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Indeed, everyday consumer goods make up a large portion of the country's massive imports. According to the latest foreign trade report by the National Institute of Statistics, plant-based products and cereals accounted for 9% and 10.5% of imports, respectively, during the aforementioned period. For a country with thousands of hectares of arable land, this is somewhat surprising. Consequently, the agriculture, forestry, and livestock sector is a goldmine of business opportunities for entrepreneurs.
Numerous tax incentives are available for those looking to start out. Furthermore, buying local and drastically reducing imports would ensure product traceability and guarantee that manufacturing processes meet local standards from the outset. Consumer associations frequently raise concerns—rightly or wrongly—about the quality of certain imported goods (such as food and cosmetics), sometimes deeming them harmful to health. Additionally, from an environmental perspective, short supply chains help protect the environment by reducing the carbon footprint of our purchases, which is a very timely concern.
Today, attending an event dressed in a Toghu made from Ndop fabric, a majestic Boubou, or a Sandja, rather than a three-piece suit or a foreign-made evening gown, is not just about fashion or non-conformity. It is also a statement of self-expression and positive visibility that benefits the local economy.
On the food front, the national economic situation in 2022—marked by the fallout from the Russia-Ukraine conflict and persistent inflation—highlighted our vulnerability. At the heart of these concerns was wheat, the main ingredient used for everyday staples like bread. Yet, local alternatives exist. We witnessed the strong consumer enthusiasm for bread made with sweet potato flour when local bakeries briefly tested the concept. This niche remains largely underutilized. As a result, import substitution (replacing imported goods with locally made ones) has merged with the buy-local trend, creating even more opportunities for resourceful local entrepreneurs.
Thirdly, and building on the above, consuming local products is naturally a matter of economic independence, driven in particular by the rise of local small and medium-sized businesses.
These businesses currently contribute very little to strengthening the economic fabric (4.45% according to the 2022 SME Statistical Yearbook). Paradoxically, however, local businesses make up 99.8% of the economic landscape.
Ultimately, beyond government efforts and policies, getting people to embrace local products—which currently suffer from a poor image and negative biases compared to imports—will require a shift in consumer mindset alongside a leap in manufacturing quality by producers. There is certainly no shortage of quality and ingenuity.
Contributor: François BM.
