Abuja- A group, the Nigerian Unemployed Youth Vanguard has decried the proliferation of prohibited goods in the country, blaming it on porous borders.
Mr Okpanachi Jacob, the Head of Strategy of the group said this in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja.
The statement quoted him as saying that many companies and industries had folded up in the past five years due to low patronage as a result of the proliferation of prohibited goods through the country’s porous borders.
Jacob said that substandard frozen foods not fit for human consumption had found their way through the country’s borders to the detriment of the society.
According to him, local farmers who have better products are left at a disadvantage.
“Diverse textile materials and fabrics from all over the world have taken over our markets while our textile industries remain comatose and non-functional due to low patronage.
“Worn-out cars and other industrial and consumer goods often make their way into our country.
“Our local farmers are left at a disadvantage due to the influx of these substandard goods.’’
Jacob said that the government had lost a lot, the economy was grinding to an all time low and “more youths are thrown into the unemployment market.’’
He said that funds meant to finance government developmental projects were lost to smugglers who evaded the payment of import duty.
“The country loses billions of Naira in revenue annually and this seems to have constrained government from creating more jobs in the country.
“The porous nature of the country’s borders has further deprived Nigerian youths from gaining employment.’’
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“We need the jobs promised by President Muhammadu Buhari; so, we urge the National Assembly to cooperate with the President in the fight against corruption,’’ Jacob said.
The group also implored government to end the activities of smugglers and economic saboteurs to allow local industries to thrive and create more jobs. (NAN)