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Why We Put Made In China, Italy On Our Shoes – Ariaria Shoemakers by chiefobdk(m): 7:26am On Feb 22, 2016 |
IT is not for nothing that Aba, the commercial city of Abia
State, popularly known as Enyimba city is also referred to
as the Japan of Africa. The ingenuity of its residents simply
astounds. It ranges from the dexterity of the technicians
who fabricate machinery parts to those who can
manufacture a long list of items.
In Aba, the shoemakers at Ariaria International Market
constitute one group of entrepreneurs whose activities have
contributed in no small way to raise the economic profile of
the city.
About 39 years ago, the shoe and allied products
entrepreneurs began forming clusters in Ariaria after
Ekeoha market was razed by fire in 1977. The government
consequently relocated the market to its present location.
Between 1980 and the 90s, when the shoe manufacturing
business reached its peak, it had over 80,000 workers
operating under nine clusters located in the following
places: Imo Avenue, Shoe Plaza (where men’s shoes are
produced), Bakassi (Umueghilegbu) Industrial Market, Old
Site, and then you have the bag, belt, suitcase and powerline
clusters. The last cluster that was formed was the one
known as ‘Chief’ which has 10,000 members.
In fact, these men, and indeed a growing number of women,
who populate the powerline cluster, which goes by the
official name, Powerline Shoe Manufacturers’ Association of
Nigeria (POSMAN), churn out about 300,000 pairs of various
types of shoes every week, as Sunday Sun learnt from Hon.
Goodluck Joseph Nmeri, presi¬dent of the association.
From Ariaria, the products are distributed across Nigeria,
Cameroon, Gabon, Togo, Benin Republic, Ivory Coast,
Equatorial Guinea and some parts of South Africa. In fact,
Cameroonian markets receive the highest number of
144,000 pairs of shoes every week.
The interesting thing is that the shoes are of very good
quality. Nmeri explains it this way: “Our own shoes last up
to three years if you are talking about quality. Any shoe
purchased here in Powerline, we will give you a guarantee of
two and half years or three years depending on usage. But
if you buy a normal coupled shoe here in Powerline, we will
give a guarantee of three years, unlike China shoes which
last for about six months.”
Despite this assurance on quality, shoe manufacturers in
Ariaria, Aba still find it difficult to label their products “Made
in Nigeria.” What is the reason? Nmeri was prodded. And
here’s his response: “In the early ‘80s through the middle
90’s, we were doing well and proudly labelling our products
‘Made in Aba.’ By then people were coming from various
African countries such as Gabon, Togo, Benin Republic,
Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea and some parts of South
Africa (they are our major customers), to place orders for
our products. After finishing the shoes, we would send the
goods to them by waybill.
“So, we were doing absolutely well until Nigeria signed a
bilateral trade agreement with China. It was a very unwise
thing to do. You see, Chinese businesses were producing
what we produce, but it was substandard and cheaper.
“Chinese were using machines, modern technologies and
cheap stable power supply to produce shoes. Soon they
started flooding Nigeria with their sub-standard shoes which
were also flashy. Nigerian women rushed for them and
abandoned our own because we normally use leather and
synthetic leather to produce footwear that last longer than
the Chinese products. In China, they use lining to produce
their shoes and that’s why the last only for three months.
It was when that agreement was signed that we started
having problems here in terms of sales. If you go into the
market today, you will see China-made shoes everywhere in
the market where our products are supposed to dominate;
that is the number one challenge we have.”
He explains further: “Initially, as I said earlier, in the early
80s, we were labelling our products as “Made-in-Aba”
because we had no challenge then. When the Chinese
flooded our markets with their shoes, we found it very
difficult to sell and sustain our families. To be able to sell
our products then, we were compelled by the attitude of
Nigerians to label our products “Made-in-China” because
our customers believed that the Chinese shoes were
superior. Some of our people also took it further and labeled
their products “Made-in-Italy,” so that they could get
patronage. So we copied the labels, logos and other
symbols of the imported Chinese products. Our products
looked exactly like the Chinese shoes and when mixed with
them, the customers could not differentiate the Chinese
shoes from the ones we made in Aba.
“Indeed it was because of hunger that we did it. At that time,
you could make 20 pairs of shoes in one day and it would
take you one week to sell them unlike in the past when we
could produce and sell 200 pairs within three days.
Moreover, we were producing according to specified orders
placed by our customers; therefore, we didn’t need to make
different samples, but just to finish the shoes as ordered
and freight to the customer. That was why we changed from
branding them as ‘Made-in-Aba’ to ‘Made-in-Italy’ and
‘Made-in-China.’ and it would take you one week to sell.
The cheery news is that shoe manufacturers in Aba have
now realized that though their action enabled them to earn
some income and sustain operations, what they did was not
good for either the Aba shoe industry particularly or Nigeria
at large. To reverse this, the leadership of the various
clusters have resolved to restore the pride of their craftsmen
in shoe design and production by stamping their products
“Made-in-Aba.”
Nmeri explains: “The present gov¬ernment in Abia State
promised to look into the plight of shoe makers in Aba;
because of this, we have directed our members to brand
their products ‘Made in Aba’ and they have started doing
that. To support us in this regard, we want the Federal
Government through the Ministry of Trade and Investment,
the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Bank of Industry to help
us create special intervention under the MSME Fund.
This will help us so much as we will be able to acquire better
machines at affordable cost and also secure long term
repayment plan. The government should also try to provide
stable power to Aba. What gives China an edge over us is
stable, cheap power supply, cheap labour and modern
production technology. Our people are gifted and very
enterprising. We can make substantial contribution to the
Gross Domestic Product of the country earns and foreign
exchange from export of shoes made by our indigenous
enterprises. Please help us take this message to President
Muhammadu Buhari.”
So, when next you are buying shoes, endeavour to look out
for the ones stamped ‘Made-in-Aba’ because they have been
confirmed to be more durable and in most cases cheaper
than the foreign ones. http://anambrariansnews.com.ng/?p=24499 |
Re: Why We Put Made In China, Italy On Our Shoes – Ariaria Shoemakers by neejay1986(m): 7:42am On Feb 22, 2016 |
Made in ABa Shoe......... why Ebuka come go buy fake for me? mtchewwww...... I gat visit that place myself. |
Re: Why We Put Made In China, Italy On Our Shoes – Ariaria Shoemakers by Immatex(m): 7:44am On Feb 22, 2016 |
Made in the United States of Aba. My city and State |
Re: Why We Put Made In China, Italy On Our Shoes – Ariaria Shoemakers by ndulyf: 7:45am On Feb 22, 2016 |
Nice one .................... |
Re: Why We Put Made In China, Italy On Our Shoes – Ariaria Shoemakers by Nmeri17: 4:16pm On May 19, 2016 |
chiefobdk:LIES!! I never uttered any of deez lies |
Re: Why We Put Made In China, Italy On Our Shoes – Ariaria Shoemakers by chiefobdk(m): 4:35pm On May 19, 2016 |
1 Like |
Re: Why We Put Made In China, Italy On Our Shoes – Ariaria Shoemakers by Nmeri17: 5:12pm On May 19, 2016 |
chiefobdk:Fraudulent dolt. Keep playing with your destiny. |
Re: Why We Put Made In China, Italy On Our Shoes – Ariaria Shoemakers by dollaflow(m): 5:38pm On May 19, 2016 |
hmmm |
Re: Why We Put Made In China, Italy On Our Shoes – Ariaria Shoemakers by chiefobdk(m): 7:36pm On May 19, 2016 |
Nmeri17: why are you so pained. ? have you not eaten? 1 Like |
Re: Why We Put Made In China, Italy On Our Shoes – Ariaria Shoemakers by Ademat7(m): 8:10pm On May 19, 2016 |
without bias low self esteem is d main reason,are they d only one that produce in Nigeria? |
Re: Why We Put Made In China, Italy On Our Shoes – Ariaria Shoemakers by Infinitikoncept(m): 8:52pm On May 19, 2016 |
I've bought their shoes and seriously dey are rugged |
(1) (Reply)
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