TheCable

Ogbonnaya Onu, the minister of science and technology, said Nigeria will start producing and exporting its own pencils by 2018. But how much can you really sell a pencil that will worth being exported? There seems to be a better thing to do: export chewing sticks.

On Amazon, two chewing sticks, better known as organic toothbrush or  miswak sticks, sell for £10.99 or approximately N5,200 — as against N100 in Nigeria.

According to the seller, it “naturally whitens teeth and reduces plaque with no toothpaste required!” It “freshens breath and increases salivation,” while being “backed by UK-based dental professionals”

The seller adds that “scientific research shows the miswak is a suitable alternative to conventional toothbrushes and toothpastes”.

It can be shippled to all “Amazon Europe marketplaces,” across 26 European countries and other locations worldwide.

The seller, which claims to be the leading miswak stick brand in the UK gives a quick tutorial on how the chewing stick can be use. Quick tutorial below:

1. Remove the organic toothbrush from the vacuum-sealed packaging
2. Dip one end of the organic toothbrush into water to soften it
3. Trim / chew the outer layer of the toothbrush’s bark, no more than the top ½ inch (as if you are peeling a potato with your teeth)
4. After removing the outer-layer continue chewing until you feel hard bristles
5. Gently chew the hard bristles until they soften to form bristles similar to a normal toothbrush
6. Brush teeth softly in a circular motion for at least 3 minutes comprehensively cleaning all areas of the mouth including tongue
7. Place the toothbrush back inside the plastic case and store in a dry place
8. The next day cut the old bristles & start chewing a new ½ inch
9. Bye-bye to toothpaste

Are you inspired to export organic toothbrush abundant in Nigeria?