By Anayo Okoli

UMUAHIA—IN an effort to create awareness and popularize shoes and other leather products such as booths made in Aba, the commercial city of Abia State by the highly creative Aba artisans, Abia State Government has embarked on an aggressive campaign to make the products acceptable to Nigerians of all classes.

Already, some sections of the nation’s security apparatus have bought into the campaign by making orders for specific quantities of operational booths from Aba.

•Senator Orji with delegates of made-in-Aba products in Abuja

Also, the government had been encouraging the artisans to attend fairs and expositions. Just recently, the Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu participated in the 2016 Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Forum recently held in Lagos where some of the products were displayed.

At the Forum, former President Olusegun Obasanjo was fascinated by the quality of the shoes displayed and asked Governor Ikpeazu to make some for him and gave him his shoe size.

Also, a delegation of Abia State Leather and Allied Product Manufacturers led by the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications to the Governor, Mr. Sam Hart carried the campaign to the Senate when they visited the immediate past governor of the State and now representing Abia Central Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Senator Theodore Orji with some of the products.

Senator Orji who commended Aba artisans for their ingenuity and the government for the awareness campaign said that the interest in made-in-Aba goods “would empower our local producers, save foreign exchange as well as create jobs for our youths”.

The Senator promised to meet with some government parastatals, ministries and security agencies to solicit more patronage of made in Aba products.

According to Senator Orji, he also wears made-in-Aba products and promised to prevail on all relevant government agencies and security outfits to emulate the Nigerian Army which recently placed orders for made in Aba boots in patronizing locally made Aba products.

And in response to Obasanjo’s request, Governor Ikpeazu last week delivered some shoes to Chief Obasanjo at his Abeokuta Ogun State Hilltop Mansion home.

Handing over the shoes to Chief Obasanjo, Governor Ikpeazu said: “Sir, you made an order for made-in-Aba shoes through me when we met last in Lagos two weeks ago, I am here today to deliver the shoes to you sir.

“These shoes, including the one I am wearing are made by our people in Aba. We want you to wear them and tell others about them. As promoters of made-in-Aba products, we have taken it upon ourselves to promote made-in-Aba goods by wearing them and by telling others about them”.

Receiving the shoes, an elated General Obasanjo said: “Governor, I can’t thank you enough, and through you, I cannot thank my brothers and my sisters who have decided to adorn me with these wonderful, classy and classic shoes made in our land by our own people.

“For me, this is very significant in many ways. In fact, let me deliver to you a message from The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) which they ask me to deliver to you. Afreximbank is spearheading made in Africa, and they came during their annual meeting. The message they left for me to you is that they have heard so much about Aba, and they want me to get in touch with you so they can come back and pay a special visit to Aba, because they want to establish an industrial park in Aba to encourage production and exportation of goods made in Africa.

“And if the shoes you gave me here, which I am wearing one of them, feeling very comfortable on my feet, if they are good for me, I believe they should be good for Africa, and for anybody in Nigeria and indeed for anybody in the world.

“When we use what we make by ourselves for ourselves, others will simply join us in using them because we are proud of them. These shoes are so comfortable and they are so good. Anybody watching me, no matter how high or low, who wants to help Nigeria get out of recession quickly should call the makers of these shoes in Aba to produce for them.”