Blurred lines

THERE is a clamour down the tiny alleyways of Kano’s central market, in northern Nigeria, as vendors thrust fabrics at passers-by, promising the best colour, quality and price. Amid the racket, Alhaji Zakari sits cross-legged on his countertop, surrounded by materials marked “Made in Côte d’Ivoire”. “They’re not”, he says with a degree of honesty which can do little good for sales. “It’s imitation from China.”

Nigeria is awash with contraband. Chatham House, a British think-tank, reckons that at least 70% of trade between Africa’s biggest economy and its neighbours goes unrecorded. In 2010, the World Bank estimated that $2 billion worth of textiles like Mr Zakari’s are squirrelled into Nigeria every year.