If there ever was a perfect time for the small scale manufacturers and business people in Aba to stamp their feet as the manufacturing hub of Africa, it is now. This is true because in a world where everything is changing rapidly, technology presents itself as the best option for the Aba manufacturers to truly be the ‘China of Africa’.
The statement of Abia State Small-Scale Industrialist Initiative (ASSII) president, Fortunate Dike, in an interview with reporters gives a nod towards evolving and embracing technology, and the need to expose what Aba is made of, said “all they need is to be exposed to modern technologies in order to help them meet with the modern trends of technology”. What better way to do this, if not with e-commerce as China did?
China stamped its feet as the manufacturing and trade hub of the world; all thanks to e-commerce, and Aba manufacturers can learn from the story.
Jack Ma (or Ma Yun) and his team created an online portal to connect China small-medium scale manufacturers with customers overseas, and the result was astronomical for locally-produced goods in China. Alibaba.com became the number one e-commerce platform in the world, connecting over 16 million China small scale businesses with the global market and soon grew to having over 240 countries trading on the platform. Today, coupled with low cost of production and ease of accessing the China manufacturers’ pool, most markets in the world are flooded with China products, and e-commerce played a huge role in exposing China’s manufacturing potential to the global market.
A similar solution is what e-commerce portals like cokodeal.com is doing for Africa. It is time for Africa to compete on a global level.
In an interview with Dailypost.ng, the co-founder of cokodeal.com, Femi Aguda, shared the motivation behind the online platform. He stressed the need for Africa to be the convergent point of global trade. “The company is a product of an ardent desire for an Africa that will be the convergent point of global trade and not a continent at the mercy of foreign aid. We think there is urgent need for conscious effort to expose African produced goods, so as to change the world’s perception of Africa being a predominantly consumer market.”
Indeed, it is time for the world to know what Africa is made of. There is no doubt that Africa is blessed and has a lot to offer the world, and online portals would play an intrinsic part.
What e-commerce would do for the Aba manufacturers is to connect the small-scale manufacturers with new markets; creating a market linkage, provide a perfect platform to promote the made-in-Aba products, bring the small-scale manufacturers locked in tiny shops somewhere in Aba to the fore-front as Africa’s market and make it easier for customers to directly connect with such businesses, leveraging on technology to access the Africa market, in similar mould of what alibaba.com did for the small scale manufacturers in China.
Already, the shoe manufacturing sector in Aba alone supplies several markets within Nigeria and neighbouring sub-regional African countries like Cameroon and Gabon.
Reports say the number of small-scale shoe industries present in Aba is about 10,000 and they record about one million exports daily according to the president of Abia Think Tank Association, Sam Ohuabunwa. To think that Aba market can meet such demand daily with no major government support and modern facilities indicates bright future for Africa.
However, results are still meagre, compared to the standards held by people for Aba as a trade hub and ‘Africa’s China’. Should Aba manufacturers leverage on e-commerce, the city would soon see itself match this feat as evidenced with China’s meteoric rise to world prominence as the manufacturing hub of the world; and with online platforms to expose and promote the capacity of the Aba manufacturers, demands can soar higher, exports can improve exponentially and the people of Aba can really do big business.
Of course, one is not ignorant of the pressing need for government support in terms of appropriate policies for “made in Nigeria” and providing adequate infrastructure as these things add to the growth of Aba as a trade hub in Africa. However, prior to when government comes good on its responsibilities, the Aba manufacturers owe it to themselves, their families and Africa to act proactively and act fast to stamp their feet as truly the ‘China of Africa’ because they are Africa’s pride for local manufacturing.
• Agholor wrote in from Aba, Abia State.
