Nigeria bans foreign drinks at all govt functions

ABUJA Oct 14 (Reuters) - Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua has banned all foreign sodas, beer and alcohol at official events and in federal offices as part of a campaign to promote Nigeria-made products, his spokesman said on Wednesday.

The nationwide beverage ban is largely symbolic since most international brand name drinks, such as Coca-Cola (KO.N), Pepsi (PEP.N), Guinness (DGE.L) and Heineken (HEIN.AS), are produced and bottled by Nigerian-based subsidiaries.

The Nigerian Bottling Company NBOT.LG, the country's largest soft drinks manufacturer, produces most drinks under the Coca-Cola brand in the West African country. 7UP Bottling Company is licensed to sell Pepsi, 7UP and Mountain Dew.

The government is battling to restore self-confidence in Africa's most populous country, and launched a "Made-In-Nigeria" campaign on Tuesday. [ID:nLD709694]

"President Yar'Adua noted that Nigeria with a population of over 140 million people has a market big enough to sustain a bubbling domestic industrial sector if only her citizens look inwards and patronize their local products," the presidency said in a statement. But critics say the real problem is not the lack of consumer demand for local products but poor electricity supplies and transportation system that keep costs high for local businesses. (Reporting by Randy Fabi; Editing by Louise Ireland)