naptu2: Basically, it's about protectionism. Protecting domestic industries via tariffs or restrictions.

naptu2: Why impose restrictions? Why not allow the market/consumer decide between american and japanese cars?

naptu2: Got to go now. It's been fun.

biafranqueen: oh my bad! Btw how do we with the current political situation keep the likes of Dangote buying the competition committee. After Madame Ngozi gave me so much hope to only join them in looting, Olumides revolution seems to be the only answer. These people are so greedy even if we clean house the way most celebrate criminality in this country who can we trust. Just to think Bill Gates is twice as rich as the American Government Dangotes mentor has found away to beat the system, competition committee won't work. We have to think of something else, it has to be a grass root effort like boycotting all his products or something.

adconline:
How come it's always the poor that "think" they have the best idea on how to invest money they don't know how to make?

naptu2: Why impose restrictions? Why not allow the market/consumer decide between american and japanese cars?

pazienza:


We have to start by creating awareness. Awareness is key. Dangote is crafty, somehow,he had been able to conceal himself as a villain he is, and had succeeded in projecting himself as a saviour, and Nigerians have come to see him as such. Any criticism towards him is seen as 'bad belle' by the brainwashed masses, it will be a herculean task, exposing him to Nigerians.

To me, that's the greatest challenge, and the first battle in this war.

pazienza:


We have to start by creating awareness. Awareness is key. Dangote is crafty, somehow,he had been able to conceal himself as a villain he is, and had succeeded in projecting himself as a saviour, and Nigerians have come to see him as such. Any criticism towards him is seen as 'bad belle' by the brainwashed masses, it will be a herculean task, exposing him to Nigerians.

To me, that's the greatest challenge, and the first battle in this war.

I was impressed with that Osun defender article,we need more of such journalism.

adconline:
How come it's always the poor that "think" they have the best idea on how to invest money they don't know how to make?

pazienza:


We have to start by creating awareness. Awareness is key. Dangote is crafty, somehow,he had been able to conceal himself as a villain he is, and had succeeded in projecting himself as a saviour, and Nigerians have come to see him as such. Any criticism towards him is seen as 'bad belle' by the brainwashed masses, it will be a herculean task, exposing him to Nigerians.

To me, that's the greatest challenge, and the first battle in this war.

I was impressed with that Osun defender article,we need more of such journalism.

biafranqueen: this seems to be the only way. But what about a bloodless revolution. How about we stop buying his products in protest make him comply let him know we will not keep extending or necks so he can suck us dry, either he lowers the price or we don't support him. We use our Choices to fight him. We refuse all Dangote products until he prices them fairly. We lobby his competitor to lower prices and support them fully even if it means we have a shortage of rice and cement or whatever. Imagine the international press it would be historical!

pazienza:


It's possible, but to achieve that, people need to be aware of who their common enemy is. You can't convince a man who sees Dangote as his mentor and God's blessing to the blackman, to embark on such venture.

It's obvious our government won't fight this war for us, and the more we delay,the stronger the enemy gets.

Tony Spike: I've been reading all the comments on this thread and I'm glad that Oga naptu is gradually agreeing to some of our concepts now. It is clear that our dear "Mr Forbes" Aliko Dangote is tending towards being an absolute monopolist in connivance with the silly government in power. I was thinking, would this kind of economic dominance have existed if Nigeria was operating an autonomous regional system of government? Because I think the 'near-absolute' power concentration in the hands of the FG is one of the factors that accelerated Dangote's monopolist tendencies. We have a 'centralised' FG that has monopolised every possible aspect of the economy, and this has been ongoing for over 30 years now. Will there ever be an end to this profiteering, exploitative and expansionist schemes?

biafranqueen: we are suppose to be a federal republic which to me is a oxymoron we need to be more like a Union share one currency and other political interest like what the EU formed!

biafranqueen: Isilove long time

naptu2: My final post before I leave home.

The thread title is "Dangote Is Nigeria's Biggest Problem He Has Bought Aso Rock" and I insist that the problem is not an individual, but our structures and attitudes. Will the problem go away if Dangote dies today? 25 years ago some people said that Abiola is our problem, where is Abiola today and has the problem been solved?

Major Orkah staged his coup in 1990 and my neighbours came out to celebrate Babangida's exit. I asked them some questions - why are you celebrating? Do you know who the coup leaders are? Did they ask your permission before taking over? What if we replace "Maradona" with "Pele"?

Some have called for a revolution, a call I support, but the question is, who will lead the revolution and what will be its outcome? Will it simply replace one set of dictators with another?

The point is that our problems continue because we focus on individuals, rather than the systems that allow these individuals to emerge. Would Dangote have been able to donate $2 million to PDP if we had campaign finance laws and an independent Inec to enforce it? Would he have been able to dominate the cement market if there was a competitions commission?

Saying that importation is the answer is simply diversionary. The same system that enabled him to dominate production will enable him to dominate imports (witness Umaru Dikko with respect to rice in the early 1980s). The solution is to have strong and transparent regulation and for Nigerians to ensure that government enforces those regulations.

That's my take and nobody has been able to disprove it.

Tony Spike: I've been reading all the comments on this thread and I'm glad that Oga naptu is gradually agreeing to some of our concepts now. It is clear that our dear "Mr Forbes" Aliko Dangote is tending towards being an absolute monopolist in connivance with the silly government in power. I was thinking, would this kind of economic dominance have existed if Nigeria was operating an autonomous regional system of government? Because I think the 'near-absolute' power concentration in the hands of the FG is one of the factors that accelerated Dangote's monopolist tendencies. We have a 'centralised' FG that has monopolised every possible aspect of the economy, and this has been ongoing for over 30 years now. Will there ever be an end to this profiteering, exploitative and expansionist schemes?

naptu2:

My position has been the same from the beginning. The issue is not Dangote or substituting local production with importation, the issue is the system (you've just echoed what I said) and I've been addressing the possible solutions which involve changing the system that allows these things to happen.

For example, you've mentioned the monopoly of the federal government. This is something I've written about for almost 30 years. The military governments entrenched centralism in Nigeria. They created a unitary system (the general at the centre and the colonel governing the state) that almost ruined us. They created this idea that the federal government is a big father that must own everything to protect the sons. I advocate a federal system (particularly fiscal federalism) that would see individuals own their resources, the local governments collecting taxes and remitting part of them to the state government which in turn remits part to the federal government. Revenue formula should be as it was in the first republic. But most importantly, we need strong and independent regulatory systems (for example, Gani Fawehinmi advocated that the Inspector General of Police should be answerable to an independent body like the National Judicial Council).

If we believe that it's just about Dangote or importation, then we'll continue to create systems that enable such people to thrive. There was once an Umaru Dikko, there was once an Abiola, there was once an Okotie-Eboh (please read Nzeogwu's coup speech), there's a Dangote today, who'll be there tomorrow?

naptu2:

My position has been the same from the beginning. The issue is not Dangote or substituting local production with importation, the issue is the system (you've just echoed what I said) and I've been addressing the possible solutions which involve changing the system that allows these things to happen.

For example, you've mentioned the monopoly of the federal government. This is something I've written about for almost 30 years. The military governments entrenched centralism in Nigeria. They created a unitary system (the general at the centre and the colonel governing the state) that almost ruined us. They created this idea that the federal government is a big father that must own everything to protect the sons. I advocate a federal system (particularly fiscal federalism) that would see individuals own their resources, the local governments collecting taxes and remitting part of them to the state government which in turn remits part to the federal government. Revenue formula should be as it was in the first republic. But most importantly, we need strong and independent regulatory systems (for example, Gani Fawehinmi advocated that the Inspector General of Police should be answerable to an independent body like the National Judicial Council).

If we believe that it's just about Dangote or importation, then we'll continue to create systems that enable such people to thrive. There was once an Umaru Dikko, there was once an Abiola, there was once an Okotie-Eboh (please read Nzeogwu's coup speech), there's a Dangote today, who'll be there tomorrow?

[size=14pt]Nissan to Build Cars in Nigeria[/size]

Article | October 10, 2013 - 12:47am | By Michael Paul


Giant Japanese automobile manufacturer, Nissan has announced it plans to build a Manufacturing plant in Nigeria.
 
If it will becomes reality, Nissan will become the first global carmaker to build cars in Nigeria since west Africa's largest economy rolled out a policy to tempt investors into its nascent automotive industry.
 
“Nissan is preparing to make Nigeria a significant manufacturing hub in Africa,” the Japanese carmaker said in a statement on Wednesday.
 
The statement quoted Carlos Ghosn, chief executive of Nissan and Renault as saying: "As the first-mover in Nigeria, we are positioned for the long-term growth of this market and across the broader continent.”
 
The move comes as the Federal government is expected to approve a new policy designed to encourage the development of the automobile industry in Nigeria, the carmakers said.
 
The first vehicle to be introduced was expected to be the Nissan Patrol SUV next year. The plant would also be opened to French auto group Renault, though the companies did not give any details.
 
Japan’s Nissan is aiming to double annual sales in Africa by 2016 from 110,000 units last year. It already plans to launch the Datsun brand in South Africa before the end of next year.

iterator25: PARIS (Reuters) - The Renault-Nissan Alliance and West African conglomerate Stallion Group have signed a preliminary agreement to start vehicle assembly in Nigeria and potentially create a major Nissan manufacturing hub for Africa.
The memorandum of understanding would see Stallion, which is Nissan's exclusive distributor in the country, increase capacity at its existing plant in Lagos, Renault-Nissan said in a statement on Wednesday.

Stallion currently produces commercial vehicles at the facility, but the plant's annual capacity would be expanded to 45,000 units to assemble a range of cars, light duty trucks, pickups and vans, the alliance said.
"Nissan is preparing to make Nigeria a significant manufacturing hub in Africa," said Carlos Ghosn, chief executive of Nissan and Renault. "As the first-mover in Nigeria, we are positioned for the long-term growth of this market and across the broader continent."
The move comes as the government is expected to approve a new policy designed to encourage the development of the automobile industry in Nigeria, the carmakers said.

The first vehicle to be introduced was expected to be the Nissan Patrol SUV in the spring of next year. The plant would also be opened to French auto group Renault, though the companies did not give any details.
Japan's Nissan is aiming to double annual sales in Africa by 2016 from 110,000 units last year. It already plans to launch the Datsun brand in South Africa before the end of next year.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/nissan-stallion-sign-nigeria-assembly-deal-075607595--finance.html

taharqa: The 1st Nissan cars from this new colla with d already minimally active Stallion/VON Assembly Plant in lagos will be out in early 2014, as the Japanese Car Manufacturer makes Nigeria a Manufacturing Hub in Africa.

Toyota will announce its own Manufacturing Plans in Nigeria in days/weeks. Others, like Scoda and BMW, may soon follow........

While 'mistakingly' Watching NTA Tuesday Live Yterday (after a really long time of doing so), d CEO of d Peaguot Nigeria Plant in Kaduna, afta receiving about $20m from d National Automatic Council and employing/reactivating about 4000 workers, said his near comatose Assembly/Manufacturing Plant wud start producing new cars in weeks. Innoson at Nnewi is already expanding- ALL AS A REACTION TO THE NEW COMPREHENSIVE NATIONAL AUTOMATIC POLICY.

#And they as ask me why am supporting this man as passionately as I do!!!

naptu2:

0lumide:

First of all, it said MOU. Now, should tariffs be increased to force people to buy locally made vehicles? in a society where people need more money than available to them?

In the Nigerian society where the welfare function of the economy is systematically and legally violated? Where income distribution is very very very unequal? should we be looking for ways to make prices higher or ways to redistribute wealth? Shouldn't we be first creating the environment that will attract investors instead of tariffs? and playing protectionism in an economy where the income distribution favours only the rich?

MTN, came, didn't meet any much competition, the government opened ground for other like Vmobile, glo etc.. and the competition is driving down prices. Did the government started by imposing Nitel on customers? NO!, it just allowed competition. now glo is close to if not bigger than MTN and is also expanding beyond our border. That is a result of open competition.

What Dangote enjoys is monopolistic powers. Being a price setter in an unregulated industry is injustice simple. No matter how you try to spin it.

shymexx: Before I hit the sheets, I need to drop this on here.

The bane of the black race is the pull-your-brother-down syndrome. You've got a man doing legit business and do his best possible to create employment in a shytehole of a country. Yet people sit their smelly ar.ses somewhere and concoct falsehoods just to pull him down. How can the man buy your darn overly corrupt president that's looting and has looted more than he would ever offer him?
Hold your inept leaders responsible and leave the man alone!!

Gamboh55:

God bless u..Talk to ur government.They gave him dat monopolistic advantage.Leave dis man Dangote alone
Some people just come online to post unfounded information.