A popular doll line in Nigeria is headed stateside. The “Queens of Africa” line was created by Nigerian entrepreneur Taofick Okoya in 2007. It depicts various African ethnicities and hairstyles.
Okoya told Forbes that he did not intend to get into the doll-making business. He realized that his daughter was going through an “identity crisis” after there were no black dolls in the Nigerian market. “She wished she was white. I used to always buy her white dolls, and it never got to me that is was relevant which color her dolls were. On top of that, we have DSTV in Nigeria where children watch the Disney programs, and all her favorite characters were white,” said Okoya.
He would soon realize that whiteness all she had been exposed to and he sought to change that by creating his own line. Okoya says that it hasn’t been that easy trying to sell a black doll in Nigeria and many store owners he presented to wanted white dolls. “There’s still somewhat of a colonial brainwash present in the country. They were used to dolls being white by default, so taking a chance with a black doll was quite difficult for them at first.”
Seven years after he started the brand, the Queens of Africa line outsold Mattel in the country. Okoya is traveling to American cities this summer to meet clients to expand the brand in the states. The dolls are available for purchase online.
See more about the inspiration behind the popular dolls.
Get that coin and promote #BlackGirlMagic, Taofick!
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