Abuja – Mr Mike Omeri, Director-General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), says Nigerians need cultural and mental revolution particularly in economic activities.

Omeri made the remark on Tuesday when a delegation from the Department for International Development (DFID) led by Mr Michael Uzoigwe paid him a courtesy visit in his office.

“The attitude of Nigerians toward Made in Nigeria products and local entrepreneur fail to promote the growth of small and medium enterprises,” he said.

Omeri decried the preference of Nigerians for foreign products over locally manufactured goods, and cited poor cultural and mental orientation as the root cause of the malaise.

“If the country must develop rapidly and compete favourably on the international scene in the area of economic stability, then Nigerians must change their attitudes toward home made products,” he said.

Omeri also urged Nigerians to embrace transparency, honesty and commitment to quality as catalysts for economic advancement.

He cited the lead poisoning in Zamafra State as example of the effect of lack of transparency in business.

Uzoigwe, Research and Policy Coordinator of Facility for Oil Sector Transparency in Nigeria (FOSTER), a DFID funded programme, identified the need for public enlightenment on cultural reorientation of Nigerians to be transparent in economic activities, especially in the oil and gas sector.

He said the visit was to explore areas of possible collaboration with NOA to promote cultural re-orientation among players in Nigeria’s economic space. (NAN)