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Paper short abstract:

“Computer Village” as the biggest Africa computer market has its place within the global economic system. From where, through which channels, from whose hands the goods and the money move around the world along this mainly grey, partly illegal long-distance trade?

Paper long abstract:

In the heart of Lagos, Nigeria lies "Computer Village" one of the Africa biggest computers&allied products market. New or second-hand goods, in spare parts or assembled, transit here before reaching the rest of Nigeria and the whole of West Africa. While in Lagos they may be scrapped, repaired, modified, bought and sold - or "simply" end up on an e-dump. The bulk of the goods are imported from the USA and from China, some from Europe, mainly by Igbos living or on business visits to these countries. According to the actors themselves, a large majority of the transcontinental traders and the local businessman, engineers and retailers are Igbos, an ethnic group with a long history of trading.

Still at the beginning of my PhD research, I will expose a work in progress. Nevertheless I can discuss some interesting aspects of this fast growing long distance trade, based trips in Lagos and in Guangzhou where I have been carrying on participatory observation by working in a laptop repairing and selling shop and by selling second hand computers I have sent to Lagos.

With a focus on the Nigerian laptop market, I intend to expose a first essay of object's categorisation (brand new, second hand, locally assembled, fake…) followed by some example of importation strategies (circulation of objects and money). An attempt of analyse will be discussed by crossing information collected on a material level and on a discursive level, both on specific objects and their journeys.