A Tour of Aba’s Garment and Shoe Clusters — the foundation of Nigeria’s Ready-Made Garment (RMG) and Shoe Industries
Since my journey into the Ready-Made Garment (RMG) world began over 13 years ago, (2006), a tour of and documentary on Aba have always been top on my mind. But with the rate of kidnapping in the South-East and South-South region of the country at the time, I feared to pursue this desire.
Over the years, I had the opportunity to meet and discuss with industrial development experts — and people in general — who had visited the city. I thought the combined knowledge and experience of these people sufficed as knowledge about the city. Going to Aba was no longer a priority for me.
The European Union (EU) Delegation to Nigeria and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) invited me to make a keynote presentation at the EU Niger-Delta/Rivers Investors’ Seminar which held on March 6th, 2017 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. The presentation was on “Using the RMG industry to Lead Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development (ISID) of Nigeria’s Cotton, Textile and Garment (CTG) value chain”. At the end of the program, the EU team again requested that I should join them the next day on a trip to Aba in Abia State, which is about an hour drive. The next morning we headed out.
While on the road, I argued with another participant. Told him I had read study reports on Aba and had discussed severally with some industrial development experts about the city. I said I had all the information I needed on Aba and didn’t think there was anything new to discover. He tried to convince me otherwise, that I could not grasp the truth about city until I saw the markets and clusters there with my own eyes. Long story short, at the end of our tour I went to him and admitted that he couldn’t be more right. As we say in my language (Yoruba): “Iroyin o to afojuba!” In English, this translates as “a report is not the same as seeing with your eyes”.
The sights, the sounds, the people; My goodness! Shop after shop with piles of shoes and clothes all made in Aba or ‘Made in Nigeria’. The people are not deterred by the quality of their products, which is some notches lower than the international standard.
Store after store with piles of fabrics, accessories, etc. Even with these, too, being grades lower than international standards, it has not stopped the Aba people from continuing with their production.
Immediately we arrived, we had a town hall meeting with the State’s Association of Fashion Designers and Tailors, as well as the Association of Leather and Shoe Producers. Their faces were beaming with excitement and enthusiasm. Their energy and zeal filled the hall and were palpable. We all caught it!
The Presidents of the two Associations made their presentations. They stated their challenges which of course were the “usual suspects” — poor infrastructure, the high cost of power and doing business generally, difficulty in accessing the markets (domestic and export), poor or lack of intervention from government, financial support, etc.
Immediately after the town hall meeting, we proceeded on a tour of the popular Aba garment, leather and shoe clusters.
Our first stop was the courtyard of a one-storey building that somewhat functioned as a garment “factory”. The “factory” made shirts, jackets and uniforms. Though unorganized, there were men and women in the rooms performing various tasks. Those on the first floor all came out to the balcony and stared down at us. Those on the ground floor surrounded us. They were all filled with excitement. As though their long-awaited hope had arrived — hope for a better work environment, skills enhancement, better life…
There were clusters of small petrol generators in the building. When we came out and continued on the streets, similar generators were everywhere and in every corner, blaring and pumping out smoke with no one caring.
There were men, young and old, busy working in small shops. The shops were lined up one after the other. Some sold fabrics, some accessories, others sewed. Music blasted from one of the fabric shops and Ambassador Arrion started a dancing competition with the shop owner, right on the streets of Aba garment cluster.
Women — single, married and even some backing their babies — all behind their sewing machines, in shops, sheds and corrugated tin shacks. They were working and sweating in the heat as the generator only powered their machines.
There were gutters everywhere with most of them dirty and smelly. The roads were muddy even though it was the dry season. One could only imagine what it would be like when the rains come. All the traders and garment workers came out to the streets and on their balconies to catch a glimpse of the tall white men who came with an entourage to visit their decrepit cluster.
We also visited a two-storey dressmaking “factory” — it was more of a workshop by international standards. Then we proceeded to the leather and shoe cluster.
Indeed, Aba is Nigeria’s launch pad to becoming the preferred emerging hub for production and global export of quality affordable Ready-Made Garments (RMG). Aba garment, leather and shoe clusters are like a goldmine waiting to be exploited.
The people, men and women both young and old, their entrepreneurial spirit, their energy, their zeal, their doggedness — determined to succeed despite the harsh economic environment and incredibly high cost of doing business. Through all the hardship, they’ve all found a way to keep on going — to keep on walking like Johnnie Walker. All I can say is, Aba, I doff my hat to you!
First Published in February 2017
