Innovations Turned Gold,Nigerian Doll Created By Man Who Couldn't Find A Black Toy For His Niece Is So Popular in His Country That It's Outselling BARBIE
A man who couldn't find a black doll in the shops as a gift
for his niece decided to take matters into his own hands.
In 2007, Taofick Okoya, 43, created his own doll that
Nigerian girls could identify with by recreating their skin colour and style -
and it is now so successful that it is outselling Barbie.
The doll, which is called Queens of Africa, comes with
traditional outfits and accessories and costs around £4.50.
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A
Nigerian businessman decided to create own doll that Nigerian girls could
identify with called Queens of Africa, by recreating their skin colour and
style - and now it's outselling Barbie in his native country
The dolls' look is modelled on three of the country's
biggest tribes and aims to promote strong feminine ideals, like love, peace and
endurance.
The doll is now so popular that, according to Reuters, it is
selling up to 9,000 units a month - a staggering 15 per cent of the country's
toy market.
But the Queens of Africa aren't just selling in their home
country.
Thanks to the doll's online presence, customers are coming
from as far as America, Brazil and Europe.
In 2007, Taofick Okoya, 43, created his own doll that
Nigerian girls could identify with
The
dolls' are modelled on three of the country's biggest tribes and aims to
promote strong feminine ideals
+5
The
doll is now so popular that, it is selling up to 9,000 units a month - 15 per
cent of the country's toy market Speaking
to ELLE about his dolls out-selling Barbie in his native
Nigeria, Okoya said: 'My mission is to make the Queens of Africa a symbol of
hope, trust, and confidence by promoting African history, culture, and
fashion.'
One
person that Okoya really hopes the dolls will have a positive impact on is his
daughter, who, he explains, once wished she was white.
+5
Okoya
said: 'I don't believe Mattel sees the Nigerian market as a priority, yet their
product has great influence on the psyche of the children here and affirms
certain values contrary to our society'
He explained that even though they live in Nigeria, there
was a lot of Western influence. He said: '[This] might have been responsible
for her wishing she was white. It made me aware that I needed to make her
proud and happy being a black African girl, and not limit it to her alone as
this was a common trend among the younger generation. The Queens of Africa
became a platform to achieve this.'
Unfortunately, Okoya has been told that he won't be able to
sell the dolls on the shelves of mainline stories in America and will have to
limit his business to specialist stores.
But he is determined to see the decision overturned, he
said: 'I am looking to prove them wrong.'
Via - Daily Mail
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