Nigerians Urged To Buy Local Products, Promote Heritage

A female traditional ruler in Eyong Abatim community, Odukpani local government area of Cross River State, the Queen Obaongawan, Marie Ikpeme Erete (Aruk 11), has canvassed the promotion of indigenous products, particularly cotton materials, used for clothing, as a pathway to national prosperity.

She gave the piece of advice when she spoke her efforts to resuscitate Efik culture with LEADERSHIP in Calabar.

Erete  made a passionate plea for Nigerians to embrace their heritage and support local industries and vowed to remain committed to the promotion of the Efik culture.

She called on Nigerians and Africans at home and abroad to engage in the promotion of their indigenous culture rather allowing their cultural values and traditions to go extinct.

Speaking on the benefits of patronizing locally-made goods, Erete highlighted the comfort and practicality of traditional cotton attire in Nigeria’s tropical climate.

“Our cotton materials are far cooler for this sort of heat,” she said. “We need to support our own.”

She stressed that collective support for local products is crucial for national growth, urging Nigerians to prioritize unity and teamwork over individualism.

“We can succeed much, much better if we work as a team than to work individually,” she asserted.

She also emphasized the importance of instilling cultural values in the younger generation, saying, “You need to teach your children to value what they have, protect it, and promote it.”

She lamented the tendency for people to disparage local products, stressing that consistent support would lead to improvement and national enrichment.