when a foreign firm wants to invest in Nigeria, some people say it's exploitation. when Foreign firms pull out of Nigeria to other neighbouring country, you say we are a failed nation. which way out

boy t:

when a foreign firm wants to invest in Nigeria, some people say it's exploitation. when Foreign firms pull out of Nigeria to other neighbouring country, you say we are a failed nation. which way out

While I agree that beggars can't be choosers. I mean they come from a land with 10% unemployment to a land with over 50% unemployment (where the peoples moan and groan about bad wages to come - very strange), I can hardly call this kind of investment desirable. When it comes to retail believe me Nigeria has no problem whatsoever. There are probably more shop keepers and salesmen in Nigeria than in the entire North American continent. The kind of investment we need is the type that truly transfers wealth, technology and skills we lack not those we already have.

And those speaking of standards are enemies of this country. What is the benefit of a better packaged sachet of yam flour to a hungry man. Tell me.

My major problem with WALMART is how they treat their employees, It is highly slave like and these people really don't have a lot of choices anyways considering how hard it is to get a job these days. A lot of people working at walmart are working there as a result of necessity really. Who blames them though, we all have to make ends meet in some manner. If only they treated their employees well and paid them well and gave them better incentives or discounts or bonuses, it just might have been a wonderful company.

Its funny how people may think the minimum wage Walmart workers get paid is a lot when converted to Naira but do you really think they will pay Nigerians that amount of money? They will most likely consider what the minimum wage in Nigeria is and pay just that. Or they will have a way of attracting workers with a "high" pay at first and eventually reduce it to what they want it to be.

Also I dont know how this will work overtime but I am afraid that jobs will be lost in the same proportion that jobs will be created leading to no real change actually. Walmart may sell our local goods at ridiculous prices but the law of demand and supply will set in. More people will buy their goods at the cheaper rates and might eventually force local retailers to either reduce their prices or cut their costs. And one way businesses use to cut costs is to lay off some of their workers. And if some of these businesses are unable to meet up to expectations through an increased demand for their goods and services, they might eventually be forced out of business.

Now my speculations might not entirely be the case since its just "two" stores of Walmart opening up but considering how Walmart loves to expand their businesses and lay hands on what ever country they can lay hands on (this is business expansion strategy by the way), if their business is successful in Nigeria, I see them opening more stores in other states and eventually dominating the retail economy. Especially if there are no rules and regulations governing their business and no restrictions whatsoever.

Walmart is very smart in choosing to open up their retail store in the most populous country in Africa (Nigeria) where people are still struggling to make ends meet and will do anything to get their goods and services at the lowest prices possible in other to cut their costs. Which family does not want that really especially in families of 10 or more. Walmart may just be the next best thing for them as long as they feel they are cutting cost and using the extra funds to take care of other needs. Smart move, it may be wonderful in the beginning but overtime we may begin to see the drawbacks and impact they will have on the economy at large.

Super/kotangora deh dia!

Low prices
Low wages
Slaves in Africa

what ever they do I do not want to see any INDIAN as part of the Walmart setup in Nigeria.

If it is, it's all rubbish.

OneONYX:

I have to take you on this one Cap28.

1) Laughing all the way to the bank: Isn't that what business is meant for? I really don't have to talk about this.

Yes it is, but why must it always be the case that foreigners come into our country and make money at our expense?
why cant our own govt impose restrictions on these foreigners in order to allow domestic businesses to grow, a country's wealth comes from its domestic businesses and its manufacturing industry.  Why are we assisting foreigners in the transfer of wealth out of our country and into their own countries?
These same foreigners would never allow a nigerian to set up business in their own company and remit all that wealth back to nigeria. Are  you aware that these multinationals do not even pay tax to the nigerian govt? as part of the incentive to invest in nigeria they get tax breaks.

2) They pay their employees starvation wages and offer mainly part time work: Haha, dude, it's a retail store not an investment bank! Back in 2008, as a fresh graduate, I worked for a Nigeria owned company in Lagos. I had an official car (for sales calls), wore a suit and a tie, but was paid about N25K/month! Take a quick survey among young graduates in Nigeria who don't work for banks, multinationals and oil companies and you'll be shocked at what they earn. I'm not in support of "starvation wages", but it's not a new thing in Nigeria and I'd rather have secondary school graduates work for N20K/month at Walmart than be a bus conductor or rot away at home for years while waiting for JAMB (this really happens btw)!!! Besides, not all the jobs at Walmart are low paying ( I know that for sure)

It is the responsibilityt of govts to ensure their citizens earn a wage they can live on, there is no point telling me that only people who work for oil companies get good wages, there shoudl be some sort of safety net in place that ensures that workers are not at the mercy of these multinationals, why are we not campaigning and lobbying the nigerian govt to improve working conditions, why are we content to just sit back and say - "well its better to earn starvation wages rather than no wages" dont you see that by adopting that stance you play right into the hands of the exploiter whose only aim is to maximise profit, the more  you accept whatever he offers the more he continues to drive wages and working conditions down  - its a race to the bottom and the only ones benefitting from this are walmart's CEOs and company executives. 

3) They take out life insurance policies on their employees known as "dead peasant's policies: Yeah, I saw the documentary too. This is a really evil policy, so I don't have much to say about it. However, worse have happened in Nigeria;  the Julius Berger white man who abuses his employees with his dog, or the lebanese/chinese manufacturers who locks you up with poisonous fumes in the factory, then fire you if you get injured, or the oil companies in the Delta and all their atrocities? Truth is, if this were the States, you could make a documentary out of each story, but in Nigeria, this sort of stories only command 1/16th of a page in the back page of The Sun! Bottom line, this is not half as bad as what we already have in Nigeria and it doesn't mean they'll do it over here.

The reason that Julius Berger and other companiees can abuse their workers and get away with it is because no-one holds them accountable , nigerian workers have refused to stand up and demand to be treated like human beings , they simply cower under the tyranny of these abusive foreigners - look at what is happening in Greece, the people of that country are refusing to accept austerity measures which their govt are trying to force on them as a result of the corrupt and fraudulent way that their govt squandered the countries wealth.  The people are demanding that the prime minister resign and are threatening to make the country ungovernable if he continues to stick around, this is what we need in nigeria, the more you accept the abusive treatment the more it will be shovelled down your throat.

4) None of their stores have union representation: Really dude? Where do you think this is, Detroit? What have the unions done for even Govt workers in Nigeria? not to talk of the private sector? Even if Walmart allows unions in Nigeria, what will the employees gain? Bottom line, we don't have strong unions here, so Walmart will not start or stop anything.

The unions in nigeria have sold out and are working hand in hand with the govt thats why they are not effective, proper unions protect workers rights and prevent exploitative practices, would you rather work in an environment where you can be fired on the whim of a manager who wakes up one morning and decides he doesnt want to see your face any more or would you prefer to work in an environment where managers must defer to a body which acts in the collective interest of its members?

5) They put local retailers out of business: What do you mean? Can you change your perspective from a suburb in LA county to Iyana-Ipaja? who are the local retailers there and what do they sell? 100s of people with "shops"  attached to their houses all selling the same crappy stuff, 100s of people with roadside stands clogging-up the streets, wheelbarrow merchandise, and the "shopping plazas" containing exuberant traders grabbing your arm as you pass by. Really? you prefer walking for miles in mud covered markets than doing your grocery in one superstore with standardized prices? Did you even think of the economic impact that 3 Walmart stores would have in a place like Iyana-Ipaja for instance? How many jobs will be created for kids who would otherwise become street urchins? What about graduates that can work in logistics (Walmart has one of the best in the world), accounting, management, etc. Or what about the local suppliers, distributors etc. Put it together, one Walmart store in Iyana-Ipaja can have more economic impact in terms of jobs etc than 20 banks combined!!! How much tax will go back to the state coffers? You think those "shops" pay tax? haha! (except to the agberos) How many of the things in those "shops" do we even produce in Nigeria? Walmart will not change anything regarding importation in Nigeria, we already import everything!!!

Okay, I'm getting late for work! More comments later!!!

I keep going back to our govt, its the responsibliity of our govts to pour money into agriculture and to create and develop our own manufacturing  industry - with govt subsidies assisting many of these small businesses you would have a much better organised retail sector, in the west, retailers are given various incentives to start up their businesses, they receive loans from banks at reaonable interest rates, they get tax breaks, subsidies and many other inducements which enable them to run their shops from clean well lit and sanitary premises.
Instead of commending these traders for their resilence and hard work you criticise them, at least they are trying to make an honest living, if the nigerian govt hadnt abandoned them to wallow in poverty many of them wouldnt have to resort to selling what you describe as "crap" from wheel barrows or running along the road after cars with scraps of bread, cant you see that it is the failure of the govt to provide employment to these people that has placed them in these circumstances.

Companies like walmart are not coming in to help these people - they are coming in to further exploit them, the only reason walmart is attracted to nigeria is because of its huge population which translates as a huge consumer market, its also aware of the fact that workers have no rights and will be willing to work for the lowest wage possible - it will pay a pittance to its workers just like it does to its workers in Haiti, bangladesh, india and other poor countries around the world.
Instead of inviting in foreigners to exploit our own people why cant our own govts provide incentives to home grown businesses so that they can trade in clean premises and sell a diverse range of homegrown products at affordable prices?  is this beyond the reach of our govt?  why does our govt think its better to allow foreign owned businesses to come in and saturate our markets with imported products which will end up putting domestic producers out of business?  The money made by these foreign companies is not going to be used to develop nigeria it will merely be remitted back to their countries of origin, the jobs you keep saying that will be available to nigerians will NOT be highly skilled technical jobs - multinantionals have no interest in transferring their technology to their host countries- why would they? they do not want you to start competing with them tomorrow for consumers - they are only intersted in sucking as much profit out of the host nation as possible and they do that by keeping costs down, you keep costs down by creating low skilled, low paid jobs.
by the way nigerian traders who have shops in market places pay tax to their municipal authorities - what happens to this money is anybody's guess.

Walmart is a bad omen for an unrooted economy like nigeria.They will knock indiginous enterprenuars with their cheap products

With fooli_shgej in charge,we are going to see dtotal americanization of naija grassroot economy with dangerous consequencies

They should be made to partner with an INDIGENOUS businessman. 

I still see this as an attack on Igbo business. An attack on Igbo businesses is a declaration for war.

They are extending flopped/ highly subsidized american market to naija as a dumping ground just like they finished our caribean bruvs

Worst of all,all the goods will made in america or somewhere in asia,with highly subsidized scaled down import duties by corrupt nigerian government to wipe out nigerian small independent retailers.

It is not a good thing,we need industries,not finished cheap goods.

I know from a somwone who worked in Walmart that they tried a couple of years back, but the political cost was too much.

Nigerian people feel they have to do this because Walmart is now in South Africa.Going by the existing import duty and working at the prots its impossible for Walmart to run in Nigeria(not unless they give them the Dangote preference)

redsun:

They are extending flopped/ highly subsidized american market to naija as a dumping ground just like they finished our caribean bruvs

Have you ever been to a Walmart before? I dunno what you mean by "dumping ground." They sell great stuff at low prices. That is it. Walmart is a friend of the poor or price-conscious consumer.

walmart coming to nigeria is a good thing,walmart basically source for prices online and set theirs cheaper than what you can get anywhere so be rest assured that stuff will be cheaper than most of these stores that rob nigerians with so called cheap but fake or tampered products.you get something real with walmart and if you aint satisfied,you can easily take it back for no reason at all

redsun:

They are extending flopped/ highly subsidized american market to naija as a dumping ground just like they finished our caribean bruvs

flopped and highly subsidized??do u go there?and if yes for what?sure not for clothes,for those are nothing to write home about but in terms of other products,I wont call them flopped or highly subsidized

Walt mart is coming to invest in our country and employ nigerian to work and some Dickhead are saying rubbish.
I don't know why nairaland is full of unserious people.if people don't Hv things to say they should keep quiet.

Its been long overdue.

pls wont like it to be in north, they should come down east,think the best place to invest in.

Are you not worried about more cheap china goods coming to influx your market and discourage local business? That was the biggest concern here in SA and they ended up in South African court. They won the case but it shows that business SA is very worried about their impact on local business. I'm not business minded but it was interesting to me to see on comments here that no questions are raised about impact and so forth,

Elpieda:

My major problem with WALMART is how they treat their employees, It is highly slave like and these people really don't have a lot of choices anyways considering how hard it is to get a job these days. A lot of people working at walmart are working there as a result of necessity really. Who blames them though, we all have to make ends meet in some manner. If only they treated their employees well and paid them well and gave them better incentives or discounts or bonuses, it just might have been a wonderful company.

How many people who have actually worked at walmart at one point or another did you consult for their opinion in this? I happen to have worked at one time myself at walmart and particular enjoyed the flexibility and the opportunities that the experience provided me. Sure out of about 100 million employes, there will be the 1% or less who have a problem. That is by no means reason to blacken the name of the company, or is it?

^^ nuh-uh, 1.6 million female employees tried to class action sue the company this year.

[size=15pt]Walmart hoping to boost sales by selling Guns[/size]

Walmart is hoping to boost sales by putting guns on the shelves at more of its stores.

About 1300 stores currently sell rifles, shotguns and ammunition -- but not handguns, except in Alaska.

Now Walmart will sell guns at about 2,000 stores.

The company stopped selling guns at a majority of its locations several years ago, blaming low demand.

But the company says because of struggling sales -- its adding more merchandise.

Walmart says the stores that will begin selling firearms will be in areas where hunting and fishing are popular.

A spokesman says people will have to complete the necessary forms and background checks before they can buy guns.

Source: http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/news/national/Walmart-hoping-to-boost-sales-by-selling-guns

i see that as a great move.if nigerian bizmen cant replicate sometin like that, it doesn't mean we cant enjoy d benefits of quality and affordable products from foreigners.afterall, from my point of view as a consumer,price determines my decisions so far as quality is not compromised.they should come.they should try and open one in ph.

ndahbros1:

i see that as a great move.if nigerian bizmen cant replicate sometin like that, it doesn't mean we cant enjoy d benefits of quality and affordable products from foreigners.afterall, from my point of view as a consumer,price determines my decisions so far as quality is not compromised.they should come.they should try and open one in ph.

Possibly also help us clean up the clutter as REAL business people will surface since retailers and other members of our business community will then realize that they would have to compete REASONABLE in order to survive. What we have in Nigeria today is a market open to all and BILKERS. The price we pay for basic goods, and commodities is some of the highest in the world, and all for what? Mostly so someone can make all the profit / join the ranks of millionaires in just one day. at the expense of the poor.

I will rather patronize more of the 'Ibo made' that buying Wal - mart stuff that look more 'Ibo made' at the price of foreign made. If you think am lying ask someone in US to buy you a baby dress from Wal-mart to know what am talking about. Guys we should know better than calling in some failed businesses to come and enslave people in their own country.

largie:

I will rather patronize more of the 'Ibo made' that buying Wal - mart stuff that look more 'Ibo made' at the price of foreign made. If you think am lying ask someone in US to buy you a baby dress from Wal-mart to know what am talking about. Guys we should know better than calling in some failed businesses to come and enslave people in their own country.

Then don't shop at Walmart. Go shop at your preferred outlet. Don't work at Walmart. Go work for your preferred employer. It really is that simple.

;d ;d

@ Mariory
whatever

pleep:

^^ nuh-uh, 1.6 million female employees tried to class action sue the company this year.

and i believe it was dismissed.

pleep:

^^ nuh-uh, 1.6 million female employees tried to class action sue the company this year.

jidegirl12:

and i believe it was dismissed.

On June 20th, the Supreme Court, in their ideological split 5-4 dismissed the case on the grounds that the women did not have valid grounds of gender base treatment, therefore the litigation could not proceed any further as a class action, thus reversing the lower courts decision. I was really angry when I read this nonsense in the paper that morning, that goes to show you that even the so-called justices of the American Law can be easily influenced by capitalism, Justice Scalia concern was because it would raise billion of $$$ in damages. I knew the Supreme Court will dismiss it because when you have the likes of activist justices like Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Antonin Scalia and his follower Justice Clarence Thoma, anything is possible. I hope Justice Stephens leaves soon so Obama can appoint another democrat up there, that way, cases will go in favor of the people rather than so-called companies who will enslave people to make profits.

jidegirl12:

and i believe it was dismissed.

And honestly, I believe it was the right decision. As a past employee myself, I received a number of mailings from the group on the details of the case, and honestly, I felt they were trying to make a case because there is this new CORPORATIONS ARE ALL EVIL mentality, that the media seems great at selling too.