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Heard of Mgimba? He is the Ugandan man who has made
a fortune selling cockroaches to China. He discovered this peculiar culinary
habit of the Chinese – fried cockroach stew – and started growing cockroaches. Neighbours
who observed him harvesting thousands of cockroaches poured scorn on his
endeavour. Now a millionaire, Mgimba was interviewed on BBC recently. A word to
Ken Ofori-Atta and the boss of the Ghana Export Promotion Centre is enough.
That was a PS to the columnist Enimil
Ashon’s article in the June 24th, 2022 edition of the Daily Graphic.
Researching Joseph Mgimba yielded a short article affirming that “he trains and sells cockroaches for a living”. I perceive three
significant implications in Mgimba’s story:
Acumen at Work
That some unprogressive Chinese have descended on Africa like hungry scavengers
is evident from their participation in illegal mining, culminating in the
destruction of potable water and affable lands – Ghana. In some African
countries, unscrupulous Chinese are spearheading donkey poaching, having
desecrated the elephant species for ivory. Thanks to conniving, unethical indigenous
businesses, Chinese junk goods have flooded the Ghanaian market, with deplorable
implications.
Amidst skewed business relationships, Joseph Mgimba symbolizes a hand of
industrial competition. For a change, Chinese money is coming to Africa, not as
a soft loan but as revenue earned through African ingenuity. An indigene, evidently
astute, has successfully studied the Chinese eating habit to set up a thriving culinary
business with that community, thus, making complete nonsense of that individual
Chinese bigot’s ignorant claim in Malawi that Africans have low IQ. On the
contrary, Africans can be just as industrious as the Chinese, but we are respectful.
Lessons from Mgimba
Joseph Mgimba’s novelty
must not remain an isolated case. Africans have been streaming to China for
higher studies in recent times, most returning with terminal degrees. If they
exercised Mgimba’s kind of astuteness, a cross-section of African industry would
be servicing Chinese needs. Then, we could gradually balance the investment scales
through acquired knowledge and skill application. It is never too late though.
Enimil Ashon threw Mgimba’s novelty at the court of
the Finance Minister and Director of Ghana Export Promotion Centre, but he
should have cast the net farther. In fact, he should have forcefully hurled the
inspiring story and implications at the teeming unemployed. This diligent, shrewd Malawian
is cashing in on a needy situation, a business gap, ready to get his hands
dirty, as opposed to many unemployed Ghanaians, especially, the youth, forever
waiting for government to employ them, so that they can get all dressed up and
go sit in an office.
Look, the Industrious Mgimba
Consider Mgimba’s courage in convincing himself to commence his unusual
business. Imagine the effort it must have cost him to go on tedious rounds,
first acquainting Malawian neighbours, friends and families, even strangers, of
his weird concept, probably informing them of his plan to collect cockroaches
from their not so clean spaces. Imagine the thousands of hours he must have spent
on his rounds, detecting and strategizing to catch the slippery insects alive.
Consider the creativity it must require to breed/train cockroaches, feed them
and ensure their safety in enclosed spaces, considering that they are free
rangers.
Imagine Mgimba’s tenacity in defying
neighbours' scorn in relentless pursuit of his business target. Imagine the resilience
he mustered to convince himself of his sanity and business potential, and one would
sadly realize that those are the very qualities lacking in many unemployed
Ghanaians, especially the youth, who glorify riches but abhor diligence. One
sad consequence of the current propensity of many contemporary Ghanaian to get rich quick is
that they would never experience Mgimba’s sense of achievement, which endows an
individual with the most glorious and dignifying feeling, emanating from accomplishing
an arduous task.
Conceiving an idea and strategizing to turn dream
into reality remains a human triumph. Out of such daring dreamers come
innovation and adaptability. Such ones have a keen sense of observation which
drives them to smell opportunity from afar and muster courage to grab
opportunity. Such do not wait for government or connections to offer them unmerited
jobs. Rather, they study for adaptable skills and explore opportunities. Joseph
Mgimba is worthy of emulation, because he epitomizes determination.
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