In 2014, Nigeria witnessed an unprecedented increase in the number of shopping malls that berthed in major cities like Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Aba amongst others.

Major Nigerian cities, especially Lagos and Abuja, saw in 2014 what seems a revolution in the retail segment of the real estate market driven by the country’s encouraging demographics, changing household shopping culture, strong purchasing power and high consumer spend coming from the upper and emerging middle class population.

The rebirth of shopping malls has redefined consumers’ lifestyle in the areas where they are established, the surge in the growth of Nigeria’s retail sector may not have seen the last of investors as Resilient Africa says it has seen a huge potential in the sector notwithstanding that it is still relatively immature.

In 2014, a joint venture by Shoprite and Stanbic IBTC as development partners and Resilient Africa – a real estate investment and development company from South Africa – is out with an intention to develop as many malls as it can within the shortest possible time in Nigeria.

“The potential of this (Nigerian) market is unlimited and it is relatively immature. We see big international (European) retailers coming here in the next two to three years. I think Africa is the flavour of the moment and it is only natural for international investors to migrate to the continent,” Japie Swart, Resilient Africa’s chief operating officer, told BusinessDay in an interview in the outgoing year.

Swart disclosed that they were already tapping into the opportunities which this market offers with the development of Delta Mall, a retail outlet sitting on 14,000 square metres gross lettable area estimated to cost $58 million on completion.

The mall which is located at Effurun roundabout in Delta State, Swart said, is a joint venture project involving his company, Delta State government and an undisclosed local businessman, adding that March 2015 has been set for the opening of the mall already 70-80 percent ready on construction side.

Abigail Phillips Abigail Phillips - Leadership

Yamaha Motor Co has announced that it will begin manufacturing in Nigeria, Africa as part of a joint agreement with CFAO S.A. According to reports, the factory will officially open its doors in mid-2015.

The new company to be known as CFAO Yamaha Motor Nigeria Ltd. (CYMNG), and Yamaha Motor and CFAO (a French company, specialized in distribution of major international brands in Africa in the Toyota Tsusho Group) are to make equal investment contributions toward a start-up capital of $1 million.

The new CYMNG factory will cover an area of 2,790 square meters will be built in Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city. Scheduled to commence operation in summer 2015, the factory has a production target of 70,000 motorcycles by 2018.

In 1980, Yamaha Motor established a motorcycle factory in Nigeria that carried out manufacture and sale of motorcycles, however in 2005 the company pulled out of production due to a decline in the market - ever since Yamaha has been selling motorcycles imported from Japan or India through local dealerships. This joint venture represents Yamaha Motor’s second foray into the Nigerian market.

The population of Nigeria is currently 170 million, and explosive growth in the population and economy has contributed to heightened demand for motorcycles in the region. Demand is expected to skyrocket even further, due to the fact that motorcycles are fast taking over taxis as the number one form of transportation.

juman:
He failed in the aspect of not borrowing more and more billions of dollars to do significant projects.

djfaithy:
yes everything happens on ground, but Nigeria is a country where you won't know the real mindset of voters until a week to the election, just wait and see, don't speak for the millions tht would vote yet, so that you won't be disappointed.

mikeansy:
My verdict? Nigeria has no A-grade politician!!!!! Very embarrassing!

For me:

Atiku sounded the best but was dull and bullyish at times even to his own audience at the begining

Jonathan Goodluck comes second as he sounds clear but nervous

Kwakwanso comes third as you can make out what he is saying but clearly has a problem pronouncing "Impoverish" & "Fiscal"

Buhari needs an interpreter to tanslate English to English. Even Amaechi's Face from 2:11 minutes in the video says it all!

DivideUs:

And southern leaders are living forever abi?

Austine.E:
Obiano Commissions Nigeria’s First Building Materials Testing Laboratory
Category: REPORTS
Published on Sunday, 29 June 2014 21:44
By James Eze

Worried by the spate of building collapses in the state, Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State has
opened what is widely believed to be the first Building and Construction Materials Quality Control Laboratory in Nigeria.
In a brief ceremony at the weekend to mark the commissioning of the ultra-modern facility sited in the premises of the Ministry of Works, Awka, the governor expressed hope that with this interventionist effort, the saga of building collapses in the state would soon be consigned to the past.
According to him, the facility, has over 120 equipment for testing various materials to ensure a comprehensive compliance to standards. Chief Obiano observed that with the facility, the incidence of structural failures which lead to the collapse of buildings, road and other infrastructures would come to an end in Anambra State.
The governor however warned that any builder or construction engineer who fails to submit his materials for testing in the laboratory runs the risk of having his building or any project under construction pulled down by the relevant authorities as his administration would no longer fold its hands and watch citizens die on account of someone’s carelessness.
The governor also ordered the immediate removal of all structures leaning on approved original building plans and made it clear that very soon, when the relevant authorities embark on the dismantling of such structures, it would be accompanied by severe penalties ranging from outright prosecution to the payment of heavy fines including the eventual cost of dismantling them by the authorities.
He also enjoined builders to maintain the specified set-back from road as government would not hesitate to demolish any structure sited on a set-back.
Earlier in his opening remarks, the Commissioner for Works, Hon. Callistus Ilozumba said the laboratory would be managed through a public-private partnership arrangement between the State government and a private firm.
Hon. Ilozumba further explained that in accordance with specification, construction materials would be pre-tested before they get to the project sites and quality control test conducted while the projects are in progress.
He called on all the stakeholders to continue to give support towards the realization of the goal of the project. In his own remarks on behalf of public-private partners, Mr. Ebosie Ezeoke disclosed that the laboratory would provide service for testing sub-soil, soil, concrete, steel, chemical, asphalt and non-destructive test for existing structures.
Also speaking, the Secretary to the Investigation Panel on Collapsed Building, Mr. Emeka Okpala said the Panel was already using the facility to carry out their work on collapsed building.
By James Eze
www.elombah.com

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Afaukwu: "Nigeria started as two units-Northern and Southern Protectorates. It was Lord Lugard who said, after the Colonial Office was advised, that the two should be coupled so that the North, which was at that time not economically strong, be carried economically by the South, instead of Colonial Office sending subvention all the way from London. That is how we got the amalgation of 1914.

When Chief Tony Enahoro moved a motion here in Lagos for independnce, the British got frightened, at the legislature. Ndi ebe anyi si na inwi de ofia, e bele ya odu. (Instead of losing the whole rabbit to the bush, it is better to cut its tail). 

The British then said, ‘a rather than leave the rest of Nigeria, let one part go and let’s keep one part. So in April 1957, the British offered independence to Nigeria but on regional basis.

Not as one unit but they agreed with a section of the country what to do. The north said they were not ready. [b]The west said they were ready. It was Zik and Ndigbo who said no. That was the first time in my life I first heard the word balkanisation. Zik said rather than balkanise Nigeria, let’s wait for the North. That was how independence was delayed from ‘57 to 1960.[/b]If the East at the time had opted for independence, what we would have got is the present states of the former Eastern Region from Bayelsa all the way to Cross River. Not only that, what was then Southern Cameroun, up to Bakassi would have become part of that Eastern Nigeria, with oil rich Bakassi right in the middle of a sovereign Eastern Nigeria controlled by the Igbo. Who could have made a greater sacrifice to keep Nigeria together?"

From hindsight, Awo appears to be smarter than Zik, and if Awo had his way, by now the south would have been rid of the North, and the SE and SW will grow independent of each other, at their different pace.