Let me share with you a story from my childhood. I was around 8 years old when I heard that the bakeries in my hometown of Ogbomosho were deeply upset. The reason? Bakers from the neighbouring town of Oyo had flooded our market with their bread. The Oyo bakers produced higher quality, succulent, and flavourful loaves. Even as a child, I decided to support our local Ogbomosho bakers, even though many people preferred the Oyo bread. My mom, sweet as ever, bought me my own loaf of Ogbomosho bread separately. Yet, when I tried to evangelise Ogbomosho’s loaves, I was met with the question, “Why can’t they make theirs as good as Oyo’s?”

Fast forward to 2023, where Israel, with the backing of world powers, is causing havoc in the Palestinian region of Gazza, indiscriminately taking lives. Muslim countries seem to lack (?) the resources to protect their brethren, leaving them seemingly helpless. Protests are worldwide, even in the heart of London, where today’s crisis was architected. As in the past, the most potent tool many have chosen is boycotting Israeli products. By doing this, even if nothing else can be done, the people refuse to support the aggressor, who only affords to cause harm due to its wealth.

While I don’t want to engage in the rather insensitive debate over the ruling of boycotting, I find one thing unsettling: when activists calling for a boycott reveal the list of brands people should avoid, it’s troubling to realise how much of our daily life is tied to a country we refuse to acknowledge as existing.

This leads me to consider two possible reasons:

1. We don’t value our own brands; 2. These brands fall short in terms of quality.

Yet, the solution still lies within us. It sure does not end with boycotting. Let’s support our brands, and let’s make them better.