Nigerian Companies And A Culture Of "follow Follow".
The tendency for Nigerian blue chip companies to draw inspiration from local traders and age-long methods is commendable.
While manufactures of cocoa-based beverages swiftly imbibed the techniques of makers of Eruku Oshodi, a product made of ground cocoa in crude sachets, commercial banks drew inspiration from local thrift collectors and recruited young men and women to do similar jobs on "Malams" in Mile 12 market!
Over the decades however, I have made persistent and repeated observations of Nigerian companies and their tendency to engage in what is commonly referred to in our climes as "follow follow".
By this I do not refer to nominal copycats who are suddenly stirred into wakefulness from their slumber to start packaging plantain chips and "chin chin" in sizeable sachets just because some other creative fellow has done same and seems to be "making it"!
I refer to high-octave fully incorporated entities.
You may observe that a particular locale seems underserved by banks but none of the commercial banks would budge until one of them summons up courage to put up an outlet there. Then, you would see so many bank branches spring up side by side with the trail blazer! Having these bank outlets within the same vicinity is not as stultifying as having them lined up side by side on the same street!
Even when a point of apparent saturation is reached as such areas are overserved by banks, none would move to other visibly lucrative areas....or even cross over to the other side of the same street....until there is another wave of infantile migration!
The "big" banks refused to see the light until new generation banks (now closed down due to insolvency....most unfortunately,) spearheaded the establishment of branches within high-volume business areas like Ofin, Apongbon, Jankara and Isale-Eko streets like Reclamation, Idoluwo and Iga Idunganran in Lagos! It was so impressive seeing those innovative banks operate out of tiny flats in those days before greed propelled their officials to run them down!
It was after those small banks had shown the way that the big ones like UBA, Union Bank, First Bank, Wema Bank, Skye Bank, Access Bank and Zenith Bank "followed".....
In similar vein, manufacturers of foods, beverages , milk and other dairy products never seem to be able to come up with fresh ideas until one is smart enough to spearhead a change say, commence packaging in small sachets.
Then as Promasidor propels Cowbell to follow the footsteps of Eruku Oshodi, others briskly copy.... As it launches a cocoa-milk mixture, the copycats again jump on the wagon! So, now we have Nestle "sachetizing" its Milo in the minutest of sizes as Cadbury is set to follow with Bounvita sachets! Miksi and Dano have since trod the same path. Even Dangote has now begun packaging granulated sugar in tiny sachets of N50!
Manufacturers of detergent powders and other sundry cleaning and cleansing products are not left out of the dubbing craze....so you find Omo, Surf, Klin and Bimbo all hopping onto the copy-wagon!
This funny trend cannot be better illustrated than in the Telecommunications (Telecom) sector where if you see an apparently fresh and innovative idea emanating from one company, be rest assured that its competitors are definitely going to copy it verbatim in a matter of days....even hours!
Big restaurant chains called eateries are not left out of this copycat epidemic. When I saw in those days, that Tantalizers had planted an outlet just opposite Mr Biggs in Ilupeju, Lagos, I thought it was mere coincidence till I saw this company repeat same "feat" at Masha in Surulere, also in Lagos! Then, I noticed the same trend in Tejuosho, Yaba, Lagos.....as Tantalizers yet again set up another outlet just opposite Mr Biggs! By the time Tantalizers put up another branch "side-by-side" with Tasty Fried Chicken on Lagos Road, Ikorodu, I knew something must be wrong somewhere! There seems to be a "healthy" gap between both companies' outlets on Broad Street though....
Even dentrifice i.e. toothpaste makers would not be outdone in "giraffing" their peers as they all now want to make herbal varieties....even when none of their products tastes herbal or feels herbal!
Aside from a visible refusal to think up fresh ideas, these companies appear hell bent on asphyxiating one another out of existence....in the most brazen and crudest of fashion!
A major drawback of unhealthy competition is a reduction in quality, lack of sincerity to deliver on promised freebies and extras and outright lies! So when MTN for instance vows to dole out extra "credit" or "data", be sure to get rapid notices of "Dear valued customer, you have used 75% of your data" as soon as you click on to the internet. Airtel is no better. Nor is Etisalat or Glo....
We must however not forget to appreciate the creative ingenuity of those trailblazers and brilliant pacesetters whose innovations have ushered in a breath of fresh air in these sectors.... Eruku Oshodi again comes to mind here!
And while UAC continually miniaturizes the size of Gala as also-rans like Meaty or Beafy follow, we call for extra vigilance by sanitary authorities to ensure that consumers abide by the instructions on such miniaturized packaging on proper disposal of wrappings.......and maintenance of environmental hygiene!
Dr Tosin Akindele is a medical practitioner and public affairs analyst.