Established in 2002, with headquarters in the UK our client is a dynamic and innovative wine supplier with winemaking partners and collaborations in Italy, Australia, Portugal, Germany and the USA.
Summary of Requested Service(s)
The client approached us for one of our market support services (Scam investigation) to verify the authenticity of the agents handling the registration of their wine products with NAFDAC – The Nigerian federal agency that oversees and regulates the registration and statutory licensing of edible products.
Service Execution/Results
ETK commenced thorough expert investigation on the supposed agents, discovered and provided evidence of fraud. The agents were fraudsters who had forged NAFDAC registrations documents and gave impressions that the process was ongoing whilst there were no existing records at the agency. The agents had billed the client quadruple of the total of the required registration fees. ETK initiated legal prosecution, provided the client with the approved, verified and authentic billing fee from NAFDAC and successfully concluded the registration of 12 product varieties through our trusted licensing/registration custodians in NAFDAC.
After the successful conclusion of the scam investigation, ETK was further engaged by the client to help them secure Distributors/Agents in Nigeria for their wine products. A viable wine dealer was secured, followed by extensive local market and field activities. An ongoing process for shipping-in the products into Nigeria is already underway.
With over 50 years of business operation, this ETK client is an acknowledged leader in the development and manufacture of measurement and control solutions for industrial processes, playing a dominant role in the food, bulk and tobacco; film extrusion and converting; cable and tubing; and metals industries. Headquartered in the USA, with operational facilities in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Japan and China, a network of Sales and Service distribution channels in more than 60 countries around the world, and a financial portfolio of £3billion.
Summary of Requested Service(s)
The client approached ETK, requesting to get into Nigeria through one of our market entry services (Distributor/Agent Selection) to enable them secure credible Distributors/Partners for their wide range of precision measurement equipment, as part of their business expansion strategy into West Africa.
Service Execution/Results
ETK carried out extensive local market research, and shortlisted viable/credible partners for the client in Nigeria. Further advisory services were provided to them and the most viable partner – a major distributor of measurement equipment in Nigeria was selected. ETK successfully launched the company into the Nigerian business space, marking a major milestone for them to establish themselves as a key player in one of Africa’s largest machinery/equipment markets.
Founded in 2011 with presence in over 7 African countries, and also becoming a recognized brand in Africa, our client’s products are manufactured to international standards and customized to different environmental conditions and for people of colour.
Summary of Requested Service(s)
The client approached us to help them establish their business presence in Africa and globally using our market entry services
Service Execution/Results
ETK provided expert marketing strategy, and shortlisted leading distribution channels that the client could work with, to sell their wide range of beauty products – all which matched their criteria. ETK helped the client’s brand to successfully launch its business operations into Kenya, South Africa and Tanzania, and are currently working to launch the brand’s global coverage with entry into the UK.
Nigeria’s Twitter Ban was announced on Friday, June 4, 2021, by Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, who confirmed the indefinite suspension of Twitter in the country. He also disclosed the government’s directive to the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to start licensing all over-the-top (OTT) and social media operations. Nigerians are naturally outraged by the action, which they regard as another government infringement on freedom of expression. While this has come as a shock to most people in and outside of Nigeria, we seem to forget that this is becoming a growing trend amongst African countries over the last eight years; for example, between 2007 and 2015, Uganda, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Guinea, Algeria, Burundi, Chad, Mali, Sudan, Togo, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe all implemented full or partial shutdowns. However, with these actions free speech is not the only thing that is being harmed.
The unintended consequences of the Twitter ban – effects on trade
The ramifications of Nigeria’s Twitter ban have already spread beyond politics; for example, the gagging order has begun to wreak havoc on Nigeria’s beleaguered economy, resulting in a loss of N10 billion in the last four days. According to NetBlocks, a watchdog organisation that monitors cyber-security and governance of the Internet, each hour of the social media gagging costs Nigeria about $250,000 (N102.5 million), bringing the daily loss to N2.5 billion.
The digital platform has always been the haven of Nigeria’s youth, who are renowned for their resourcefulness and have been able to utilize the platform in such a way that it has provided a channel for them to conduct business, find employment, and start their careers. Young people in Nigeria have benefited from Twitter’s ability to bypass the country’s extremely restricted and fragmented physical infrastructure.
Furthermore, twitter has been a vital connection in the operations of millions of small and medium-sized businesses; it enables for the type of commercial rivalry that provides consumers with choices, resulting in innovation and improved products and services.
Gbenga Sesan, executive director of the Paradigm Initiative, a pan-African social enterprise working on digital inclusion and rights, stated that the suspension of Twitter sends the wrong signal to foreign investors, adding those small businesses using Twitter as a source of livelihood in Nigeria will be affected.
The way forward?
For the sake of Nigerian domestic and international trade, which is crucial for post-pandemic recovery, it is critical that both parties find a solution to this issue. If the Nigerian government wishes to ‘regulate’ platforms, the core basis for that would need to be clearly defined – freedom of expression and national security are on very different ends of the spectrum, where one is a fundamental human right and the other is a core responsibility of government. From an economic perspective, lost productivity and commerce is at stake, as well as long-term reputational damage to the country’s ability to attract investment to its digital economy. In other words, the actions of the government need to reflect that the country is truly, open for business.
