If there would ever be a brand Ambassador for everything Anambra, Nigeria, Africa and thriving, no one would second guess that Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo CFR will be that person. Man is a believer that everything of high standard started with someone who believed in its growth potential.
A few examples of times when some of the local products we use in government developed glitches, prompting some of us to question why Governor Soludo wouldn’t approve that we get their foreign substitutes, he would retort with this, “you use these products because someone believed strongly enough in them to endure their shortcomings. They themselves got better from addressing these shortcomings consistently”.
He would further add that, “every foreign product or company is local to their places of origin”. Of course we would agree that if not for extreme consumerist inclinations, the word local does not have the words “fake” or “sub-standard” as synonyms.
For a man who has elected to be the Chief Marketer of everything made in Anambra, Nigeria and indeed Africa, he would stop at nothing to patronize and put them to productive use where they can compete favourably. This is the only way they can grow and become global brands.
So, when you go around Anambra and see heavy presence of local companies and products, just know that an Economist who understands the principles of comparative advantage is in charge. Know that the same former CBN Governor, under whose leadership LOCAL Nigerian Banks became global Financial Institutions with presence across the continent and the world, is out again to breath life into ALL local industries — be they manufacturers, construction companies or even consulting firms, they are welcome to Anambra where Soludo is proud to give them a chance to compete.
In Anambra, we are Proud of everything Local because Soludo has assured us that it is a sure pathway to economic growth. Guess what? We believe him, because evidence abound.
— Mazi Ejimofor Opara