The Nigerian government on Wednesday announced an immediate ban on the importation of mineral water, toothpicks, spaghetti, and biscuits to protect local production of the products.
Power and steel deputy minister Aliyu Modibbo Umar told journalists after a weekly cabinet meeting that the ban has taken immediate effect. President Olusegun Obasanjo said on Tuesday that Nigeria’s affluent minority spent about $13-million on imported water and toothpicks last year.
Last year, Nigeria banned imports of frozen chicken and other foods as part of effort to conserve foreign currency, protect the poultry industry, generate employment and safeguard the health of its citizens.
And last month Obasanjo moved to ban pre-packaged fruit juice. Nigerian officials say protectionist measures are necessary as foreign importers are flooding the market with cheap goods, some of them from producers supported by state subsidy. – Sapa-AFP