A human rights lawyer, Dr Olisa Agbakoba has hit the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) Director-General, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for advising Nigeria to continue to be import-dependent.

Agbakoba, in a statement on Saturday, said his admiration for Okonjo-Iweala is huge “but to advise us to continue to be import-dependent is not correct policy advise at this time.”

He said Nigeria has no current Trade policy and that Okonjo-Iweala seemed to promote liberal and open borders.

“The problem is that we will remain consumers of imported products and cannot develop our economy to boost production and give jobs to over 25 million unemployed.

“While we must balance import policy with local production policy, we must heed the warning of wise economists that we cannot develop unless our trade policy is designed to promote local industries.

“I hesitate to compliment Trump’s America First trade policy but Trump understood the need to protect the US by discouraging over-dependence on imports,” he said.

According to Agbakoba, Nigeria produced crude but imported petrol, produced cocoa but imported cocoa powder.

“We have Tin, Gold and Iron but import the finished products in billions! We closed our Benin border to imports and made 12 billion a day internally. It was a strong trade policy to produce rice locally that has made us near self-sufficient.

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“Now, we are growing tomato, corn, beans, etc because we are discouraging imports. Nigerians are wise.

“We must support ‘Made in Nigeria’. I propose we adopt a new trade policy with strong trade laws to protect our ailing economy. Nigeria will be transformed by a Made in Nigeria Trade Policy,” he advised.

source: https://newstrack.oak.tv/stop-advising-nigeria-to-be-import-dependent-agbakoba-tells-okonjo-iweala/

When Trump was against NOI nobody really understood, but as usual with blacks, we would only realize it when it's too late.

Ok

Both Ngozi and Agbakoba are not in my good book.

But watch how ipob criminal will avoid this topic like plague. Because both Ngozi and Agbakoba are lord of over them.

Economic liberalisation remains the best route to grow an economy. Every economist will tell you this.

When we decided to close our borders against food import, domestic prices of both the imported and locally produced ones skyrocketed.

Our farmers despite selling at lower prices pre-Buhari era were better off then than now.

Buhari's protectionist policies is not working and its making more Nigerians poor and hungry.

Why still insist on that?

Wherever she goes, it is part of Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala's job description as World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) Director-General, to promote international trade intercourses among nations. But it is up to government of each country to design how to do the intercourse to suit their both short and long terms economic plans.

Olisa Agbokoba should rest.

Opening borders doesn't mean you should be import dependent. You can also move your excess production through the borer and earn forex from your neighbours.

final say is with FULANI on top, Yoruba and Igbo have spoken.

It's because of the people like this man that Nigeria nay Africa is how it is light now, do they think that God who deposited all this mineral resources in African soil don't know what He's doing? He gave us the minerals and gave the oyibos the technical know how to use them to manufactured those goods we're importing. The question should be what did those who were saddled with managing the affairs of this country did with the money realized from the sales of those mineral
deposits,they squandered it while the oyibos used theirs to develop their countries. So the problem is not about the importation but is all about management, check over the companies handed over to the government during the indigenization policies of 1970s,how many of them is still functioning?

Standing5:
Opening borders doesn't mean you should be import dependent. You can also move your excess production through the borer and earn forex from your neighbourls.

Are you for real?

EzeNri:
Economic liberalisation remains the best route to grow an economy. Every economist will tell you this.

When we decided to close our borders against food import, domestic prices of both the imported and locally produced ones skyrocketed.

Our farmers despite selling at lower prices pre-Buhari era were better off then than now.

Buhari's protectionist policies is not working and its making more Nigerians poor and hungry.

Why still insist on that?

Simply put, 1984 import policy has made us lazy

Nwaide01:
It's because of the people like this man that Nigeria nay Africa is how it is light now, do they think that God who deposited all this mineral resources in African soil don't know what He's doing? He gave us the minerals and gave the oyibos the technical know how to use them to manufactured those goods we're importing. The question should be what did those who were saddled with managing the affairs of this country did with the money realized from the sales of those mineral
deposits,they squandered it while the oyibos used theirs to develop their countries. So the problem is not about the importation but is all about management, check over the companies handed over to the government during the indigenization policies of 1970s,how many of them is still functioning?

All your statements is dumb as Bleep. Please just limit your little minded to yourself.

The first National Policy of a rightful nation is "We first utilise all that we got, appreciate it enough to make it sellable to people outside and then trade with a high confidence of respect"

Standing5:
Opening borders doesn't mean you should be import dependent. You can also move your excess production through the borer and earn forex from your neighbours.

most people are not economist, the best policies for trade is liberal economy, ok if you close border will your own goods go out?

EzeNri:
Economic liberalisation remains the best route to grow an economy. Every economist will tell you this.

When we decided to close our borders against food import, domestic prices of both the imported and locally produced ones skyrocketed.

Our farmers despite selling at lower prices pre-Buhari era were better off then than now.

Buhari's protectionist policies is not working and its making more Nigerians poor and hungry.

Why still insist on that?

Every producing nation is always better. How do you pay for the import if you are not productive. It is people like you that will be shouting unemployment , dollar is high.... but you refused to acknowledge the root cause of it as highlighted by Mr Agbakoba.

This man must be commended for courage. This was what Akinyuli did as the Drug Enforcement Director and almost lost her life.

Ngozi has only been consistent. I have challenged anyone to list any accomplishment or job in the private sector or any country she has lifted out of poverty.

Solido got into trouble for criticizing her Paris Loans negotiation.

Africans have been so deprived, we celebrate anything foreign and beg God for Foreign Salvation.

Kotinu.

Agbakoba, you better withdraw that statement or say you were misquoted.

wwwihy:

Are you for real?

yes, that is the reality, no nation is an island, we need to inter trade if we want balanced economy.

wwwihy:

Every producing nation is always better. How do you pay for the import if you are not productive. It is people like you that will be shouting unemployment , dollar is high.... but you refused to acknowledge the root cause of it as highlighted by Mr Agbakoba.

I am a trained Economist and I understand the dangers of a closed economy.

Since Buhari shit down the borders, tell me how it has affected the common man and general price level?

chamboy:
Simply put, 1984 import policy has made us lazy

Economic liberalisation is not equal to importation Sir.

Be guided

EzeNri:

Economic liberalisation is not equal to importation Sir.

Be guided

Oga, economic liberation, are you even serious. That means what?? Please don't even use some made up Anglo-Saxon words that has no action backing it.

laiperi:
This man must be commended for courage. This was what Akinyuli did as the Drug Enforcement Director and almost lost her life.

Ngozi has only been consistent. I have challenged anyone to list any accomplishment or job in the private sector or any country she has lifted out of poverty.

Solido got into trouble for criticizing her Paris Loans negotiation.

Africans have been so deprived, we celebrate anything foreign and beg God for Foreign Salvation.

Kotinu.

Agbakoba, you better withdraw that statement or say you were misquoted.

it's time we need to back our leaders rather than stay scared till they get killed like Patrick Lumumba, Rev King, MalcolmX, Gaddafi.

Confused Agbakoba.
Ask Agbakoba if he is against shutting the border or not? His answer will depend on the political leaning of his audience.
What is the result of Buhari's protectionism?
Weakened naira, inflation, hunger and insecurity.
Policies that China and India abandoned after failing them for decades is what Agbakoba and Buhari are promoting right now.

Local champion we don hear oya do that place go sit for ground.

NOI knows what shes saying. Don't get carried away when Agbakoba says government is making 12b daily. have you asked who is paying the 12b? It is you and I. The rice we buy for 200 naira before they locked border now costs more than double the amount. Nigeria produces beans and it remains expensive. This same Nigeria is seeking EU to pass our beans fit for consumption in Europe. They are yet to pass it fit because of the chemical we use in preserving our beans. Now let's assume every country wants the grow what they eat or use, who will buy our crude oil, Cocoa, Cement and what ever we produce. As far as I'm concerned, if we can't compete with international selling price, lets leave rice. we produce Yam, maize, tomato, vegetables, onions etc effortlessly. Let's face them. We can't produce all.

chamboy:
All your statements is dumb as Bleep. Please just limit your little minded to yourself.

Well, I don't think Africans lack the technical know-how.

Ngozi is always doing the bidding of the west. I guess one of her job descriptions is to make Nigeria a dumping ground for western goods, almost all our industries died under her watch as Obasanjo's finance minister, he had to kick her out but the Otueke drunken master brought her back.




I AM DONE TALKING

Protectionist economy has never worked n would notl

Igbochief001:
Protectionist economy has never worked n would notl

But it worked for Japan, China and USA, Germany and South Korea. what are you saying.it is presently working for UK

EzeNri:
Economic liberalisation remains the best route to grow an economy. Every economist will tell you this.

When we decided to close our borders against food import, domestic prices of both the imported and locally produced ones skyrocketed.

Our farmers despite selling at lower prices pre-Buhari era were better off then than now.

Buhari's protectionist policies is not working and its making more Nigerians poor and hungry.

Why still insist on that?

It is obvious you're living where there is no huge farming potential. I've never seen young millionaires in my life, never seen real money in farming like the recent policy made.
You will see a young man at the age of 25 producing 100 bag of rice and he never farmed before.
Despite the sufferings in Nigeria today rice farmers are saying they wish they voted for PMB since 2003.

Coronabirus:
It is obvious you're living where there is no huge farming potential. I've never seen young millionaires in my life, never seen real money in farming like the recent policy made.
You will see a young man at the age of 25 producing 100 bag of rice and he never farmed before.
Despite the sufferings in Nigeria today rice farmers are saying they wish they voted for PMB since 2003.

Story.

Has poverty reduced then in the North? Go and research about Nominal value of money.

chamboy:
Oga, economic liberation, are you even serious. That means what?? Please don't even use some made up Anglo-Saxon words that has no action backing it.

You need help then.