THE SPARTTERING OF NDIGBO IN LAGOS AND THE DILEMMA OF HEEDING THE CALL TO COME HOME: A MARKETING PERSPECTIVE

-Man Ede, Ojiagu Kingdom, Agbani: Oftentimes, we have yawning holes in our hearts brought by circumstances beyond us. At those critical moments, it's hard to find people to fill the hole with hope and empathy than those who think we're clueless or recalcitrant.

The case of Nd'igbo in Lagos being traumatized by the unending suppression and ugly prejudice against them is a case in point.

In the raging call for Ndigbo in Lagos to come home, one of the many facts some of those calling out Ndigbo in Lagos and other cities in the country do not care about or unconsciously forgot in chastising our brothers for seemingly non response to the call to bring back their businesses to develop Ala'Igbo is the Marketing implications of heeding the call. 

As Ndigbo, it's a fact that we are born with an inner drive to explore the world around us and our immediate environment as a spot for survival and attainment for self actualization, particularly in business. The accompanying curiosity is what takes the Igboman to the nooks and crannies of this world.

Like him or hate him, the Igboman is a man of industry, courageous and steadfast when it comes to eeking out a living. He will strive and thrive, no matter the challenges 

In marketing, it's widely held that the customer is the most important factor in business, far more important than profit, capital and other resources needed to run a business. They are the reason why we open our doors for business transactions. Without the customer, you don't see any sales. Their patronage drives revenue, without which a firm can neither survive nor thrive.

On marketing level, one singular purpose and desire occupies the mind of the businessman: sell as much as possible to as many as possible customers. This is in consonance with the importance of the customer to any business. Successful businessmen and women look for large concentration of customers, especially high-profile customers for a reason. This is true for both individuals and corporate organisations. 

Talking of market size, the 2023 population statistics puts Lagos metropolis population at 15,946,000 while those of the major commercial cities in the Southeast is 4,921,975 (Enugu 847,000, Owerri 983,352, Onitsha 1,623,000, Nnewi 1,239,000, Aba 1,189,000, and Abakaliki 662,000). That’s about 16 million against 5 million. It is not in doubt that Lagos holds more potential in drawing more businesses than Southeast market. 

Beside the number, Lagos serves all the neighbouring countries in the West African sub-region, both in terms of sale of products and obtaining supplies from them. 

As an analogy, ask yourself why you left your village to Enugu or any urban city, either as an employer or employee to an organisation, to learn a trade/skill or as a trader? Couldn’t you have done any of these in your village? Now consider people in your village hounding you to return home because the original owners of the city where you reside for years, for any reason, are asking you to leave their place. How easy and convenient will this be to you? 

Pointedly, have you ever thought of the implications and consequences of relocating a business? The cost of relocating a business is huge and providing such funds is tough. Even the very high-profile companies and individuals in business will go into a convulsing shock just changing the point of their operations. 

This is even different from other serious contending issues of having to start their businesses afresh, loss of customers and suppliers, finding new shops, offices and land for manufacturing as well as finding skilled manpower to continue production. Transportation cost nko? And note that some machines and equipment are near immoveable as soon as they are installed and prone to damages in changing their location. While some businesses will take up to 2 to 4 years to contend with the challenges of relocation, many will collapse and extinct in the process. 

Most of the returning businesses will meet already saturated markets, while others will top up the market on arrival. This will drive up competition (price wars, underselling, poor quality products to survive) between themselves and with those already on the ground to breaking point where very few will survive. 

For instance, statistics show that Dubai, despite its modest population, is already ranked second highest in the world (behind New York) in terms of mall density. As a global shopping destination, Dubal is reportedly beginning to show signs of market saturation resulting to retail trade over hang.

Overcrowded markets pose grave challenges to businesses and the chances of surviving such market shocks is usually very slim.

So, it’s not impossible this fate waits for our returning brothers from Lagos and other parts of the country and the world all over, and they know this because they wear the shoe. 

As we call on our brothers to return home in the spirit of Akuruoulo, let's not be led by the subjective experience of our emotions, but be reminded that sentiment is only healthy to the extent that it helps us achieve our goal.

Consequently, any time the issue of howling at Ndigbo in Lagos to come home, let’s remember that heeding this directive carries some dire implications for them, their families, and particularly their businesses. 

Inescapably, by this call to return home, coupled with chastising them for not heeding the call, clearly amount to passing a sentence. It therefore behoves on us to swing the sword.

Relocating a business is like walking on a tight rope. Providing our brothers a pole that adds balance to their steps as they walk is of essence.

So, starting from the Southeast Governors, they should come together to provide them a soft-landing field in terms of incentives like ease of doing business environment, provision of infrastructural facilities: power, water, land and motorable road network, including financial loans and assistance. This can be captured in their next Southeast Business Summit.