‘Access to market a challenge for agro-products’

What challenges do you face as an entrepreneur? From my own experience, the problem of access to market is still an issue. This mentality many people have that if it is made in Nigeria it is not good; I think is wrong.  Because we have a new breed of Nigerian entrepreneurs who have woken up […]

What challenges do you face as an entrepreneur?

From my own experience, the problem of access to market is still an issue. This mentality many people have that if it is made in Nigeria it is not good; I think is wrong.  Because we have a new breed of Nigerian entrepreneurs who have woken up to the importance of maintaining quality, standardisation and all that goes with it. And I believe that Nigerian people should give such a people a chance. Rome was never built in a day. Even the imported products we are addicted to did not get there over night. If you read the stories of these companies, you will know that it took a long time. I read the story of Coca-Cola that in its first year, it sold only 25 bottles. But today it is all over the place. There is no part of the world you go to that does not know Coca-Cola. So we need to give Nigerian products a chance.

Many of this big retail stores will not give any chance to a Nigerian product to be displayed. So the issue of access to market still arises. As a producer, you need volume and the volume can be gotten when you can get your products into the big super-stores. But when they give you the cold feet, it is really very dampening to the spirit. People say finance is an issue but I think access to market for Nigerian products is more of a problem.  So, I think that that is one area that there is a problem.

I have gone to places, when they see the packaging of my plantain chips, they will say ‘this is Oyibo plantain o’ yet they will not buy. But the truth is that, if this plantain chips was made outside this country, with this packaging, I probably will not have time sitting down here. Because I will be so busy trying to meet up with the demand. One, they love the packaging, but when they look at it, they say ‘it’s made in Nigeria’. We need to change that mentality.  One of the things that has brought us were we are (recession) is that we are using our population to build other nations economy. Yet our own people are not able to access the same market abroad. So, is it a curse or a blessing to Nigeria that we have such a large population/market, if we don’t buy our own products but foreign ones?  It is true we have a big market, but our products are not being accepted in the market because of the wrong mentality.  

What do you think government can do to close such gaps?

I believe the campaign for Nigerians to buy ‘Made in Nigeria’. But again, there should be a form of legislation for foreign companies that when they come into our country, you should be able to use your company as an avenue to give visibility/ access to products made in Nigeria as well.

It is through these products that are made in Nigeria that we can build our economy. It is through them we can create more employment.

When did you start the production of your plantain chips?

We started the production of the plantain chips eight years ago. We started by putting it in transparent packaging, but overtime, we have evolved and packaged our products to international standard. Personally, I can see progress in my business but I need to sell more volume. I need supermarkets and stores which will say, supply us with a hundred of bags of plantain chips. 

But have you been creating awareness about your product as well?

That is the main reason we at this exhibition. We attend exhibitions and showcase what we have.

 What other challenges do you face?

This is a more general problem. We lack people with requisite skills in the area of agro-processing. So, when you are looking for staff to employ, you can’t find. Or you find people and train them, but they don’t stay because you can’t afford to pay them the big amount they are asking you for. So, at the end of the day, you have invested money in training them and doing medical exams for them to ensure that they are fit enough to handle the food products, and they go away. And then you start the process again. So, there is lack of skilled manpower.

Employees must know that they many big companies that can pay you well may not be able to give you exposure. But then you can have a small company that is starting and give you exposure and the room to grow, but our young people want a place they can make money quick. So when you employ them, they will tell you they are learning a lot but then they need the money now. So we need to have a re-orientation.

So there should be forums that groom people in agro-processing business.  People need to acquire skills in agro business.