The Federal Government, on Tuesday, imposed a ban on the use of foreign beverages at official functions and in government offices.
The ban covers tea, coffee, biscuits, fruit juices, water and soft drinks.
President Umaru Yar’Adua gave the directive at the official launch of the Made-in-Nigeria products campaign in Abuja.
Yar’Adua, who was represented by Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan, also directed that Nigeria’s foreign aid to other countries must utilise Nigerian products like “Nigerian assembled vehicles and Nigerian made blankets.
“Henceforth, all government contractors must give priority to the use of Nigerian products whose quality is certified by relevant regulatory agencies of government like Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and NAFDAC.
“All uniforms and boots of the armed forces; Army, Navy, Air Force, Police as well as para-military, Customs, Immigration, Prisons and Civil Defence Corps, Road Safety, etc, must be sourced from Nigerian manufacturers certified by SON,” Yar’Adua added.
The president noted that the policy measures were to boost industrial production, check imports and revive the nation’s ailing industrial sector.
He said that the campaign to buy Made-in-Nigeria products was one of the measures meant to counter the negative effects of the global economic crisis on the manufacturing sector.
Yar’Adua reiterated the government’s commitment to the revival of the industrial sector, particularly the textile industry that used to be the most vibrant of the economy.
“With a population of over 140 million people, Nigeria’s market is big enough to sustain a bubbling domestic industrial sector if only Nigerians look inwards at their local products.
“Unfortunately, many industries had to close shop due to lack of patronage of their products by Nigerians.
“We must, therefore, re-orientate ourselves to value what we produce in order to develop a strong and virile industrial base,’’ he said.
The president appealed to the organised private sector to demonstrate a high sense of consumer patriotism by following the footsteps of the government in their procurement programmes.
In his comments, the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Chief Achike Udenwa, called on the government to patronise Made-in-Nigeria products.
“For this campaign to succeed, a strong political will is needed to back it up by patronising Made-in-Nigeria products in government’s procurement programmes.