Manufacturing News South Africa

Manufacturers, experts decry labelling of Nigerian goods as Made-in-Asia

Some manufacturers and experts on in Lagos have decried the trend of labelling Nigerian goods as made-in-Asia or made-in-China.

Consumers also share a part of the blame

Stuart Miles via
Stuart Miles via freedigitalphotos.net

They said in separate that many locally manufactured products like shoes, bags, packaged food and clothing were now labelled 'made in China' to attract more patronage from Nigerians.

President of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Frank Jacobs, said that it was an ugly trend that was common among small and medium scale manufacturers entering the nation's the market.

He also said that it was a major challenge that was limiting the competitiveness of Nigerian products and urged manufacturers to desist from the act.

"We hear of such things as shoes and bags made here in Aba, Nigeria being labelled as made-in-US just to attract the attention of Nigerian buyers.

"Somehow, the consumers also share a part of the blame as they carry a poor perception about made-in-Nigeria goods, and simply ignore them.

Trend is killing the manufacturing sector

"This is very bad for our economy, and it is high time people knew that most of the things they buy are now produced in the country and not in Asia.

"We hope that dumping of foreign products are one of the major issues the new government would address, as it is really a contributing factor to this issue," he said.

Also speaking on the issue, Lagos Zonal Coordinator of the Consumer Protection Council (CPC), frowned at the trend, saying it was killing the manufacturing sector.

He said that manufacturers of such products should be caught and punished, as they were selling the nation's 'birthright'.

He urged the government to pursue the proposed Local Patronage Bill or any other policy that could encourage Nigerians to patronise made-in-Nigeria goods.

Chief executive officer of SBK Shoes, Kene Rapu, a local shoe manufacturer, said that manufacturers, who labelled their products wrongly suffered from low esteem.

Made in Nigeria

Rapu said that Nigerians were beginning to embrace locally made products and as such labelling products in foreign names like popular designers was not necessary.

She said that if the trend continued, it could destroy the image of the manufacturing outfit and that of the country in future.

A fashion designer, Olakunle Afinni, chief executive officer, Avinni Clothing, said that he was proud to label his ready-made clothing items as 'Avinni Nigeria' unlike some of his counterparts who did otherwise.

"I make the clothes myself and supply to online shops and all my customers know that it is made in Nigeria, yet they patronise me.

"Nigerian fashion designers label their items after their names and Nigeria, because they are proud of their work, it is mostly shoes and bag manufacturers who label their items after world famous designers like Chloe, Gucci and so on.

Source: allAfrica

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