GIVE US POWER AND SAVE US FROM THIS SHAME!!!!

In the wake of fall in Oil prices, devaluation of the Naira and decline of the Nigerian economy, stringent measures have been taken by the Central Bank of Nigeria to salvage the depressive economic situation of the Nigerian State. One of such measures taken by the CBN is the inclusion of some imported goods and services on the list of items not valid for foreign exchange in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market.

LIST OF ITEMS NOT VALID FOR FOREIGN EXCHANGE AT THE NIGERIAN FOREIGN EXCHANGE WINDOW
1. Rice

2. Cement
3. Margarine
4. Palm Kernel/Palm oil products/vegetable oils
5. Meat and Processed Meat Products
6. Vegetables and Processed Vegetable Products
7. Poultry - chicken, eggs, Turkey
8. Private Airplanes/Jets
9. Indian incense
10. Tinned Fish in sauce (Geisha)/Sardlnes
11. Cold Rolled Steel Sheets
12. Galvanized Steel Sheets
13. Roofing Sheets
14. Wheelbarrows
15. Head Pans
16. Metal Boxes and Containers
17. Enamelware
18. Steel Drums
19. Steel Pipes
20. Wire Rods (deformed and not deformed)
21. Iron Rods and Reinforcing Bars
22. Wire Mesh
23. Steel Nails
24. Security and Razor Wire
25. Wood Particle Boards and Panels
26. Wood Fiber Boards and Panels
27. Plywood Boards and Panels
28. Wooden Doors
29. Toothpicks
30. Gloss and Glassware
31. Kitchen Utensils
32. Tableware
33. Tiles - vitrified and ceramic
34. Textiles
35. Woven Fabrics
36. Clothes
37. Plastic and Rubber Products, Polyproplene Granules. Cellophane Wrappers
38. Soap and cosmetics
39. Tomatoes/Tomato Pastes
40. Euro bond/Foreign Currency Bond/Share Purchases

Source: http://cenbank.org/Out/2015/TED/TED.FEM.FPC.GEN.01.010.pdf 

 A quick glance at the list of items that are now invalid for forex tells the sorry tale of the power situation in Nigeria as well as the Nigerian manufacturing industry. Ordinarily, items such as tooth picks, wooden doors, clothes, woven fabrics and most of the items in the list can be produced locally but for the cost of generating electricity to power machines that will produce those commodities.
It is uncertain if there are local industries that have the ability to produce the afore-listed items due to the cost of power generation.
Let us watch out and see if the current president will keep to his promise of improving the power sector and save us the embarrassment of importing toothpicks and steel nails!!!!!!!!