- Title: NIGERIA: Nigerian boat maker does brisk business in floating slum.
- Date: 24th January 2013
- Summary: LAGOS, NIGERIA (RECENT) (REUTERS) WIDE VIEW OF MAKOKO VARIOUS OF FISHERMEN IN WATER/FISHERMEN IN BOAT GATHERING FISH INTO BASKETS MORE OF MAKOKO/SAW MILL VARIOUS OF SAW MILL WORKERS CUTTING WOOD VARIOUS OF SEGUN KUNUME, ENTREPRENEUR AND HIS WORKERS MAKING BOATS ARTISAN MAKING BOAT (SOUNDBITE) (Egun) SEGUN KUNUME, ENTREPRENEUR SAYING: "I went to school briefly and dropped out because of lack of funds, I wanted to do something with my life so I resorted to boat making business and it has served as a means of livelihood for me." MORE OF KUNUME AND WORKERS ASSEMBLING BOAT VARIOUS OF ARTISAN USING HAMMER AND NAIL/ARTISAN CUTTING WOOD (SOUNDBITE) (Egun) SEGUN KUNUME, ENTREPRENEUR SAYING: "Our clients are mainly fishermen and they normally come for the big boats, those that come for the small boats are those that do petty trading on water. We normally use six planks for the small boats and if it's more than six, it becomes a fisherman's boat." VARIOUS WORKERS MAKING BOAT BOATS ON THE WATER BOATS ARRANGED ON A SHACK VARIOUS OF WOMAN SELLING FOOD IN HER BOAT VARIOUS OF RESIDENTS PLYING THEIR TRADE
- Embargoed: 8th February 2013 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Nigeria
- Country: Nigeria
- Topics: Business,Economy
- Reuters ID: LVAA2ZUZJWGXHIAG4MISCFMN9S7A
- Story Text: Fishing is Makoko slum's most lucrative business, feeding a huge demand for fish in Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos. The boats that make this business possible are made by a handful of entrepreneurs like Segun Kunume who builds at least four boats every week
In Nigeria's sprawling Makoko slum, owning a boat is almost like owning your own car -- and making a boat means you are rarely short of customers.
Like a good car salesman, a boat maker in this floating settlement can make a tidy sum from convincing members of the large fishing community to get a newer model or grow their fleets.
In Makoko, a collection of haphazardly constructed shacks built on stilts in the water, wooden boats are the only form of transport.
Cashing in on the demand especially from the fishermen who supply fresh catch to all of Lagos, entrepreneur Segun Kunume makes and sells wooden canoe boats of all sizes.
Kunume started his business eight years ago. Like many young people in Makoko where poverty and unemployment are rife, he couldn't afford to pursue a tertiary education.
"I went to school briefly and dropped out because of lack of funds, I wanted to do something with my life so I resorted to boat making business and it has served as a means of livelihood for me," he said.
Fishermen can pay as much as 510 US dollars for a boat, which lasts for 20 years if well taken care of and maintained.
Kunume is not the only boat maker in town. The business is growing in popularity amongst the unemployed.
Kunume says he is not worried about the competition because he is a good businessman and has regular loyal customers.
He makes four boats a week, bringing in about 640 US dollars a month.
"Our clients are mainly fishermen and they normally come for the big boats, those that come for the small boats are those that do petty trading on water. We normally use six planks for the small boats and if it's more than six, it becomes a fisherman's boat," he said.
Kuneme now has four trainees learning the trade and hopes to grow his business to a large-scale, employ people to make the boats for him so that he can concentrate on marketing and maybe one day return to school. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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