The news waves in recent times have been dominated by reports of numerous deaths attributed to drinking of Nigeria’s locally-brewed alcohol, known as Ogogoro. Strangely, this locally-distilled spirit has been known to conjure the imagery of merriments rather than mourning. It graced gatherings where friends are celebrated; newborns are welcomed and marital unions are commemorated. It is not just popular among the lower economic class, they adore this drink. The people of the Niger Delta are believed to brush their teeth with it. Such an interesting myth!
I am not an advocate of alcohol in any form. Far from it! But for a drink that is popular along the entire Nigerian southern belt, I believe that banning Ogogoro is a hasty reaction. As a brand management and public relations practitioner, I will align with perspectives that support providing conditionality for making sense of a bad situation. For me, the end-game should be goodwill and profits, underpinned by responsibility and social consciousness.
Moreover, history supports the argument that such ban will only breed a gang of clandestine rogue brewers who will profit from the trade but completely devoid of quality control and regulation. In this light, the American ban on ‘Moonshine’ drinks in the 1930s comes to mind. The locally-distilled spirit, believed to be brewed at nocturnal hours (hence the ‘Moonshine’ tag), was banned by the government due to tax and health issues. The ban drove the brewers underground. But the drinkers’ appetite grew, whilst illegal brewers made huge profits as demand outstripped supply. When alcohol became legal again in 1933, the Moonshine trade plummeted.
Similarly, Vokda the Eastern European distilled spirit, also had a troubled start. Until the 15th century, early production methods were crude, and vodka often contained impurities. With advanced production methods, packaging and marketing, vodka has assumed global fame and acceptance.
According to Statista.com, the 10 leading vodka brands in the United States posted total sales of about $1.74 billion (N346 billion) in the 52 weeks ending January 25, 2015. Smirnoff, the world’s leading Vodka brand, raked in $316 million (N63 billion), while Ciroc, which is promoted by P. Diddy (American hip-hop star) on a profit-sharing basis, recorded $58 million (N12 billion).
As Nigeria grapples with how to care for her millions of unemployed youths, government authorities must look extensively inward to either birth new industries or help existing ones achieve growth within responsible means.
I am aware of local brands producing and packaging distilled spirits in the country. However, my proposition is a bolder evolvement; an Ogogoro brand segment, a wholly-Nigerian creation.
This is achievable should the manufacturers, now facing the government sledgehammer, agree to work with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to create procedures for quality production and acceptable standards. This is not entirely new as we have the Nigerian sachet water sector or the ‘Pure Water’ market to learn from. Two decades ago, there was no Pure Water market. It evolved from unwholesome packaging of cold water in cellophane bags and selling same in the streets. Like Ogogoro, pure water then presented a huge health risk to the public. Today, pure water is produced within NAFDAC procedures and with better packaging and branding, the sector has witnessed tremendous public patronage as well as increased investments from Nigerian businessmen. Now, small scale operators make a handsome N15m annual profit.
I am confident that the Ogogoro market is at that threshold as the water business was years ago. Just as NAFDAC created standards for the business to thrive, I look forward to seeing the Ogogoro market segment revamped, modernized, embrace branding and marketing techniques and thrive beyond the hidden ramshackle camps that today characterize their production factories.
Odion Aleobua
