The governor of Abia State, Dr Alex Otti, has challenged Ndigbo to respond to the growing entry of Chinese nationals into retail business in Lagos by abandoning dependence on conventional trading and moving aggressively into manufacturing and digital commerce.
Otti said the changing face of commerce, particularly the emergence of Chinese competitors in a sector long dominated by Igbo traders, should compel Ndigbo to rethink their economic strategy rather than engage in a struggle to preserve the old model of trading.
He spoke Monday night at the Michael Okpara Auditorium, Umuahia, during the Igbo Day lecture and dinner organised by Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.
His words: “We are leaving that place of trading. In Abia, we have markets; the markets are important. But we are moving from the market to manufacturing.”
Otti said Abia was deliberately positioning itself as a manufacturing and technology hub, with his administration investing in digital skills and encouraging young people to participate in the emerging global digital economy.
“We are driving digital delivery. We are leaving that physical store for digital delivery. So, when somebody talked about Alibaba, that’s exactly where we are headed,” he said.
He was responding to concerns over the increasing presence of Chinese traders in Lagos retail markets and their growing competition with Igbo entrepreneurs.
Rather than see the development solely as a threat, Otti said Ndigbo should recognise it as evidence that the global economy was changing and adapt accordingly.
“So, why are the Chinese coming to compete with us? We are moving away from there. And it’s going to start in Abia.
“Abia is both manufacturing and then trading. But we are moving from conventional trading to digital trading. That’s where the world is going. You either embrace it or you risk being left behind,” he warned.
Otti said his administration’s TechRise initiative was designed to equip young Abians with skills required to compete in that emerging economy.
“When I spend money here training my young people in digital technology under the TechRise initiative, I know what I am doing. Some of them are already working for Google and Amazon from Aba,” he said.
