The Nigerian Barbie Doll: Man Spots Gap In Toy Market And Fills It

Last year it was predicted that by 2050 Nigeria will have a larger population than the US, perfect information for an entrepreneur. Nigerian native, Taofick Okoya, saw a huge gap in the toy market when he failed to find a black doll for his niece.  With next to no competition from major foreign manufacturers such as Mattel Inc, the folk behind Barbie, the  43-year-old set up his own business. Importing low-cost doll parts from China, the 43-ear-old assembled them at his Lagos workshop, with one additional twist. The uncle dresses the dolls in the traditional costumes of three largest ethnic groups of Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba, all of which are represented in the 'Queens of Africa' range. Factory workers tailor brightly patterned fabrics into miniature dresses and headgear to local tastes. The retailing price for each doll ranges between 1,300 to 3,500 Nigerian naira. Selling from his home, Okoya takes a profit margin of about a third, and increasing shipping is growing to the US and Europe. According to The Guardian, Okoya has plans to expand his dolls to other African ethnic groups, and is currently in talks with South Africa's Game, owned by Massmart, part of Wal-Mart. This move will see him stock up to 70 shops across Africa. Okoya's first designs were larger bodied however he changed his template to slimmer figures because kids did not like them. "For now, we have to hide behind the 'normal' doll. Once we've built the brand, we can make dolls with bigger bodies," he said. Hat-tip: The Guardian