*Says Millions Of Jobs Depend On Them
ANAMBRA State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has charged Nigerians to patronise locally-made products, saying increased consumption of indigenous goods could create over 10 million jobs and accelerate the country’s economic transformation.
Speaking in Asaba, Delta State, on Monday, August 3, at the Delta State Economic and Investment Summit 2026, Soludo challenged political leaders, investors and Nigerians to go beyond rhetoric by supporting Nigerian businesses through their patronage.
Taking a look at the audience, he observed that many in the audience were wearing imported clothing and using foreign products, arguing that such consumption patterns continue to export jobs and wealth out of Nigeria.
Soludo stated: “We cannot create the kind of jobs that we want with all of us patronising imported goods,” he declared.
“If all of us, more than 47 million Nigerians, wear only made-in-Nigeria products, more than 10 million jobs will be created.”
He recalled how he adopted locally-woven Akwete fabric from Abia State as his regular attire after his daughter introduced it to him in 2019, a decision, he said, significantly boosted economic activities in the Akwete community by creating employment opportunities for local women and increasing household incomes, an experience that demonstrates the power of deliberate local patronage in stimulating economic growth.
Soludo said he was in the state “in solidarity with my rich neighbour,” commending Governor Sheriff Oborevwori for his visionary leadership and sustained infrastructure development across the state, adding: “You are the governor and friend in whom I am well pleased.”
He urged stronger collaboration among subnational governments, urging neighbouring states to work together to unlock shared economic opportunities.
He proposed deeper economic cooperation between Anambra and Delta states, particularly following the completion of the Second Niger Bridge, which has strengthened connectivity between both states, noting: “Delta alone will try, but together, we can harness our neighbourhoods.”
The governor further stated that both states possess complementary strengths that could support industrialisation, trade, logistics and investment if properly coordinated.
He charged organisers of the Summits to focus less on speeches and more on concrete investment outcomes, and make investment a habit, not an event, saying networking, partnerships and investment deals should remain the primary objective of such gatherings.
The former governor of the Central bank of Nigeria (CBN) said recent reforms by the Federal Government had helped restore macroeconomic stability and create a more predictable environment for investment.
He noted that the unification of the foreign exchange market, stronger external reserves and greater exchange rate stability have improved investor confidence, positioned Nigeria for renewed growth and strengthened the country’s investment outlook.
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