Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Babatunde Ogunwusi has said that the newly launched OjajaMore retail outlet in Ibadan-Ile-Ife road Osun, will not only globalise made-in-Nigeria products but also crash demand for dollars in the commodity exchange.
Ooni made the disclosure while unveiling the retail outlet recently noted that the mall constructed with 100 per cent local content will rekindle the quest to key into the Federal Government’s idea of creating a viable economy that demystifies the teeming demand for dollars.
Oba Ogunwusi who revealed his displeasure with the obnoxious demand for US dollars by importers, which is putting massive pressure on the naira, said: “The high demand for scarce dollars is the cause of our dwindling economy and currency. Nobody wants to transact in naira anymore. Most people prefer to swap their naira for dollars. It’s a very sad situation, I must confess.
“However, instead of lamenting, we have salvaged the situation with the creation of OjajaMore to crash the incessant demand for dollars and put Naira at a great advantage for an economic boom.”
He added that the massive groceries and retail outlet hub, which would further increase demand for well-packaged Nigerian-grown organic farm produce would also transform Nigeria from a consuming to producing economy, hereby deviating from an oil-driven economy to exploring other readily available options.
“OjajaMore will give special preference to homegrown commodities to help reduce drastically importation of foods by increasing investment opportunities and creating jobs for the youth demographic,” he said.
Ooni who noted that the OjajaMore was conceived as a result of his burning passion driven by youth empowerment, technology advancement and economic prosperity, said “OjajaMore remains one of the profound, timeless initiatives that I envisioned for the modernisation of Ile-Ife, Osun State, and other Nigerian cities. It is a triumph and regeneration of retail economies, a reservoir of seamless opportunities for new agro-commodities markets significantly improving access to B2B value chains, a social sanctuary for groceries and other products, and an iconic global brand name that will leave indelible marks on young people through job creation, resolving commoditisation issues, and harnessing the integration of locally built flawless novelty digital transactions.”
Ooni also noted that Nigerians need to invest aggressively in promoting local farming just like the Western Regional Government invested in Cocoa which became a massive source of income and proceeds made from it were used to fund education and some other capital projects within the region.
“Many people went back to farming in place of white-collar jobs. This shows how economically viable farming can be. The vision of OjajaMore as an indigenous entity with a modern continental outlook is to play a prominent role in people’s lives as conduct that provides relatable experiences beyond traditional shopping while driving a robust economic culture. Imagine Malaysia came to take oil palm seedlings from Nigeria several decades ago today; they are the largest producer and exporter of oil palm products. That’s why we are using OjajaMore to rewrite the story and build a stronger future economically.”
