For our own self-confidence as a people Nigeria needs to get round to producing at least 1m units of the following items annually by 2025

Ayo Akinfe

[1] Mobile phone handsets
[2] Plasma television sets
[3] Fridge-freezers
[4] Assault rifles
[5] Saloon cars
[6] Combined harvesters
[7] iPads
[8] Solar panels
[9] Electricity transformers
[10] Medical ventilators

As things stand, the only company that can mass-produce manufactured goods of any type in significant quantities in Nigeria today is Innoson Motors. If we suffer a Pearl Harbour-style attack today, the Nigerian president cannot summon half a dozen captains of industry to Aso Rock and hand them munitions production quotas.

Nigeria imports a lot because we do not produce anything. For me, this is more of a psychological thing because we are great at producing prototypes but alas, we suffer a mental block when it comes to converting these prototypes into mass-produced finished products.

If we get over that hurdle by proving we can do it, 90% of the battle will be won. For now, we find it convenient to hide behind the excuse of bad government, which for me is just a cop-out.

Despite poor governance, Nollywood and the religious faith industries are booming. If a people want to prosper, no amount of bad governance can hold them back!