THE EFFECT OF UNBIDLE IMPORTATION ON INDEGINEOUS INDUSTRIES (A CASE STUDY OF NIGERIAN BREWERIES PLC)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     GENERAL BACKGROUND TO THE SUBJECT MATTER

The president of manufacturing association of Nigeria, Rufus Giwa (2000.p 16) define industry as thus:

“Industry, particularly, manufacturing is the motive force for development. In fact, industrialization is more than engine of growth. It is also the Catalyst  for technological, financial and socio-economical advancement.

Trade, and more specifically, foreign trade have astronomically been instrumental in man’s bid towards betterment of his life on earth.

Today we can enjoy and make use of automobiles made in far away Japan  as if they grow in our gardens other articles which we can’t dream of producing even in the next millennium liters our markets as if they were going out of fashion. All these are courtesy of foreign trade and broadly on one of its two pronged division.

Importation.: a very important concept it is, but like a two edged sword, it  cam destroy if not carefully handled.

A study on how foreign product crowd our market, and how our local industries are nose-divine into oblivion show that we are already receiving a fair does of rough handling under the sharp claws of this excessive importation.

“The Nigerian trade journal” of March/April 1980, analyzing our trade statistics put the total of beer & stout importation at N7, %62, 3/5. people should and rose dust over it that it is excessive, but what have we to say today that people zoom off from the country just to tooth picks and toilet tissues?

The millions of graduate that our academic institutions turn out annually have their fate hanging over the balance with hands supporting their checks, and all hoe on divine intervention they helplessly watch as our few industries fold up in their hundreds. Retrenchment and counter retrenchment of workers have become so common is the few existing ones battle to break even and remain in contention.  Consequently unemployment and poor standard of living can’t be more adventurous.

An idle man they said is the devils tool. Coupling with the fact that both ends must need, am-robbery, fraud, bribery, corruption and other social vices exert dominion. Hence our country can’t help winning the inglorious” most corrupt country”  award in the year 200.

From the lamentable figures they post in their annual report as profit after exuberant tax from a government that don’t spare their selves thought about their welfare. Instead of re-investment  or expansion, the little token that  will succeed in dropping into their confer went into unreasonable advisement which they6 see as their last resort to remain in contention in their ever growing competitive market.

These and many more have been the plight of our indigenous industries consequent upon excessive importation. This work try to look into the effect of this practice  and how to curtail its excesses. It will make a steep further to put forward measures towards revamping the  vandalized state of our indigenous industry.

1.2     PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SUBJECT MATTER

The subject matter is that which have a hamper of problem under its care. Below are some of them:

i.        DEPRSSSION AND DUMPING:     With more and more disturbed and unrestrained into the country, compiling with the locally made ones, a situation where supply will exceed demand will emerge. And not only will our wobbled economy and indigenous industries suffer a great depression, but also the nation will be turned into dumping ground.

ii.       EXCESSIVE COMPETITION:        Our weak industries became so much and angered by the menace of their  vibrant  foreign counterparts.  Much of the market share from day to day fell to these foreign goods.

And to fight back in their own effeminate way in order to still remain in contention our indigenous industries resort to aggressive  promotion which drain their meager income and adversely effect their level of operation.

iii.      UNEMPLOYMENT:     With a generous portion of the market under the control of these foreign goods, and depression the lot of our  indigenous industries, mass retrenchment of  workers becomes inevitable, our graduate will then day and day out continue parading the streets with their files n search of work that never exits.

iv.      FOLDING UP/EXTINCTION:         The heart breaking stage of it all is that after so many years of struggling with their Herculean  foreign opponents, majority of these indigenous industries inevitably end up kissing the dust of bankruptcy and liquidation.