The Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL) says Nigeria can only attain true independence when political leaders and Nigerians buy made-in-Nigeria products.

The President General of COSEYL, Goodluck Ibem, said this in a statement on Sunday in Awka to mark Nigeria’s 63rd Independence Anniversary.

Mr Ibem said it was unfortunate that after 63 years of independence, Nigerians did not have belief and confidence in their own products.

“Any nation that depends solely on foreign products is not yet an independent nation, and this amounts to modern colonisation.

“Nigeria was manufacturing her own textile materials, but now we are importing all forms of textiles. We used to be a major exporter of cotton, but now we are no longer planting cotton.

“We were assembling our own vehicles in Nigeria, but now we depend solely on imported cars. We were exporting palm oil, but now we are even buying palm oil from Indonesia.

“The president, governors, federal and state legislators, as well as other Nigerians, do not believe in what is being manufactured in the country. We prefer to buy and use foreign products.

“As a nation, we need to come back to our senses and start using products and services made in our own country. That is true independence,” he said.

Mr Ibem said that high patronage of locally made products would boost the nation’s economy and also help to create jobs for youth.

“We should use this Independence Day to reflect and put things right so that we can move forward as a nation.

“We can only be a true and independent nation when all government functionaries and all Nigerians use made-in-Nigeria products and services,” he said.

He also urged the federal government to revive the nation’s refineries to stop the importation of petroleum products and to revitalise surrounding industries and the educational system to drive growth and development.

(NAN)