Digital Printing and Sustainable Growth in Nigeria’s Printing Industry

INTRODUCTION

The contemporary print publishing industry is in a state of transition for the simple reason that print has ceased to be the only means of sustainable income for printing companies. Consequently, printers, print service providers, print media specialists (or whatever name those who meet the printing needs of consumers call themselves) must reshape their business models to suit the reality of contemporary multimedia environment.   This is the only way that print companies can provide the type of services customers need in order to make profit and stay in business. Why is this so?

Technology and globalization have combined to make print become a commodity that can be bought from anywhere, at any time and for any price.  These twin forces have conferred enormous bargaining power on customers. This comes as a result of increased consumers’ product knowledge due to enhanced access to information via the Internet.  Consequently, print investors and providers are always searching for ways they can embrace emerging technologies to provide services that can help increase customer satisfaction, improve competitiveness and make more profit.

Printers in Nigeria, more than ever before, are feeling the impact of globalization through loss of print jobs to printers outside the shores of the country. This has propelled printers in Nigeria advocate and lobby for policies that will compel publishers to print in Nigeria. Beyond advocacy, however, Nigerian printers must think outside the box and adopt diversification strategies. In essence, the printing industry in Nigeria needs to metamorphose from a commodity-offering industry to a service-oriented industry through diversification.