US aircraft manufacturer Boeing is investing billions in new facilities in India, China and Brazil. It is time to tell them enough is enough and that Awa Lokan 

Ayo Akinfe 

[1] Let me start off by reiterating that Nigeria’s fundamental problem is that her economy lacks the required productive capacity to sustain a nation state. We simply are not productive enough, manufacture next to nothing, import too much and do not create jobs 

[2] Even if you elected the greatest magician on earth as Nigeria’s president, there is no way he could make a paltry gross domestic product (GDP) of $400bn stretch to cater for 200m people. To live at ease with ourselves, Nigeria needs an annual GDP of at least $2trn

[3] To get off her knees, Nigeria desperately needs to start manufacturing finished goods and exporting them. This will not only bring in export revenue but it will create jobs, save foreign exchange and expand our pathetic mono-economy which is wholly dependent on crude oil at the moment 

[4] Nigeria needs to start attracting the likes of Boeing to come and open mega manufacturing facilities as they are doing in other economies like Brazil, China, India, New Zealand, etc. Oya Boeing, Awa Lokan! 

[5] Do you know that Africa as a whole only accounts for 1% of global manufacturing? That kind of lopsided arrangement is simply not sustainable and is a certain harbinger of terrorist insurgencies, wars and upheaval as people fight for scarce resources 

[6] Boeing can help kickstart the fightback by opening a manufacturing facility in Nigeria that would serve as a genuine global production site. May they could start off with a factory in Calabar that for now manufactures for the African market. It can then expand as more revenue comes in on the back of increased orders 

[7] Do you know that headquartered in Delhi, Boeing’s India operations include field service offices in Mumbai, Hindan, Rajali and New Delhi, and a rapidly growing Boeing India Engineering & Technology Center in Bengaluru and Chennai. Proudly collaborating in the Make-In-India initiative, which Boeing sees as a huge opportunity and a core element in its long-term business strategy

[8] Today, Boeing India has 4,000 employees, and more than 7,000 people who work on dedicated supply chain jobs with local suppliers across manufacturing, engineering and IT sectors

[9] In 2018, Boeing announced the inauguration of a completion and delivery centre for its B-737 planes in the eastern Chinese port city of Zhoushan. This plant, about 90 miles from Shanghai, is a joint-venture between Boeing and China's state-run Commercial Aircraft Corp

[10] Just before Covid-19 struck, Boeing entered into a deal with the Brazilian aerospace company, Embraer to form a joint venture. This pact was to see Boeing take control of Embraer’s commercial jet business, expanding the US firm’s stake in the smaller passenger plane market. As part of the deal, Boeing would acquire 80% of Embraer’s commercial aircraft and services unit said to be worth $4.75bn, at a cost of about $3.8bn
Awa Lokan ooooooooo!