Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the Ooni of Ife, has called on Nigerians to patronise locally made goods and services to grow the country’s economy.
Mr Ogunwusi spoke to journalists on Friday while unveiling the Ojaja mini city, built in the heart of Akure, the Ondo state capital.
The monarch stated that if Nigerians would consider locally made goods above the imported ones, it would also enable local industries to survive and thrive.
“We won’t continue to cry over spilled milk. We know that we have housing deficits in the country, but we need to make do with what we have to get results.
“We need to buy in Nigeria, which we need to produce in Nigeria, including our housing needs,” he said.
Mr Ogunwusi noted that it was worrisome knowing that Nigerians are growing other countries’ economies through over-dependence on imported goods, which mostly have local substitutes.
While revealing that the materials for construction of the Ojaja mini city were locally sourced, he stressed the need for the government to bridge the huge gap of housing’s deficit in the country.
Mr Ogunwusi, who canvassed for massive investment by the government in the manufacturing of local building materials, said there should be distinction between economic and social housing.
“Our project here is a city on its own. It is 100,000 square metres, and we are trying to showcase what is possible in Nigeria. Practically, everything you see here, we know where it came from in Nigeria.
“So, our own mantra is at least 90% of things that are made in Nigeria will be used, because a lot of people probably think we do things that are of inferior quality.
“A lot of good things can happen in our country and if we believe in ourselves, like this typical project, if we believe that Nigeria and Nigerians can do it, then our deficit of housing will continue to reduce gradually.
“So for us, it’s just to model something that has never been done in Nigeria. A lot of people are always very sceptical of our products, that homemade goods, Nigerian made products aren’t good, but we are not sceptical,” he added.
The monarch, however, listed facilities at the Ojaja mini city to include a five-star hotel, game centre, children’s park, a shopping mall, motor park, schools, and residential estates.
