By Chijioke Okoronkwo
Many people are raising concern that the economic potential of Nigeria’s local gin, otherwise known as Ogogoro, is largely undermined, while its Russian version, Vodka, is highly celebrated worldwide.
This dissimilarity in the public acceptance of Ogogoro and Vodka is in spite of the fact that the two drinks have almost the same taste and a similar impact on the drinkers.
While Ogogoro drinkers are rated lowly, ridiculed and maligned as the dregs of the society, Vodka, on the other hand, is seen as an elitist drink; it is displayed in supermarkets and those who a penchant for drinking it are perceived as high-class people.
Ogogoro has different names in different Nigerian communities; it is called Sapele water, Shepke, Kparaga, Kai-kai, Push-me-I-push-you, Crim-kena, Akpuru achia, among other names.
In some places, Ogogoro is seen as an illicit drink but Vodka and other foreign spirits are stocked in famous liquor shops and big hotels.
Observers, however, trace the trend to the British colonialists who prohibited the production and consumption of Ogogoro in order to boost the sales and consumption of imported gin.
In some states in Nigeria, there are specific legislations outlawing the sale of Ogogoro and ironically, there is no mention of Vodka and other foreign hot drinks in the products’ prohibition list.
Interestingly, some foreigners who have had the privilege of savouring Ogogoro, testify that its imported counterparts do not taste better.
They, however, stress that a lot of needs to be done in provoking a change in the people’s perception of Ogogoro, adding that strategies such as better refining and packaging procedures for the drink should be adopted.
Mr Lawal Sale, a civil servant who studied in the now defunct Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R), stressed that his Russian friends, who have had the opportunity of savouring Ogogoro, confessed that it had the same taste as Vodka.
According to him, the underlying problem is that Vodka is a traditional Russian drink, while the same cannot be said of Ogogoro in Nigeria.
“When one of my Russian friends tasted Ogogoro for the first time, he liked it a lot and compared it to Vodka.
“Ever since, he has always been an avid drinker of Ogogoro, having stayed in Nigeria for up to 15 years.
“The problem has to do with the general acceptability of Ogogoro as a national traditional drink; In Nigeria, it is only in some localities that people drink Ogogoro, unlike Vodka which is a traditional Russian drink,’’ he said.
Sale, however, admitted that Ogogoro might find extremely it difficult to break into the international market because foreign liquors had dominated the market for years.
He noted that England was associated with gin, Scotland was associated with whiskey, while Latin American countries were associated with rum, adding, however, that “Ogogoro cannot be specifically associated with Nigeria.’’
Sale, however, rejected the notion in certain quarters that Ogogoro was an illicit drink, adding that such perception was somewhat skewed and imperfect.
He called on investors to look into ways of repackaging and rebranding Ogogoro, while making designed efforts to shore up its market potential.
Be as it may, research shows that the consumption of Ogogoro is quite high in Nigeria in spite of the outstanding rating of top-notch foreign spirits like Vodka; perhaps, due to economic reasons.
Investigations also reveal that there is a growing tendency to consume Vodka and other imported brands in the country because of factors induced by ego massage or status symbols.
A recent report of the Foreign Agricultural Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) indicated that local spirits continued to dominate the Nigerian market (75 per cent) because they were cheaper than imported brands.
It, nonetheless, said that Ogogoro did not meet the standards of the increasing high-class and middle-class consumers who obviously preferred premium brands.
“Market opportunity is here for those prepared to take advantage of the growing consumption of premium brands.
“Spirits consumption is socio-cultural in Nigeria and imported liquor dominates at many social and cultural events.
“The traditional open air markets remain the largest distribution channels for spirits in Nigeria.
“Though still low, the sale of spirits through formal retailers has continued to increase in recent years and it is expected that the bulk of spirits will be sold in Nigeria through off-trade outlets such as supermarkets, grocery retailers and open markets since spirits are mostly consumed at home, during parties and other social gatherings.’’
