Lawyer-cum-printer, Victor Agbro of Igram Press Limited has been involved in printing business for close to three decades. He speaks with Florence Utor on how government could harness opportunities in the industry, by making it more attractive.
How did you dabble into printing seeing that you studied law?
My love for the printing business began from the university days when I was the Public Relations Officer of the University of Benin’s Students Union. I handled most of the printing jobs and I discovered it was something I liked to do. I also discovered that it seemed profitable, so I decided that I was going to venture into it when I leave school. Then it was not this kind of digital printing, it was the manual type and it has been a beautiful long story, and after 25 years, I can look back and say it is worth it.
My love for the printing business began from the university days when I was the Public Relations Officer of the University of Benin’s Students Union. I handled most of the printing jobs and I discovered it was something I liked to do. I also discovered that it seemed profitable, so I decided that I was going to venture into it when I leave school. Then it was not this kind of digital printing, it was the manual type and it has been a beautiful long story, and after 25 years, I can look back and say it is worth it.
But why did you spend all the time studying law only to leave it for something else?
I don’t think that what you studied at the university is what you must practice. Available statistics show that just about 20 per cent practice what they studied. The university is just to acquire knowledge and exposure in different areas and after that, you decide where to function. Though for any business you want to do, the driving force is passion, if you have it you can do anything and succeed. There are lots of huddles in any business but I tell you, passion is the only thing that keeps you afloat, training and retraining to improve yourself in your area is also key.
I don’t think that what you studied at the university is what you must practice. Available statistics show that just about 20 per cent practice what they studied. The university is just to acquire knowledge and exposure in different areas and after that, you decide where to function. Though for any business you want to do, the driving force is passion, if you have it you can do anything and succeed. There are lots of huddles in any business but I tell you, passion is the only thing that keeps you afloat, training and retraining to improve yourself in your area is also key.
Can you at this point say your switch was worthwhile?
This is a developing economy, sometimes you make hundred percent on a job and sometimes you make as little as five per cent. But you don’t close shop because you didn’t make much gain. Passion plays the role of keeping you going and hoping for a better tomorrow.
This is a developing economy, sometimes you make hundred percent on a job and sometimes you make as little as five per cent. But you don’t close shop because you didn’t make much gain. Passion plays the role of keeping you going and hoping for a better tomorrow.
Do you print anything at Ingram Press?
Printing is very broad; there is no press in the world that does all facets of printing. This dress you are wearing is printed, but basically, Ingram Press is into lithographic printing, they call it white paper printing, it deals with any sort of paper printing. The best you can do is synergise, that is, have other sister outlets that handle other aspects. Like we can do the design that would be printed on say, T-shirts, and take it to people that do printing to do it. But most Nigerian companies will tell you, ‘I do everything, biro, umbrella, paper and what have you,’ but it is best to specialise in one aspect.
Printing is very broad; there is no press in the world that does all facets of printing. This dress you are wearing is printed, but basically, Ingram Press is into lithographic printing, they call it white paper printing, it deals with any sort of paper printing. The best you can do is synergise, that is, have other sister outlets that handle other aspects. Like we can do the design that would be printed on say, T-shirts, and take it to people that do printing to do it. But most Nigerian companies will tell you, ‘I do everything, biro, umbrella, paper and what have you,’ but it is best to specialise in one aspect.
How has the rise in dollar affected the industry generally?
Apart from the technical human element, every other thing is imported. We don’t have one paper mill in a country like Nigeria with all the forests that we have here when India has 94 paper mills, let alone China, Malaysia, Pakistan and other places. Everything used here is imported, the paper, ink, chemicals and the rest, so, having that at the back of your mind, as the dollar goes up, it is certain that the cost of production will go up and this is killing the business. But the funny thing is that the customers are not ready to pay more, so the price can’t even go up.
Apart from the technical human element, every other thing is imported. We don’t have one paper mill in a country like Nigeria with all the forests that we have here when India has 94 paper mills, let alone China, Malaysia, Pakistan and other places. Everything used here is imported, the paper, ink, chemicals and the rest, so, having that at the back of your mind, as the dollar goes up, it is certain that the cost of production will go up and this is killing the business. But the funny thing is that the customers are not ready to pay more, so the price can’t even go up.
What do you think government can do to help the situation?
Well I suggest to the government that change should be total and they should be patriotic, by patronising the local printing presses. INEC in particular should be printing here. The advantages are numerous; apart from saving the scarce foreign exchange, they are creating jobs. Let them borrow a leaf from Donald Trump, America first, by telling themselves Nigeria first. Let these jobs be done here, instead of China, Malaysia and other places. If they are thinking of quality, I tell you, in terms of quality, we match any standards in the world. We use the same machines and we have trained from the same schools, they are not any better, we can match them in manpower, machines and anything else despite the fact that we are operating under very unfavourable conditions. For instance, we have two standby generators here; there is a transformer as well. The additional cost in making sure the work is done, they don’t have that.
Well I suggest to the government that change should be total and they should be patriotic, by patronising the local printing presses. INEC in particular should be printing here. The advantages are numerous; apart from saving the scarce foreign exchange, they are creating jobs. Let them borrow a leaf from Donald Trump, America first, by telling themselves Nigeria first. Let these jobs be done here, instead of China, Malaysia and other places. If they are thinking of quality, I tell you, in terms of quality, we match any standards in the world. We use the same machines and we have trained from the same schools, they are not any better, we can match them in manpower, machines and anything else despite the fact that we are operating under very unfavourable conditions. For instance, we have two standby generators here; there is a transformer as well. The additional cost in making sure the work is done, they don’t have that.
Besides, there, light is as guaranteed as 99 percent of the time, raw materials are within reach, they have access to credit, above all, they have government patronage and we are lacking all of these. So, government can only help by patronising us here so that the industry will develop. We can come together and say we will set up a paper-printing mill.
Apart from the government why do people still take printing jobs outside the country?
This industry is full of non-professionals. We call them briefcase printers, everybody is just looking for survival and it is people like that who get 90 per cent of these jobs. Since they do not know or understand the industry here, they just take it abroad, but if the jobs are given to professionals, they will not take it anywhere, as they know that the same quality abroad could be got here. The only thing they will do would be to import the materials. If you ask me to deliver 10 million posters for you now, it will happen just as you want it. Funny enough, people come from other African countries to print here, like we printed the ballot papers for Sierra Leone’s last election, yet our government will take jobs outside. Before the last election, we did our best to secure some part of the printing jobs available, we did all sorts of presentations and they were satisfied with us, but when the time came, the job was taken outside the country.
This industry is full of non-professionals. We call them briefcase printers, everybody is just looking for survival and it is people like that who get 90 per cent of these jobs. Since they do not know or understand the industry here, they just take it abroad, but if the jobs are given to professionals, they will not take it anywhere, as they know that the same quality abroad could be got here. The only thing they will do would be to import the materials. If you ask me to deliver 10 million posters for you now, it will happen just as you want it. Funny enough, people come from other African countries to print here, like we printed the ballot papers for Sierra Leone’s last election, yet our government will take jobs outside. Before the last election, we did our best to secure some part of the printing jobs available, we did all sorts of presentations and they were satisfied with us, but when the time came, the job was taken outside the country.
This also brings me to the regulation of the industry, we have a Chartered Institute of Professional Printers to regulate the activities of the industry, but right now, I am not sure that is done but I am sure that will soon be put in place and everything will be fine.
Do you still want to continue in this business with all the uncertainties?
Printing is life, think of when you were born, the birth or death certificate, is printed, just look around you and see the amount of printed materials, then you will realise that printing can only come to an end when the world ends. So I tell you there is a future in printing in this country. Besides, the literacy level in Nigeria is not yet close to the western world where you get up and tons of information in terms of newsletters are forced down your throat and you must read.
Printing is life, think of when you were born, the birth or death certificate, is printed, just look around you and see the amount of printed materials, then you will realise that printing can only come to an end when the world ends. So I tell you there is a future in printing in this country. Besides, the literacy level in Nigeria is not yet close to the western world where you get up and tons of information in terms of newsletters are forced down your throat and you must read.
How do you think the younger generation can see the employment opportunities available in this sector?
The truth is printing is one of the largest employers of labour. Go to Shomolu, Mushin and other areas in Lagos alone, and you will understand what I am talking about, yet the industry is ready to accommodate more people. Ingram Press for instance is looking for marketers and it is quite profitable.
The truth is printing is one of the largest employers of labour. Go to Shomolu, Mushin and other areas in Lagos alone, and you will understand what I am talking about, yet the industry is ready to accommodate more people. Ingram Press for instance is looking for marketers and it is quite profitable.
Do you think the institutions that offer printing courses have done well?
What they do is give the students the theoretical framework as to how it works. It is when they come out and get to work that they begin to practicalise what they learned because I am not sure any of these institutions have or are up-to-date with the machinery to teach the students how it works practically, most of them that have had to work with us, for instance, came here not even knowing the different types of paper that we use. They learnt here, but it was easier teaching them. The truth is that the students can only learn what they are taught until they come out of school to learn what is obtaining now.
What they do is give the students the theoretical framework as to how it works. It is when they come out and get to work that they begin to practicalise what they learned because I am not sure any of these institutions have or are up-to-date with the machinery to teach the students how it works practically, most of them that have had to work with us, for instance, came here not even knowing the different types of paper that we use. They learnt here, but it was easier teaching them. The truth is that the students can only learn what they are taught until they come out of school to learn what is obtaining now.
QUOTE: Well I suggest to the government that change should be total and they should be patriotic, by patronising the local printing presses. INEC in particular should be printing here. The advantages are numerous; apart from saving the scarce foreign exchange, they are creating jobs
Source:- http://guardian.ng/business-services/government-should-harness-printing-sector-to-create-jobs/
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