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Why This Nigerian City Is The “Japan of Africa” And The Headquarters of Light Manufacturing




By Tekedia Editors July 18, 2014 Leave a Comment






As the unveiling of the Nigeria innovation cluster mapping report draws close, we provide a snapshot of one of the cities we studied.




Sponsored by the Tony Elumelu Foundation, the Nigeria Innovation Cluster Mapping project is poised to uncover the pockets of industry clusters where companies with similar attributes co-exist in Nigeria. The research will provide government and business community with data and tools for understanding what drives clustering, in every region of Nigeria, and how policy can boost its efficiency. This project will help take guesswork out of innovation policymaking by assisting government to know where innovations are occurring, their forms, and how to nurture them.



Nnewi is a city in Anambra State in the southeastern part of Nigeria. The city houses Innoson Motors – Nigeria’s first indigenous car manufacturing plant. It has tropical rainforest weather and suffers severe erosion and leaching. It is a city of industries with evolving light manufacturing. Motorcycle spare parts, textiles, palm oil, cosmetics, motor, electric cables, and so on are produced in commercial quantity in the area. That has earned Nnewi the title of Japan of Africa by the locals.



It is by far the largest city built by ordinary citizens with minimal direct government stimulation in the manufacturing sector within Nigeria. It is not a state capital but it has managed to build a solid manufacturing ecosystem through dogged entrepreneurial persistence. The players are mainly Igbos – known for their mastery of trade and commerce, educated or not. Analysis of the ecosystem is puzzling – some of the factory owners dropped out of secondary school and yet have achieved what highly educated people have only dreamt.



It boasts of federal funded National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) which first made a wholly Made-in-Nigeria motorcycle. Unfortunately for NASENI, it is yet to find a profitable commercial viability of its experiment. Some of the leading indigenous manufacturing firms in Nigeria like Cutix, ADswitch, Ibeto Group etc are located in Nnewi. It has the most vibrant auto industry in Nigeria with networks of companies that make spare parts for cars. The city has strong linkage with Asia and a big component of Nigeria’s quest to improve the manufacturing sector. Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH) is located in this city.



Nnewi irrespective of its progress still needs to improve quality in its products. Total Quality Management (TQM) must be adopted across all its operations in order to improve quality and advance production efficiency. The auto parts are largely sub-standard when benchmarked with the original ones that come with cars. Just as they improved in Nigerian cable and pushed the sector into one of the highest quality products in the region, they need to do same in other areas. As electricity capacity improves in the nation, they will have better cost model with lesser expenses on energy. Building factories of the future will require advanced technical skills, it is important that players in this field consider jointly funding a technical trade school that will train their welders, draught men and others to the best international standards just as some U.S. firms do when they have talent challenges.



Close to Nnewi in the same state is Awka which is the state capital. Awka is known as the home of blacksmiths and has a legendary metal work tradition. It hosts two main universities – Nnamdi Azikiwe University and Paul University. A closer collaboration between the entrepreneurs in Nnewi and the universities could unlock more opportunities in these cities.



Contributor: Ndubuisi Ekekwe

Nnewi can be likened to Aba in many ways: high indigenous productivity but crass governmental neglect.
There is no reason why these two cities should not be living up to their names
I hope Obiano does something with Nnewi, and that the next Gov of Abia (or of Aba State, if they get a new State) deal with Aba as it should be.

Na thunder go fire those SE politicians who want me to pity them because they get low allocations, yet they can't do much with the little they have.
All Aba needs are good roads and public sanitation (not free education, school meals, rice, etc) but T.A Orji couldn't deliver on that for 8 long years.
Tufiakwa

Ibeto Group of
Companies, Cutix and ADswitch,
Uru Industries Ltd, Omata
Holdings Ltd, Cento Group of
Companies, Coscharis of
Companies Group, Innoson Group
of Companies, Ebunso Nig. Ltd,
John White Industries, Ejiamatu
Group of Companies, Chicason
Group, Louis Carter Group, etc.
I will come up with the list of products manufactured by each group

Igbos,we are great!.

Where are the eví.l children of Oduduwa,come and see what it means to build real economy from the scratch.

Donmarrius: Igbos,we are great!.

Where are the eví.l children of Oduduwa,come and see what it means to build real economy from the scratch.

you are a pathetic fellow.

Mhmm

I rep nnewi south local govt.
Eziama amichi on point..........GBAM!!!!!!!

Nnewi is a town where you'll see a confirmed millionaire still riding his bike to market everyday while riding his car only on sunday cos he has to carry his family. So many millionaires here....proudly repping Nnewi though am not from here but I've lived here all ma life. #ItsAllAboutBusinessHere

weezii: Nnewi is a town where you'll see a confirmed millionaire still riding his bike to market everyday while riding his car only on sunday cos he has to carry his family. So many millionaires here....proudly repping Nnewi though am not from here but I've lived here all ma life. #ItsAllAboutBusinessHere

Lol