Rather than all this propaganda about the health status of the candidates, I would rather Nigeria’s presidential election focuses on issues like a bicycle manufacturing programme 


Ayo Akinfe

[1] Nigeria was founded on the basis of the fact that she could supply Europe with commodities she needed at particular points in time. First of all it was human cargo in the form of slaves and then it later became palm oil once the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade was abolished in 1833. I ask myself why we have not continued with that trend. As the world’s largest black nation, Nigeria has got to be one of humanity’s greatest providers

[2] We are living at a time when for the first time in his history, man has acknowledged that he is vandalising the planet and something needs to be done about it. Agreeing to save our environment is one of the biggest achievements of this generation of human beings

[3] As part of this green drive, the global demand for bicycles is insatiable. Do you know that by 2025, the global bicycle industry will be worth $75bn? Across large swathes of Europe and Asia, urban dwellers are abandoning their cars are opting to cycle

[4] Is there anything stopping one Nigerian state governor going to a city like say London, Beijing, Berlin, Paris, Kuala Lumpur, Amsterdam, Tokyo or Brussels and offering the mayor there a deal whereby he will manufacture and deliver 1m bicycles within six months? Once one deal is secured, loads more will follow

[5] The technology required to manufacture bicycles is very basic and we have the manpower to establish new factories in abundance. Why is Nigeria not the bicycle manufacturing capital of the world?

[6] In 2017, Taiwan cashed in immensely from this growth as the country exported 1.65m bicycles, generating $1.09bn for the treasury. I would not be surprised if that figure has doubled today

[7] If you ask me, one key thing Nigeria has to do is come up with a unique bicycle design. Produce a cheap, reliable and comfortable bike that is suited to urban conditions. We then need to patent it and then mass produce the bicycle. We could even design one with an umbrella or a mobile phone charger. Once a people start thinking, you will be shocked with how the ideas start flowing

[8] Titanium-based bicycles are gaining in popularity globally, particularly among professional riders. These bicycles weigh half as much as conventional one and offer double the amount of strength. Also, high tensile strength, inherent flexibility and low elastic modulus of titanium further allows the frames of bicycles to stay strong for a longer period. Nigeria has thus got to make titanium production a major national priority

[9] Even if Nigeria is not mining titanium in large quantities right now, what stops us buying up all the supplies we can lay our hands from across Africa? Mozambique, South Africa, Sierra Leone and Kenya all have substantial titanium deposits

[10] To realise this dream, however, we need a private sector manufacturer to step into the void. Looking at Nigeria today, I only see Innoson Motors and Dangote Industries. Not having enough of these private sector industrialists and manufacturers is the greatest weakness of the Nigerian economy. It is one reason why I desperately want our wealthy general overseers to pool their resources together and create an industrial conglomerate. Until that happens, we will remain a nation locked in poverty and dependence on primary commodities

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