is a product of the global racial capitalist order that has created a necessary and permanent Black underclass. the ogogoro value chain, from sap to distillate is dominated by crude, capital intensive processes and low wage labor. this reality is not limited to ogogoro production but permeates capitalist production on the continent. capitalism yields a combination of high unemployment, environmental degradation, poverty and political instability at the periphery of the global capitalist system. this economic and social alienation of the continent makes possible the benefits enjoyed by so-called developed countries. despite the conventional narrative capitalism impoverishes africa and enriches the capitalist west.

is the lynchpin of the global economic system. as the global reserve currency it is used in pricing commodities, assets, debts and settling payments for imports and exports. because imports and exports are crucial for the proper functioning of countries, acquisition of the dollar becomes paramount.
on the continent, imports are necessary to procure critical goods like, food, gasoline, machinery and medicine. these imports are paid for in u.s. dollars acquired from the export of raw materials/ natural resources. low wage african labor is employed to extract these resources.
the prices of these raw materials are set by ‘market forces’ but inevitably the market always conspires to favor developed nations at the expense of the continent. these exported raw materials, extracted by cheapened labor, are purchased by capitalist corporations at bargain prices. the materials are used to create finished goods(remember the food, gasoline, machinery and medicine?) which are then sold back to the impoverished continent, often at steep prices.

this import reliant economic strategy is unsustainable for countries because it creates trade deficits, a situation where imports costs exceed export revenue. trade deficits mean that consumption (of imported goods) is financed by costly borrowing. spending on debt payments diverts revenue from critical expenditures like education, healthcare and infrastructure. so of course more borrowing becomes necessary to meet the shortfall created from the previous borrowing that was initially motivated by importing goods.

to this violent cycle, capitalist ideology, through multilateral institutions like the IMF, WorldBank and WTO) instruct developing countries to reduce imports by increasing domestic production, but at least two structural realities prevent this:
(a) global trade agreements prevent the acquisition of important technology from foreign firms, thereby limiting the development of critical domestic industries. (b) and foreign exchange rate volatility raises domestic production costs which discourages local manufacturing.
they also prescribe raising domestic revenue (income from tax and non tax sources). but this strategy is also ineffective because revenue is collected in the local currency which when converted into dollars to purchase imports yields little. additionally a significant portion of profits from foreign investment are repatriated back to their home territories, away from local government coffers.

is an unfortunate case study. oil production in the delta area of nigeria, where our ogogoro is first distilled, provides the country’s foreign currency. oil prices are especially sensitive to geopolitical shocks like the covid pandemic, war and financial crises. this price volatility adversely impacts revenues, increasing the need for more borrowing to bolster lost income. so nigeria is forced to borrow to fund consumption, then borrow to pay debt. in this debt trap, it is enfeebled with each attempt to escape.

note: due to supply chain and global logistics constraints product shipping takes about six months. for inquiries email hello@sincespirits.com.
since… is a collaboration between lagos x good vodka. bottled and distilled by matchbook distilling, greenport, ny. site photos courtesy of light oriye