Emeka Orjih advances challenges facing a number of Igbo business people in Lagos from answering the call of aku-Luo-uno.
The proposal on how to move Igbo and their businesses to the Southeast is utopian, I must say.
Firstly, it presupposes that Igbo businesses actually want to move to the Southeast. I suspect that may not be majorly true. At least for now. Perhaps in the future? Perhaps.
I suspect that more Igbo businesses in Lagos do not want to move to Alaigbo than want to.
Why may that be the case? Here are nine reasons.
Market Size: There are issues of market size. Lagos market size alone dwarfs entire South east
Buying power: Disposable income of that market: Thats purely much higher in Lagos even on a per capita basis
Infractucture: Better in Lagos. Reduces cost of doing business
Political fallouts: i heard Hope Uzodimma pulled down someone’s hotel a few days ago because, as rumors say, he’s PDP. Whether that’s true or not…we know such happens relatively regularly in the SE
Insecurity: Need i say more?
Supply chain Management: There are lots of inputs that we require for our businesses that are more available and likely to be located in Lagos than in SE
Lifestyle: Some prefer the cosmopolitan lifestyle in Lagos. It also reduces interference from extended family and village folk
Other Social Issues: Like Sit an Home. And the propensity for such to happen and be implemented for so long in Southeast. This can’t even cross into ordinary Ikwerre or Asaba. So there’s something in our mix that leaves us prey to such. Its sit at home today. Who knows what it’ll be next, some will ask themselves?
Cosmopolitanism and access to essentials like quality health care, schools, entertainment, etc: For now, truth be told, in the Southeast, only Enugu can attempt to match Lagos in this aspect. And some people can’t do without that.
Overcoming challenges in aku-Luo-uno
Yes…like I suggested in the begining, over time these could all be fixed. But right now? In there absence? I doubt that if the opportunity existed … that Igbo businesses will wanna move to SE in droves.
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