By Vera Chinonso Aliyu and Okereke Udoakpuenyi, YeyeNews.com, October 20, 2021
The Nigeria’s National Assembly is considering a bill to proclaim Ogogoro, a local gin common in the Niger Delta areas, as Nigeria’s national liquor, a National Assembly source disclosed to YeyeNews.com reporter.
The bill which was sponsored by a Senator from Delta State seeks to recognize Ogogoro as the national liquor of Nigeria just as Tequila is to Mexico and Akpeteshie is to Ghana. An aide to the sponsor of the bill (name withheld) explained that Ogogoro is local gin distilled from palmwine and has been an intricate part of the culture and traditional practices of the people in the Niger Delta for centuries.
“What the bill is about is simply to elevate the status of Ogogoro to a national liquor. Mexico has Tequila, South Africa has Amarula, Ghana has Akpeteshie so it won’t be out of place for Nigeria to do the same”, the anonymous aide said. When reminded that some sections of the country may oppose the move for religious reasons the aide said: “this should not be about religion. Turkey is a leading Islamic country yet they have the Raki as a national liquor. Even Tunisia has the Boukha. We need to approach this with an open mind. Adequate consultation is already going on to ensure a smooth passage of this bill”.
Residents of the Niger Delta has expressed their support for the bill. “This initiative is very commendable. If it eventually becomes a law it has the potential to create massive employment for the youths”, a youth leader in Bayelsa State told YeyeNews.com reporter. Another resident commended the Senator sponsoring the bill saying its passage will encourage the modernization of the Ogogoro distilling industry. “This is a good development. If Ogogoro becomes a national liquor, it will attract massive investment into the region. Ogogoro can even become one of Nigeria’s biggest exports just like Mexico is exporting Tequila and making lots of foreign exchange from it”, the resident concluded.
A cultural expert from the Niger Delta University, Prof. Amakri Sapina hailed the move by the lawmakers. “I am very impressed with this move. It is high time we start recognizing our local drinks and foods, and elevating them to international level. Can you believe our own Akara is recognized by UNESCO as a cultural heritage in Brazil? They call it Akaraje over there. They have even introduced it to their restaurants in the United States. What we don’t value here has already been elevated to international level in Brazil. We must start placing value on our own. That is why I support making Ogogoro a national liquor”, the university don concluded.
