An African market without African products

What makes an item, or food product, African? Is it the nationality of the producer(s), the location of production, the source of raw materials, the brand name, or the intended consumers?

Imagine a product labelled “Yellow Plantain Fufu” with the brand name “AFRICAN DELIGHT”, It immediately creates the impression of African authenticity. Such slogans coupled with packaging that feature alluring African designs, colours, and patterns reinforce this perception. Now, imagine also the confusion and disappointment evoked when, upon consumption and closer scrutiny, one realises that unconnected products have been packaged in place of plantains, and this product originates from Western Europe, not Africa. This is the sad reality of many Africans in the diaspora. Products claiming to be something from/of Africa, carrying African-sounding names, and yet containing nothing from/of the African continent.

Ms Mobolaji, a Nigerian abroad, shares her experience shopping African products in Northern Europe: ‘I often buy a particular brand of ‘poundo-yam’ (also known as pounded-yam flour) to prepare ‘Iyan’, and I choose this brand because it bears one of my native names. That connection with home appeals to me. It assures me that I am getting a taste of home. Not until recently did I realise that the product was produced and packaged in Western Europe; it also did not contain any yam, only potatoes and rice, European and Asian staples. I was so shocked.’

While various elements can connect a product to Africa or African culture, the true authenticity of these products can be elusive, leading to a broader discussion about what genuinely constitutes an African product. These African-specific branding on products raises questions about the exploitation of the African brand as a marketing strategy just to lure the huge African population in the Diaspora.

The African Diaspora is estimated to be over 300 million and scattered across all the different parts of the world. One can rightly imagine that this growing population corresponds with the expansion of the African market abroad. One expects that this should lead to an increase in the GDP contribution of the agricultural sector in Africa and the growth of its rural economies, since most food production is situated in rural communities. But this is not so and hasn’t been the case. Who is benefiting from the allure of the African brand abroad?

The answer to this question is not far-fetched, as many of the popular brands of processed African foods in African stores abroad are produced and distributed by companies that aren’t African to begin with. Just industrious people, with knowledge and resources, taking advantage of a waiting market.

In a recent policy intervention webinar, a part series themed ‘Nigeria’s Agricultural Sector: Balancing Domestic Consumption Needs with International Export Demands’, Olufemi Boyede, an international trade consultant, recommended the concept of export production villages. In practice, this would mean earmarking and supporting different locations (or communities) across the country for commercial production of crops and commodities for the export market. This is not the case of bringing in private (or foreign) investors to produce on these lands, but rather enabling local people or indigenous people to access the resources and technological aids they need to consistently produce internationally desired quality and quantity. This focused and organised export-oriented production has great potential: it will make international trade easier; foreign buyers can easily locate raw material sources, aggregate, and ascertain product quality and standards. It could promote rural development, create jobs, make local livelihoods more resilient, increase forex earnings, and most of all, strengthen the country’s currency.

Despite the many challenges and woes that plague most parts of the continent, the African people, home and abroad, are proud of their culture and heritage and cherish their Afro identity and connections, including food. Hence there is a market to cater to, and the following recommendations can help ensure that the African diaspora gets the genuine products they desire and that producing African countries get the revenue they deserve.

The African diaspora needs to be attentive to details specified on African products when they shop; the country of origin or production, the company responsible for packaging and distribution, and product certifications out of African countries are some examples. Equipped with this knowledge, they can ensure that they are choosing genuinely African products, and supporting the African economy when they buy products labelled – ‘African’. Demand controls supply, and the more a brand is selected, the more local African stores will stock their shelves with that brand.

African leaders should recognise that Africa is a brand, a trademark, and until they set standards and controls on the use of that brand as a label, anyone will exploit it. For this to happen, all hands must be on deck; it required multi-contributory efforts to enact practicable and useful policies and regulations.

Diplomatic relations should be mutually beneficial, not one-sided. And so, collaborating with international trade agencies to establish and enforce policies and regulations that enable the recuperation of revenues due to African countries from the African label should be put in place. For instance, stating that products must contain at least 50 percent African-sourced raw materials to carry or imply an African identity is one way to go.

Many private organisations producing and selling locally within Nigeria, for instance, are going the extra mile to showcase the traceability of their products by including brief, captivating stories of their procurement and supply chain systems on their product packages or labels. Exporters should do likewise. With details like this on African products, Africans abroad can easily identify what is truly African and support such.