A Lesson In Market Strategy: What Igbo Traders Once Taught

The skit was widely praised as an illustration of Igbo commercial acumen - using capital and strategy rather than confrontation to control a market. That scenario is now playing out in reality. Chinese traders have entered certain markets selling goods more cheaply than their Igbo counterparts, effectively living out the very scenario the skit once poked fun at - only this time, the roles are reversed.

The response from affected traders has largely taken the form of protest and public demonstration against Chinese competition. A more strategically consistent response - one more in keeping with the ingenuity the skit celebrated - might have been for Igbo trade unions to pool their resources and buy out the Chinese traders' stock, rather than organize against their presence. @seun @myndd44 @dominique @lalasticlala