Whether we like it or not Nigeria needs to adopt the South Korean doctrine of "Anything we don't make we don't need" and then start to mass-produce bicycles as part of a green transportation policy

Ayo Akinfe
[1] Nigeria was founded on the basis of the fact that she could supply Europe with commodities she needed at particular points in time. First of all it was human cargo in the form of slaves and then it later became palm oil once the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade was abolished in 1833. I ask myself why we have not continued with that trend. As the world’s largest black nation, Nigeria has got to be one of humanity’s greatest providers, only this time, to out own benefit

[2] We are living at a time when for the first time in his history, man has acknowledged that he is vandalising the planet and something needs to be done about it. Agreeing to save our environment is one of the biggest achievements of this generation of human beings

[3] As part of this green drive, the global demand for bicycles is insatiable. Do you know that by 2025, the global bicycle industry will be worth $75bn? Across large swathes of Europe and Asia, urban dwellers are abandoning their cars are opting to cycle

[4] Is there anything stopping one Nigerian state governor going to a city like say London, Beijing, Berlin, Paris, Kuala Lumpur, Amsterdam, Tokyo or Brussels and offering the mayor there a deal whereby a Nigerian factory will manufacture and deliver 1m bicycles within six months? 

[5] The technology required to manufacture bicycles is very basic and we have the manpower to establish new factories in abundance. Why is Nigeria not the bicycle manufacturing capital of the world?

[6] In 2017, Taiwan cashed in immensely from this growth as the country exported 1.65m bicycles, generating $1.09bn for the treasury. I would not be surprised if that figure has doubled today

[7] If you ask me, one key thing Nigeria has to do is come up with a unique bicycle design. Produce a cheap, reliable and comfortable bike that is suited to urban conditions. We then need to patent it and then mass produce the bicycle. We could even design one with an umbrella or a mobile phone charger. Once a people start thinking, you will be shocked with how the ideas start flowing

[8] Titanium-based bicycles are gaining in popularity globally, particularly among professional riders. These bicycles weigh half as much as conventional one and offer double the amount of strength. Also, high tensile strength, inherent flexibility and low elastic modulus of titanium further allows the frames of bicycles to stay strong for a longer period. Nigeria has thus got to make titanium production a major national priority. Even if Nigeria is not mining titanium in large quantities right now, what stops us buying up all the supplies we can lay our hands from across Africa? Mozambique, South Africa, Sierra Leone and Kenya all have substantial titanium deposits

[9] What blows my head away is the fact that Nigerians love cars, have about 12m on their roads but alas 95% if them are imported. How dare we have such a passion for a product we do not produce. In South Korea, the national slogan is: "Anything we don't produce we don't need." Until we can mass produce cars, we should all stick to riding bicycles in my opinion! 

[10] To realise this dream, however, we need a private sector manufacture to step into the void. Looking at Nigeria today, I only see Innoson Motors and Dangote Industries. Not having enough of these private sector industrialists and manufacturers is the greatest weakness of the Nigerian economy. It is one reason why I desperately want our wealthy general overseers to pool their resources together and create an industrial conglomerate. Until that happens, we will remain a nation locked in poverty and dependence on primary commodities