ENTER DABO 2007

 

The decision to publish this directory was inspired by African Pages, perhaps the first attempt at compiling a directory of African businesses and organisations in the UK. This highly impressive initiative by the Ghanaian, Kwasi Sarpong, was published in 1998 after some five years of research. Though a highly commendable effort, African Pages, never came out again after its debut edition.

 

When we launched Adonis & Abbey Publishers Ltd in March 2003 to publish books and journals, we were enamoured with the idea of reviving or re-inventing the African Pages, and making it an annual publication to supplement existing directories in the UK such as Yellow Pages and Thompson's. We made several attempts to get some organisations to partner with us on the project but unfortunately drew blank with each effort.

 

In June 2006, we decided to go it alone. With three researchers - Yeamah Thompson, Abiolo Irele and Irene Ndowi - working variously on the project, we were able to obtain more than 2000 entries spread over almost 40 categories of businesses and organisations. We do not claim that the directory lists every African business and organisation. No directory can in fact make any such claim of comprehensiveness.  We do however believe that with this directory, we have provided a baseline, which future efforts could add value to.

There are definitional issues in deciding what makes a business or organisation 'African' in the UK. Is this defined by ownership or service orientation?  We decided to be eclectic, combining both approaches.  We felt that to use ownership alone to determine what should be included and what should be left out will be extremely limiting as it will exclude many vital businesses and organisations that users of the directory are likely to find valuable. Therefore DABO is a directory of businesses and organisations either owned by Africans or whose services target Africans either in the UK or in the continent.

Listing in the directory does not amount to an endorsement of any business or organisation listed. We have published the information as obtained, or given to us, on face value. Users of the directory are encouraged to make their own independent investigation of any business or organisation that they want to deal with.

 

We have adopted a simple classification system. The businesses listed are organised in categories, and listed in alphabetical order. The categories of businesses and organisations listed, and where they could be found in the directory, are in the Table of Contents.

We are very grateful to those who provided moral support in the course of the research on the directory, including the aforementioned research assistants who worked tirelessly to collect most of the materials published in this directory.

 

The directory could be bought from all leading online booksellers, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble and WH Smith as well any good shop. We also welcome direct inquiries.

 

Publication: June 2007