I once visited Awori village, Lagos Nigeria, to photograph local mat-makers. This is an industry driven by elderly women.

The women combine different colors to create variety of patterns. They sell these products to marketers who in turn sell them to hotels and interior decorators.

Mat-making is an industry that has not yet been fully explored, they said.

You’ll find these women everyday, crafting their work. Sometimes, the middle-men who purchase the mats and re-sell to end-users benefit more than the mat-makers.

We spent about 10 minutes talking about their work and taking pictures.

Here is my take away from the experience:

Mat-Making, as an industry, has a lot of potential in Lagos and beyond.

Investors should explore this!