The report said that the processing and distribution capacity of local spirits in Nigeria had increased considerably in the last two decades, adding, however, that it had continued to meet mostly the needs of the low-income consumers.
It said that while the production and consumption of Ogogoro were increasing, its distribution patterns were largely unrecorded. [eap_ad_2] “Ogogoro contains a high alcohol volume (51 to 53 per cent) but it is cheaper and more affordable; and it is consumed by low-income local consumers,’’ it said.
However, the report said that a large segment of Ogogoro consumers were growing old, adding that consumption had slowed down among this group in order to avoid the increased health risks associated with alcohol.
On its part, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) said that it was willing to assist any company which indicated interest in exporting Ogogoro in well-packaged forms, in line with internationally acceptable standards.
Mr Joe Itah, NEPC’s Head of Public Relations, however, said that made-in-Nigeria gin was already in the international market, as some companies were already exporting the product.
“NEPC does not have Ogogoro on its list except that some established companies like Nigerian Distilleries Limited is already exporting dry gin.
“Ogogoro is not a banned item and NEPC will cooperate with anybody that applies for a licence to export it,’’ he said.
The people, who have a penchant for drinking Ogogoro, perhaps, have various reasons for doing so.
For instance, Malam Ibrahim Yakubu, a security man in Abuja, said that he drank Ogogoro regularly because the spirit had been quite helpful to him in his efforts to cope with stressful conditions.
He said that he would have been dead before now but for Ogogoro, which provided him some psychological relief from his numerous troubles.
“Brother, there are lots of things running in my head at once. So, after each day’s hustling, I try to relax by sipping something.
“If I just go straight home without relaxing that way first, it would be quite tormenting. I may not be able to sleep; I will just be lying down and looking at the ceiling thinking, aside from my wife’s usual troubles.
“There was a time my boss bought me an expensive foreign gin; I tasted it and kept the bottle aside because it did not give me the kind of satisfaction I derive from guzzling Ogogoro,’’ Yakubu said.
All the same, Mr Dominic Orakpu, an Abuja-based psychologist, said that many Nigerians usually preferred expensive goods to cheap ones, adding that Vodka and other expensive drinks were no exception.
He said that it was basically a function of the mind for people to ask for Vodka and other foreign liquors so as to massage their ego and enhance their social status even when Ogogoro drinkers derive same kind of euphoria from guzzling the spirit.
“The status of Ogogoro could be enhanced via better refining, fancy bottling, and perhaps, a change of name since the name itself had attracted odium over the years.
“For instance, there is a brand of beer in the market now called Origin; when you taste it, you will discover it is a blend of Alomo Bitters; but it sells well because it was well-packaged with a new brand name,’’ Orakpu said.
Observers say that people who disparage Ogogoro often argue that it is harmful, insisting, however, every drink could be harmful if ingested in excessive quantities.
They, therefore, underscore the need to promote local brews and repackage them for exports, as part of the country’s export promotion and economic diversification drive. (NANFeatures) [eap_ad_3]
