The invisible woman

FUNKE ADETUTU

I have decided to title my piece this week after the famous African-American writer, Ralph Ellison’s “The Invisible Man” based on a saddening experience I had last Sunday. Ralph Ellison’s protagonist is a man, but mine, a woman, because it happened to a female fellow in this writing profession. I could not help but liken what happened to a female journalist who reports for the Nation Newspaper at the 2nd Young Designers’ Creative Competition organised by Ade Bakare Couture to the experience that the protagonist in Ellison’s novel went through in a racist American society. Let me give you a brief summary of what happened to the Invisible Man in Ellison’s novel before I narrate my experience of that Sunday.
“The Invisible Man” is a novel which embodies the universal theme of self-discovery, of the search to figure out who truly is one in this life which we all are embarked upon. Throughout the text, the narrator is constantly wondering about who he really is, and evaluating the different identities which he assumes for himself. He progresses from being a hopeful student with a bright future to being just another poor black labourer in New York City to being a fairly well-off spokesperson for a powerful political group, and ultimately, to being the "invisible man" which he eventually realises that he has always been. The deepest irony in this text is that, for a significant portion of the story, the narrator is unaware of his own invisibility, in believing that others can "see" him, he is essentially invisible to himself. Only through a long and arduous journey of self-discovery which is fraught with constant and unexpected tragedy and loss, does he realise the truth, that his perceptions of himself and of how others perceived him had been backwards his entire life.
The story opens with the narrator participating in a "battle royal" prior to delivering a speech on humility.
The lady who introduced herself to me as Kehinde was unusually amiable and polite, such that, I quietly thought to myself that she must be a different style reporter from the others I have met in the past. That evening, when I arrived the venue, I decided to sit in a place which would provide me enough room to leave my seat to take photographs of the models as they strut the runway, hence I picked a seat at the edge of a row close to the judges’ desk. I’m sure Kehinde considered that too before she decided to sit close to me. But unknown to us, something odd waited ahead.
After a brief introduction of the dignitaries by Yemisi Ransome Kuti, the show began. As the models walk the run way, Kehinde and I stood up simultaneously to take photographs. At this moment also, all the cameramen were on alert and each struggled with his camera to have a good shot of the models. And so, one of the judges who also doubles as a photographer equally tried to take advantage of the zoom lens of his camera, hence, he too took the shots from his seat. But as expected, some cameramen stood in his way. He waved them to give him right of way for the first three models who walked the runway but the other photographs refused to budge as they were more concerned with the task before them.
“Leave that place,” the man shouted at the cameraman. “I won’t,” the other retorted. “I say leave that place. You are looking for trouble,” he bellowed this time.
“I won’t leave. Why don’t you stand up. You can’t possibly get your shots while seated,” he replied defiantly.
The argument was long drawn and the man refused to leave the spot. However, on a second thought, he squatted.
As the next model walked past me, Kehinde decided to seize the moment to get a good shot since the last one she took was not clear enough. She made frantic efforts to get the best shot, but in the process, stood in the way of the photographer cum judge.
In a flash, the man stood up from his seat and stood in front of Kehinde to take his shot thereby shoving her backward with his elbow. Kehinde was furious at this unmanly act, and challenged the man fiercely.
“I will send you out of here, if you are not careful,” the man screamed.
“That’s impossible. I have the same right as you have here,” replied
Kehinde.
“Ok, let’s wait and see. Just stand in front of me again and you will see what I will do to you,” he threatened.
I felt bad that this supposedly civilised man in a three-piece suit at such a gathering of decent people, and even thought fit as a judge for that kind of event could actually behave in such an uncivilised way. The incident, honestly, just reminded that one’s level of education does not really matter in certain situations. It shows that while some people may claim to have got first degree in some educational fields, they after all, have failed to acquire the relevant degree in use of decency and common sense.
One would have thought at least, our fine gentleman would have known it’s not right to treat a fellow man in like manner, let alone, a woman.

Shomolu's multi-million naira printing slum

While Shomolu area of Lagos may seem a rather unsophisticated neighbourhood at first sight, it remains a hub for what is fast becoming a multi-million naira business, writes FUNKE ADETUTU

George Street is a long road that connects the popular Onipanu Bus Stop to Shipeolu, Bajulaye, Durosimi, and other streets in Shomolu, a bustling suburb in Lagos Mainland Metropolis, known more for its high commercial activities fuelled by an underground multi-million naira printing empire. Hence, it is no surprise that human and vehicular traffic along the route is on the high side.
Despite its lively nature, the area presents a rather decrepit picture, especially for a first-time visitor. Almost every house has a shop or two in front of it. In front of one of the shops, a child’s twisted tricycle lies on its side without wheels. The story is the same for a waste bin that spills its decomposed contents, where a stray dog forages for food. In a word, the whole place is filled with bits of broken items and sheaf of unused pieces of paper.
However, that is not to say that the area has only doom and gloom to offer. On a Friday morning like this, the sky is unusually bright, spreading a brilliant ray of light on everything below. On days like this, just about every inhabitant of the area is alive to business opportunities that a March morning has to offer them.
Shomolu is one place that has thrived on the printing business for many years after Mushin , another suburb in the Lagos Mainland, which happens to be the first central place for that line of business. Although, there are other areas like Ikate at Surulere, Idumagbo on Lagos Island that also boast of different grades of printers, Shomolu has over the years grown to become the most prominent of the three.
Here at Shomolu, there is a convergence of artisans who deal in different areas of the printing business. There are the paper merchants, ink sellers, gum and other adhesives sellers, to mention but a few. Every other house in Shomolu is home to one form of printing press or the other. This makes it a place where one can get any kind of printing job done anytime of the day. But of course, this has its own hazards too. The houses are closely built and one wonders how the inhabitants are able to survive in such an appalling living-condition. The houses and shops are so packed together such that there is only little room for movement and good ventilation.
However, most of them are engaged in a business that churns out millions of naira on a monthly nay yearly basis.
Sulaimon Adepegba has just returned to his shop after getting a new supply of printing papers this morning. His left hand is weighed down by the volume of the long sheets he is carrying. The large, brown wrap is torn into bits, revealing the whiteness of the papers beneath.
Adepegba hurriedly throws the paper bundle on the ink-stained table that shrieks under the bundle’s weight. With swift speed, he tears off the brown wrapper and places more than half of the paper under the cutting machine. For him, the day’s work has just begun in earnest.
Adepegba is one of the many small-scale printers in Shomolu who rake in millions of naira at the end of the month, and prides himself on his nearly 25 years’ experience in the business. His kind of expertise entails sourcing for printing jobs directly from corporate organisations and private individuals, who want to get their printing jobs done.
“I print calendars, diaries for corporate organisations. I also engrave the company logo on folders, tea cups, mugs, biros, pens, umbrellas and other items they use for corporate gifts. I do invitation cards for individuals and posters too,” he says while using his hands to wipe off the beads of sweat on his brow.
While the likes of Adepegba get jobs directly from organisations, Retwell Communications, headed by Ayo Adekunle-Segun, is a full service provider. Adekunle-Segun’s organisation does all the services for those who get printing jobs from companies that patronise them for anything they want done in printing.
However, as marketing becomes increasingly competitive, Adekunle-Segun is re-strategising to become a print provider as he is putting in place a marketing team to source for printing jobs directly from companies. “Outside being patronised by the regular printers, we also go out to source for jobs,” he remarks.
“We started as a service provider and we have been known for that. Now, we have re-branded as we are going out as a full print service provider. We pick up jobs on a monthly basis and we have some durable ones. We print magazines, brochures and other things like that for companies and churches. “We have come to realise that sometimes people just walk in because of the environment; because they believe we provide better services than those around us. Outside that, we have a day-to-day patronage of regular customers.”

Femi Atanda is one of those who source for printing jobs from corporate organisations, and he is more like an unsolicited middleman, and this is a role he has been playing for years.
“I have a good knowledge of the printing business even though I don’t have a printing outfit. But, I have been able to get quite a few jobs done by patronising the printers in Shomolu. I have some big accounts that I handle and I am doing well on the job. I make enough to keep body and soul together,” he discloses with a smile.
While some of the owners of printing outfits at Shomolu consider the likes of Atanda a threat, Adepegba says he gets the same job from the companies directly, depending on the business strategy.
“If you know how to play your game and you have all things working together for you, you can make a lot of millions on a monthly basis, like N6 million or more. It depends on what you have to offer. There are organisations that earn much more than that. It depends on the kind of equipment you have.”
There are more than 30 upscale printing outfits in the area, explains Adepegba, even as he adds that the small-scale ones are hundreds in number. Therefore, an average printing shop makes about N180 million per annum if one is to go by the figures he presents.
In spite of this high turnover, certain economic factors make it impossible for printers to make as much as they would have loved to, as they all insist business is difficult.
The challenge facing Shomolu printers are many and most of them are deeply rooted in bad economic policies exemplified by poor power supply. High lending rate from banks is another thorn in their flesh, says Ayo Adekunle-Segun, who borrowed some money to upgrade his printing outfit from a small scale business to a large one.
As most of his income goes into offsetting bank loans and other overhead cost.
“Really, to talk of standards, I don’t think mine is up to the standard because there are others more standardised than mine,” he reveals. “As a business person, I don’t have too much of a choice since I am not born with a silver spoon and I don’t have any godfather somewhere.
“Therefore, I don’t have a choice but to seek help from the banks. What that simply means is that I make a lot of money for the banks and whatever is left I use to finance my overhead cost. The only consolation I am left with is that the machines become mine.”
Since the equipment used in the printing trade are not manufactured locally, the Shomolu printers, like their counterparts in other parts of the state, have to depend on fairly-used ones imported from Europe . These are outdated machines imported into the country from Germany for millions of naira. However, the present exchange rate is not helping matters at all for them.
“I am thinking of getting new machines within the 201 series and others in that range. Anything outside this range, you will be looking at N2 or N3 million upward,” Adekunle-Segun explains.
He however observes that most investors in the industry with the right grade of machine are either millionaires or multi-millionaires, depending on the level of the machine.
“Some machines go for N300, 000, while some are more than a million naira. They are not brand new. The ones I’m looking at will cost about N20 million. These are the A2 size that is the calendar size. The only advantage about them is that they are a five-colour machine. If you are talking about the A1 size, you will be talking about N60 or N70, 000.”
The printer also explains that most of these machines are not multi-functional; hence they have to get different machines for different tasks. “They are not all-encompassing. In other words, they don’t do everything,” he says.
“They are just offset machines. Hence, if you want to do lamination or perfect binding, you must be ready to get others too. So, if you are doing offset machine for N50 or N70 million, and then you want to do another, a perfect binding machine may be another N20 million. So in all, you may probably be looking at N150 million or more, as you must also consider power because the bigger the machine, the bigger your generating set.”
Besides being highly inconveniencing, this situation also adds to the many woes of entrepreneurs who Adekunle-Segun says have to pay for everything from power to water, and still pay taxes to the government.
“There is no way we can balance overhead cost and income, as entrepreneurs we are the ones paying for it. If you want to remain in business, you had better do what your mates are doing in terms of pricing. Because if you price yourself too high; you will price yourself out of the market. It’s really not about profit; I think what is keeping a lot of people in the business is the love for the job,” he adds.
These are strange words from Adekunle-Segun, who sits on a printing business that churns out millions every month. He is one of the many printers in Shomolu’s multi-million naira printing slum that employs thousands of Nigerian youths, offering different services depending on what you are looking for.
Besides the millions of jobs created in Shomolu for youths, it has also become Nigeria’s printing school, as a good number of the printers learnt the job there; with most having little or no formal education.
Adebanjo Ogunranti, whose shop is located on George Street , observes that the saturated market gives most customers the impression that the output of most outlets in Shomolu is of low quality. Some of those who practice this trade have no formal education, which is the reason many people doubt the quality of work done in the area.
Therefore, someone like Akin Aderopo encourages his workers to take course in publishing at the neighbouring Yaba College of Technology. “It is the only school around here that I have encouraged my workers to attend because of its printing technology base programme. The course is up to HND level. Since some of them don’t have a foundation in the printing business, I encourage them to attend YabaTech so that they can become professionals,” he says.
Adekunle-Segun however believes you do not necessarily have to be formally educated in printing to be part of the printing business, disclosing he has no formal training in printing. He just happened to find himself in printing as he studied business administration at Yaba College of Science and Technology.
“I am a creative person. All it takes is for me to see someone do something once or twice, and it sticks. I could recall long ago when I was still with my parents; I used to have this neighbour who was into printing. In my spare time, I try to engage him in conversations and I discovered that printing is not as difficult as it looks. And at a particular time, I also had the opportunity of being with a magazine outfit that also exposed me to the printing process. I tried my hands on printing my own business card and much later letterheads. And that is how it started.”
Shomolu printers are not immune to the current economic meltdown tightening in the corporate sector, not surprising since most of their customers are the Lagos based corporate bodies.
However, they are optimistic says Atanda, as one of the middleman in Shomolu’s printing chain.
According to him, “everybody feels the impact of the economic meltdown. Your clients are not paying as much as they are supposed to pay. They will tell you go and print, when you deliver and we have seen what you have done, after a week or two they may oblige to pay.
“I went out for marketing yesterday and these were the kind of things I was confronted with. They end up asking to pay very ridiculous rates, yet I know they cannot do without us. We are important to their business. So, we will hang on. We are in this together.”