, If Government doesnt provide God Health care for pregnant women and children,we work to see how we can provide paliatives, If government doesnt provide Security, we will work to see how we can Enlighteen people on Safety,.
It is really easy to sit and complain, but I and am sure lots of Nigerian Youths do not want to watse their Youth complaining about what should be but we want to work through the difficulties we face to shape a better future. You have chosen an easier way out, we are doing the hard work, so that tommorrow you will feel safe enough to come home.