Guardian

Artisans Accuse Govt, China Of Killing Enterprise

Use Stoves As Heating Machines

ABA shoemakers are crying wolf; their grouse being that the business, which once made the Ariara market an African destination for footwear buyers, is being asphyxiated by poor infrastructure, low patronage and unhealthy imports from China and nearby countries.

Citing lack of government support, access roads and power as major reasons for business failure, the shoemakers, under the aegis of the Powerline Shoe Manufacturing Association of Nigeria, Ariaria International Market Aba, Abia State, now push for a ban on importation of finished shoe products.

Driven by efforts from the Southeast region, specifically the Ariara Market, an unstructured Nigerian shoe industry had, in the 1970s and 1980s, produced and exported finished products; until, according to the entrepreneurs, Chinese shoes came to make local manufacturing less significant.

Even now, China’s shoe market thrives at the expense of Nigeria’s simply because no real effort is being made to expand the sector that currently employs over 50,000 youths and contributes reasonably to Abia State government’s revenue.

With regards to shoe making, Mr. Goodluck Nmeri, the president of Powerline Shoe Manufacturing Association of Nigeria and director of NMERI Shoes Ltd., said Ariaria was once Nigeria’s pride among the comity of African nations.

He regrets that foreign competitors are now able to produce neater products with the aid of effective cutting and heating machines, a situation that poses serious threat to local manufacturing.

According to Nmeri, Nigerians’ penchant for foreign goods forces local manufacturers to imitate foreign-made shoes; hence, they (Araria shoe makers), sometimes, imprint marks like made-in-Italy on their products.

“This industry employs over 50,000 people, including apprentices, their masters and suppliers,” Nmeri disclosed.

“I included suppliers, because, we collaborate with sellers, who supply us materials like leather, gums and others on credit. But, since four years ago, we have a deplorable condition due to the fact that China and United Arab Emirates (Dubai, to be precise) entered our business and sell within the industry.

“We make better shoes than China and Dubai but Nigerians prefer foreign-made shoes, and that is why we put ‘Made-in-Italy’ in order to sell ours. China’s shoes last only for few months but Aba-made shoes lasts for more than two years. Since they prefer foreign brands, we put those names to enable us feed our families.

“For the past three years, we have been attending seminars organised by government and private companies with a view to encouraging us to label our products ‘Made-in-Nigeria.’

Now, many of our artisans no longer go with that deception. In some cases, you will see the stamp alone without name, while some have carved made-in-Nigeria stamps.

“We have a problem with quality control due to lack of machines. We need money to produce in large quantity. We have asked the leaders to give us machines and soft loan to help young school leavers join the business and stop depending on white-collar jobs. This industry has the capacity to take thousands of both able and disabled young men and women off the roads.

“Unfortunately, our demands do not go beyond this State. The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and the World Bank came here to train us on how to improve our products but the problem remains low patronage for Aba-made shoes.

“They prefer that of Dubai and China, which do not last long; hence, the industry is dying day by day. We do not have apprentices. They have all joined Okada and tricycle (Keke) ridding to fend for their families since the market is no longer generating enough income.

“Those elderly and experienced shoe makers, who could not stand the hunger, have also joined Okada business too. Some are now bricklayers. For me, I have stayed too long in this business and there is nowhere for me to go. We are already in prison here and people are dying prematurely due to lack of money.

“Aba shoe industry has gone a long way generating revenue for the country but the country has refused to recognise this. Cameroonians come to Aba to buy shoes, bags and belts. The bags out there are going to Cameroun, Ghana and Equatorial Guinea. If not for God, this industry would have gone under.

“We are suffering here and we do not have conducive environment. We don’t have good access roads; the moment it rains, we are in trouble. Electricity is like HIV that does not have any cure. If you see it now, the next moment, it is gone, and nobody knows; yet we work and sleep here.

“Government should be supportive. We have gathered the skills and knowledge that nobody taught us; Nigerians should encourage us. Foreigners entered into the country and started doing what they want because government has failed to support and recognise this industry as the pride of the country. Chinese came in here and took samples of our shoes and brought them back in another way and in large quantity.

“Chinese designs are picked from us and put together with a special kind of gum. We locally manufacture our gums and most times, it makes our work last less than what it should. My fear is that if we die, this industry might fold up because we don’t have apprentices anymore due to lack of patronage and government support.

“Nigerians, especially women, patronise Chinese shoes and bags because they are flashy; women like flashy things but not durable. This has affected our economy because when they buy the Chinese shoes, it will go bad within few days and they will buy another one. That is, building Chinese economy at the expense of Nigeria’s.

“During the time of President Olusegun Obasanjo, this industry had some great peace. Obasanjo, through several of his intelligent economic policies, put food on our tables. Then, all the African countries came to Aba for shoes. They pay cash and asked us to produce certain number of shoes for them.

“We worked with high morale, because there was market for our products. But the story is no longer the same with the current administration. There are all manner of fake shoe products coming into the country and nobody is saying anything about it.

“President Jonathan and Abia State Governor, Theodore Orji, during their campaigns, had visited Ariaria market and promised to bring development, especially light and good road networks to the market; but, after they won the elections, they abandoned us. Jonathan, who claimed to know our problems, has forgotten about them.

“The Minister for Commerce and Industry came to Abia State and Ariaria was among the places he was to visit. That day came, we came out with our scissors and equipment to welcome him but the Governor barred him from coming to Ariaria market, because there was no single road to the market. They drove him round the town and within a short while, he was taken to the Airport.

“But my annoyance with the Minister was that he never visited this market; yet, he went back to Abuja and broadcast that he visited us. He said that we didn’t have any problem, that Ariaria market is well developed; whereas, nothing is working here. But all these were lies; or do you see development of any kind here? Government should not kill this industry, for it has great potentials.

“Every country has a business that their forefathers handed down to them. In China, there is Agriculture; so, why do we want to kill this with our own hands.  The Aba-made shoe is the only industrial product that Nigeria is known for.

“Government should emulate Obasanjo’s economic policies and save this industry from extinction.”

Mr. Kingsley Udo Kalu, another cobbler at the market, corroborated Nmeri’s position, saying that influx of finished shoe products, preference for foreign-made shoes, as well as official neglect by state and federal governments rendered the industry inactive.

He explained that exports from Aba-made shoes had earned the country huge revenue, adding that ban on importation of finished products would help the sector grow.

“Importation of raw materials for shoe making will do us more good than importation of fully coupled shoes from Dubai or China. We have the capacity to provide the country’s need for footwears. The shoe industry in Abia will soon go the way of many dead manufacturing plants in the country if the government fails to do something about the importation of finished shoes.

“I have what it takes to help myself and family but China has dominated the country and killing our business. If I offer my own product for sale at N1000 with quality leather, China will do theirs with inferior leather and sell at N600.

“Nigerians value foreign-made products a lot. They will always go for cheaper China products and regret it later. Let there be reduction in importation of China shoes. Ordinary, materials should be brought in but finished shoes affect our work badly.

“If I can’t make money out of what I’m doing to pay my children’s school fees, then, I will not want my children to go and suffer what I suffered. If the boys in this arena abandon this industry to face robbery, who will remain in Nigeria?

“Most of our colleagues have joined keke and okada riding for them to eat, since nobody patronises the Aba shoe industry.

“Government should support us. Obasanjo banned importation of finished products. Importation of finished products of any kind in the country is bad for the economy. Government knows what to do about it. We don’t have light here. I have been working with this stove as my heating machine for the past one month and no white man can withstand the heat I get from this stove.

Nigerians are strong people and they are not lazy. We can produce what to wear ourselves, but we need machines and electricity. Let them bring in raw materials and we will do the rest.

“Before I joined this business, Cameroonians and other African countries were flocking here with money but, now, China has killed our business with the help of government. Our African customers have gone to China, because, if they come to Nigeria, they will still see China; so what is the need for them, coming to Nigeria to buy China shoes?

“My children will not join this business except I see an improvement. They will not come and die here as well, the heritage of our fathers, notwithstanding.”