Against the backdrop of
Nigerians leaning towards patronising foreign made products rather than made in Nigeria ones, a fashion designer Mr. Chukwudi Worlu has condemned the trend.
Mr. Worlu who spoke to our correspondent in Ahoada, Headquarters of the Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State last Monday said “so long as one was trained properly” anything or product done in the country could compete with any other in the world.”
Worlu who said he had been in the tailoring business for over 25 years  said the bane of artisanship was the craze for white collar jobs.
Worlu who is a graduate of the Federal College of Education (Technical) Omoku said even as a trained teacher, his academic background had brought to bear the manner in which he interacts with his customers.
While debunking the notion that artisan business was for drop-outs in the society, Mr. Worlu said “infact artisans were silent and important contributors to the economic growth of the nation”.
He explained that even though government was the greatest employer of labour, youths should think of learning a trade to enable them make a living.
“Rather than looking up to government and poltics, I advise that the youths should engage in learning one trade or the other”, he said.
He further explained that the unemployment rate in the country should even galvanise one to think of learning a trade even as he said jobless graduates were into one trade or the other to enable them earn a living.
He described as counter productive the practice where those in authority patronise foreign made goods while turning around to campaign for people to patronise made in Nigeria goods.
“Most of those in authority buy foreign made clothings and turn around to tell people especially the common people to buy made in Nigeria products”, he said.