Badagry youths boost coconut sales through e-commerce  

Some youths in Badagry area of Lagos State say social media, e-marketing and e-commerce platforms have helped to attract more sales in the coconut value chain.

A cross session of the youths told the Voice Media Trust (VMT NEWS) on Thursday that the platforms had helped to promote their business and increase sales.

The youths, who operate from Agbalata coconut market, Badagry Local Government Area, said platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and others have opened new frontiers in the trade.

Ms Serah Danbu,  34-year-old and mother of two, said that the use of social media and e-marketing platforms had assisted in boosting her coconut business.

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Danbu, a graduate of Sociology, Lagos State University, Ojo, said that she decided to use the platforms to improve on the value chain and make it more attractive to other youths.

She said that many youths were in the coconut value chains due to lack of jobs, claiming that 50 per cent of traders in Badagry were youths.

‘”Coconut farming and trading is our family business, we have more than four generations in the value chain in Badagry.

“I grew up in the business, so I know almost everything about it. But I decided to do things differently from my mother to make it more attractive and enterprising.

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“There are many graduates here in the market and we deploy the use of my social media, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and other online channels to attract customers.

“I display my coconut every time I have new supply on my status and it makes it easy for my customers to place their orders,” she said.

Danbu said that the e-marketing and e-commerce platforms made it possible for her to reach customers anywhere in the country.

“I have customers all over they country, and I supply coconut to them with ease.

“I can say it categorically that digital marketing is useful for any trade, including coconut,” she said.

Danbu urged the Federal and State Governments to provide financial support  to assist the youths start coconut trading because it was capital intensive.

Another dealer, 27-year-old Miss Janet Gbeliho, said that the youths are changing and upgrading trading of coconut to a different level.

Gbehilo, an undergraduate, said that the e-marketing platforms had expanded and increased her customer base as well as  transactions.

She said that she got referrals from customers who had patronised her father over time and developed trust on their services.

The undergraduate said that many processors and producers don’t come to Badagry market again to purchase coconut because of distance, security challenges and bad roads.

“What our customers do now is to place their orders from anywhere in the country and we will deliver it to them.

“We have pickup points all over the state, so it is easy to deliver and we are also working with some dedicated transporters on pick up and deliver.

Gbehilo said that a sack of coconut contains 200 pieces.

”We do the selection, sorting and arrangement for our customers. The process is very easy, fast, convenient and safe.

“We deliver to Edo, Akure, Ibadan, Abuja, Delta Ilorin, Oyo, Kano, Yobe and other parts of the country,” she said.

The undergraduate urged government at all levels to setup coconut plantations to engage youths and keep their minds from wandering and committing crime.

Also, Mr Whenthon Mijohotho told NAN that with e-marketing, many youths are embracing the coconut value chain in Badagry.

Mijohotho said that with adequate training and capacity building on business management, the  youths would transform the value chain.

He said that challenges confronting the value chain are lack of training, lack of government support, lack of access to loan, security, illegal levies and dues as well as lack of conducive  environment.

He appealed to the youths to embrace farming, describing it as the future of the country.