Export of footwear and leather products from Ho Chi Minh to lagos - Nigeria

ii

CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY

I hereby certify my authorship of the thesis submitted today entitled:

EXPORT OF FOOTWEAR AND LEATHER PRODUCTS

FROM HO CHI MINH CITY TO LAGOS – NIGERIA

In terms of the statement of

Requirements for Project in Master’s Programs

Issued by the Higher Degree Committee

Ho Chi Minh City, 2012

ANDREW AZUKA MARAH

iii

RETENTION AND USE OF THE PROJECT

I hereby state that I, Andrew Azuka Marah, being the candidate of the

degree of Master in MARKETING, accept the requirements of the University

relating to the retention and use of Master Project deposited in the Library.

In terms of these conditions, I agree that the original work of my Project

deposited in the Library should be accessible for the purposes of study and

research, in accordance with the normal conditions established by the Library for

care, loan and reproduction of Thesis.

Ho Chi Minh City, 2012.

Andrew Azuka Marah

iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I wish to express my sincere and deepest gratitude to my supervisor

Professor Marianne Claes at the Universite Libre De Bruxelles in Belgium who

believed in me right from our first meeting and volunteered to supervise my

project. As a model of mentors, without her moral support, directions and

encouragement, this work would hardly be completed.

I would like to give my special thanks to Professor Jean-Pierre Baeyens

the Dean for Solvay Brussels School, Dr. Tran Anh Tuan and Professor Daniel

Van Houte for their helpful encouragement throughout my studies at Solvay

School in Vietnam. My sincere thanks to Nguyen Thi Mong Thuy and Serge

Bywalski coordinators in the post graduate school for their kindness and

friendliness. I owe a lot of thanks to all my lecturers for their helpful instructions

during the master course. To my classmates, a big thanks for their friendly and

brilliant feedbacks.

Finally, my warmest appreciation and thanks to my family particularly my

wife Dr. Tran Kim Hang for her understanding, support and encouragement to

make this study a success.

v

ABSTRACT

This thesis examines Export of footwear and leather products from Ho

Chi Minh City to Lagos – Nigeria. 14 Nigerian companies’ representatives in Ho

Chi Minh City were interviewed to fill the questionnaire designed with 14

questions, which were divided into 05 parts. We try to create a passage of

information to Vietnamese footwear industry about the size of Nigeria’s market

as far as Africa market potentiality is concern. On the other hand, we want to

support and encourage Nigerian business communities in general and most

especially the representatives in Ho Chi Minh City. We would like to enlighten

them more about the size of Vietnam’s footwear industry, capabilities and value

in the world export market.

The data obtained are then subjected to descriptive and qualitative

analysis. The findings indicate parity between theory and practice. Many

Nigerian firms are able to order directly from Vietnamese companies because of

their business representatives and registration in Ho Chi Minh City though they

must pay by cash and use different types of methods to source for shoe

manufacturers. Sports and ladies shoes are given most attention in Lagos market.

Nigerian companies’ representatives have the advantages in preparing export

documentations and availability of carriers and forwarders while they have

vi

disadvantages in delivery and non-adherent to contract agreement. There is no

market rejection or strong request for special modification for Vietnam’s

footwear and leather products regarding quality and style. Vietnamese companies

should consider the small sizes of Nigerian’s order as they are still in the early

stage.

The findings give rise to the improvement of export of footwear and

leather products not only from Ho Chi Minh city to Lagos but probably also from

other cities (which have the same circumstances) in Vietnam to different cities in

Nigeria. The implications relate to Vietnamese companies, Nigerian

businessmen, Vietnamese and Nigerian governments.