Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has called on Nigeria to urgently develop the internal resources, technology, and manufacturing capacity required to produce goods and services locally rather than remaining reliant on foreign imports.
Speaking on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, during the official commissioning ceremony of the Zeetin Technologies manufacturing plant in the Idu Industrial Area of Abuja, Dr. Jonathan stated that a decisive shift toward domestic industrialization is crucial for national economic survival and sustainable development.
The former president served as the chief guest at the event hosted by Barrister Robert Azibaola, Chairman of Zeetin Technologies, to celebrate the official rollout of locally assembled commercial tricycles and automotive components destined for the Nigerian market.
In his keynote address, Dr. Jonathan underscored that Nigeria’s vibrant youth demographic represents a powerful driving force for industrial growth if properly supported by targeted policy initiatives and infrastructure.
He noted that the country must emulate emerging global economies that successfully mobilized their young populations and abundant natural resources to expand domestic manufacturing capacity.
By prioritising local content and import substitution, he argued, Nigeria can transform itself from a perpetual consumer of foreign items into a self-reliant producer and competitive exporter.
In his remarks, Barrister Azibaola explained that the new Abuja facility was established to directly address urban and rural transportation bottlenecks while creating a sustainable model for domestic technological transfer.
He disclosed that as part of the initial launch strategy, local Nigerian engineers and technical personnel were sent to Semarang, Indonesia, for intensive training at VIAR’s production facilities.
Following this international knowledge transfer, the trained Nigerian workforce now leads full-scale assembly, quality assurance, procurement, and maintenance operations directly within the Abuja factory.
Beyond immediate vehicle assembly, Azibaola emphasized that the facility is designed to serve as an industrial anchor that will stimulate an extended ecosystem of local spare-part manufacturers, certified service workshops, and regional dealership networks across Northern and Central Nigeria.
