WHAT DOES IGBOLAND NEEDS? MARKETS or COTTAGE INDUSTRIES? DO YOU THINK IGBOLAND DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH MARKET THAT WILL WARRANT IGBO PEOPLE TO CONSIDER THE RELOCATION OF MOTOR SPARE PARTS MARKETS TO SOUTHEAST?

WE MUST NOT LIE TO OURSELVES...

After the Lagos gubernatorial election that stirred up a lot of ethnic strife between Igbo and Yoruba people, a lot of decisions has been made by Igbo people and one of those decisions is to move SPARE PARTS MARKET in Lagos to Southeast which is very commendable.

But let's be factual. What does Igboland needs? Markets or Cottage Industries? Do you think Igboland doesn't have enough market that will warrant Igbo people to consider the relocation of motor spare parts markets to Southeast? 

When it comes to Tokunbo spare parts, mgbuka Nkpor and mgbuka Obosi are serving the whole of Southeast and no one has complained that those markets are not enough.

When it comes to new spare parts, there are various new spare parts markets in all parts of Igboland. We have it at Nnewi, Aba, Owerri, Enugu and Ebonyi. All these markets are been supplied by importers at Tradefair Complex in Lagos.

Don't forget, it is virtually impossible to move the whole Igbo business men to southeast. Many of them has firmly establish in Lagos. But one if the things we are telling them to do is to move parts of their non landed investment to Southeast.

What makes businesses  flourish is population. Lagos alone has a population of over 20million dwellers with more than 8million car owners. That is a huge market for motor spare parts dealers. There is virtually nothing you couldn't sell in Lagos. 

In Anambra as a whole, the number of car users in that state is below 100,000. Nnewi city dwellers are inclined to the use of motorcycles as their preferred means of transportation. Infact, all the states in Southeast can't boast of more than 2million cars combined. That is a poor market for motor spare parts dealers.

So if you are moving spare parts markets to Southeast, remember that many Igbo businessmen will still remain in Lagos to buy spare parts from Southeast markets and then sell in their shops in Lagos where there are a great number of car users.

I can assure you that it is almost impossible for a group of Igbo people to relocate their businesses to Southeast without another group of Igbo businessmen relocating from Southeast to Lagos immediately as they would see it as an opportunity to fill the vacuum left by Igbo businessmen that relocated to Southeast.

So let's not lie to ourselves that relocating our businesses to Southeast is the best thing to do. There are enough markets in Southeast but meagre population of the region is the problem and that is the major reasons Igbo businessmen move to other heavily populated regions to establish their businesses. The best thing to do is to establish cottage industries in Southeast which will stop our people from leaving their regions to other regions in search of jobs and better standard of living.