₦airaland Forum

Kingsway store in ibadan then!...chai...

FreeStuffsNG:
That was not the Nigeria of the dreams of our founding fathers. That was a temporary arrangement to help a young nation.

Our independence goal was not meant to make Nigeria fully dependent on UK businesses that were actually fronts to continue to run things in Nigeria.

Read again, those businesses cut across different Countries employing Nigerians even before they graduate

Goke7:
That's how Leventis and Kingsway closed theirs, too. Life keeps evolving

Chronic low oil prices meant that the business model, selling imported goods, was not sustainable after some time.Not enough dollars coming in. That was how bad it was in the 1980s.

Even ShopRite, at some point , was selling more and more Nigerian made products.

Thanks for the images. I grew up during this era. I prefer visiting Leventis' top flor for their comics and UTC in Surulere for their toys

If your papa buy u shoes here that means he is a big boy then . Na wao ! See how everywhere neat

AngelahFlo:
Hello Guys,
For our Retro walk I wanna take those of us Gen X into a time in our childhood when innocence was real and true. Kingsway Stores which was the first indegenous departmental stores that first opened to the public in 1948 alongside Leventis Stores. It was unique in every way by bringing a feel of London's West End to Nigeria.

At the store you can buy imported items at affordable prices and there're so many fond memories of that era. My fondest memories was of my dad coming home with goodies for us like toy cars and water balls. It was the Shop rite and Ebeano Stores of the time.

What led to its decline was the oil price of the mid 80s and the SAP sanction of '86 which led to a ban on imported goods. It's really a sad story filled with nostalgia. Let the images below speak for themselves and you'll see Future CO of Silverbird empire as a 7 year old kid on the lap of Santa Claus in Kingsway Store.

I can't believe that Ben Murray Bruce is the one sitting on Santa Claus s thighs

The good ol days. When Nigeria was still young and innocent. Today everything has gone to the dogs. Look at Ben Bruce as a 7yr old . He was born into riches and has remained in riches till date.

femi4:
Read again, those businesses cut across different Countries employing Nigerians even before they graduate

Read my response again. Those were symbols of imperialism and colonialists. No amount of Kingsway trumps your liberty and freedom as a human being.

peterboro:
Nothing like Santa then. Or Maybe na only big men children knows it as Santa.

Cos me na "Father Christmas" we dey call am during my childhood.. Not until when i became an adult that i started knowing that it is really called Santa clause.

There was Santa. Each Christmas was amazing. Infact children trains were installed in Kingsway and Leventis at Christmas to move children to the area where Father Christmas was sitting. Father Christmas then usually was a white man, who gave out plenty of gifts to children. If you wanted see fear in the faces of children, just watch them in front of Father Christmas. If you wanted fun, please look out during Christmas. It was always massive in Lagos. Infact the frenzy started in September then and families started purchasing Christmas items early. In November it was banger galore. Even Ileya was fantastic in Lagos. Eyo festival was great also in Lagos until politicians ruined the economy.

FreeStuffsNG:
Read my response again. Those were symbols of imperialism and colonialists. No amount of Kingsway trumps your liberty and freedom as a human being.

lolz no be UK you call am before. .abeg park well

4reala:
The genzs won't be able to fathom. I remember the bathery charge you car and train popsy bought for me and my junior one then, thrilling. And a ton and jerry video player

Any small thing you go Dey mention GenZ and it is getting stale at this point

oluxmondd2:
How can our throwback be better than our present? Naija which way?

How is this better than today?
Do you know that the vast majority of Nigerians couldn't buy anything in those stores back then, most don't even have access to them.
Most only visit during Christmas. I still remember going there with my parents and one of my aunties was the manager of one of the departments back then. She came back from England and was given the job.
Life seem better back then, but for a few privileged ones.
Now most people can walk into a supermarket and buy whatever they want, it didn't used to be like that.
And I think there was only one in Lagos island on Marina before another was built in Surulere in the 80s. Their main competitor was Leventis at that time.

There are uncountable shopping malls today functioning effectively and making money. That is progress.

In the past, it is either Kingsway or Leventies.

Yep. Nostalgia. I wonder who the kid is sitting on Santa’s lap in the advert. Looks like Ben Bruce or someone from his family? Quite interested to find who that is as a grown up now.

almayda:
That would be on father Christmas ' legs,oh dear,we didn't have much but we were truly happy.

Truly happy dear.

Zeus123:
What a time to remember. When the economy was booming

Until Yoruba and Hausa Fulani conspired to bring it down to it's knees.

FreeStuffsNG:
Read my response again. Those were symbols of imperialism and colonialists. No amount of Kingsway trumps your liberty and freedom as a human being.

It was no imperialism and it was not colonialism. It simply was shopping made of easy for all, even as the markets thrived. Nigeria was much more beautiful, peaceful and the economy very secure. The economy was better and in safer hands than those who have operated it since the 1980s. There was no slavery, not to talk of “liberty and freedom as a human being”. All the stores were opened to all and there was no discrimination against any Nigerian. If you could afford the prices, why not. And by the way, prices were comparable with what obtained in the markets.

The Nigerian economy had industries working. Factories were well run and foreign exchange which has become an issue was nothing. Infact, maybe you are not aware that Nigerians took Naira cash to the streets of Europe, USA, Canada, Saudi Arabia and got exchange in the bureau de change, as our currency was accepted worldwide. Hold IBB responsible for SAP and the ruination of the country. Hold IBB responsible for ending open general import licence regime at the CBN and introduced compulsory import license for almost goods, which made billionaires overnight. Hold him responsible for the end of visa on arrival in London for all Nigerians. Hold him responsible for the now defunct structural foreign exchange market at the CBN the devalued the naira, which before then in 1986 exchanged for 60 kobo to the US dollar. The British or colonialists had nothing to do with it, but the leadership of the country after they left. And by the way, the likes of Baba Awo, Zik, Aminu Kano, etc did their very best, but the greedy men in khaki set the country back.

nairalanda1:
Last time i entered a Kingsway was in 1989. Good old days when we had UTC, leventis and chellerams. All gone now.

The SAP really sapped us.

SAP was the right decision. Nigeria imported everything and produced nothing, with a low tax collection, the economy was always going to collapse when the price of oil fell.

The issue with economic reforms is that they must be backed by political and government reforms, followed by industrial policies to drive economic growth.

Nigeria when there were no terrorists, kidnappers, internet fraudsters and ESN.

bazoodo:
How many people here remember Amosun Stores in Ilorin?? Was the biggest then right??

I do go there daily after school then, i attend Olumawu

FreeStuffsNG:
That was not the Nigeria of the dreams of our founding fathers. That was a temporary arrangement to help a young nation.

Our independence goal was not meant to make Nigeria fully dependent on UK businesses that were actually fronts to continue to run things in Nigeria.

Nigeria is far greater now with indigenous brands taking on UK businesses and outcompeting them today. If we had depended on the Kingsway of the colonialists, we would not have the GTBs, Dangote, Seplat, Globacom etc today.

What you are hyping is the symbol of imperialism. Nations still under colonialists and imperialism like New Caledonia are suffering bitterly and see the 'Kingsways' on their land but only their French colonialists can afford the goods. Thank God Nigeria is not New Caledonia

Large scale demand for expensive import goods is a sign of a strong internal economy.

It’s not about foreign businesses and what not. Generally the living standards of the middle class has significantly declined from what it was back then. To deny this is just lying to yourself.

Back then you could fly from Port harcourt to Kano, Enugu to PH. No airline can try such now due to poor load factor. Graduate trainees then could buy new cars on loan. It doesn’t happen anymore.

FreeStuffsNG:
Read my response again. Those were symbols of imperialism and colonialists. No amount of Kingsway trumps your liberty and freedom as a human being.

Kingsway was an indigenous founded store

Leventis was founded by a Greek guy of the same name who naturalized as a Nigerian in 1960.

Chellerams was founded by Indians.

bazoodo:
How many people here remember Amosun Stores in Ilorin?? Was the biggest then right??

I certainly do, with nostalgia

PigTormentor:
How is this better than today?
Do you know that the vast majority of Nigerians couldn't buy anything in those stores back then, most don't even have access to them.
Most only visit during Christmas. I still remember going there with my parents and one of my aunties was the manager of one of the departments back then. She came back from England and was given the job.
Life seem better back then, but for a few privileged ones.
Now most people can walk into a supermarket and buy whatever they want, it didn't used to be like that.
And I think there was only one in Lagos island on Marina before another was built in Surulere in the 80s. Their main competitor was Leventis at that time.

I just love reading these stories.

But now, our very own beloved BOKKU! ti take over. 🤣

To whoever owns the franchise, please o, we need BOKKU! stores in the Southeast.
It will be good investment, believe me.

JohnBullMySon:
Large scale demand for expensive import goods is a sign of a strong internal economy.

It’s not about foreign businesses and what not. Generally the living standards of the middle class has significantly declined from what it was back then. To deny this is just lying to yourself.

Back then you could fly from Port harcourt to Kano, Enugu to PH. No airline can try such now due to poor load factor. Graduate trainees then could buy new cars on loan. It doesn’t happen anymore.

Not exactly. A strong economy is one that is bringing in dollars from exporting manufactured goods and services.

Nigeria relies on resources. Whose prices we don't set. That means that when prices of whatever resource we sell are too low, which is most of the time, the economy is too too weak. If the price is high enough, there is a boom economy which discourages domestic manufacturing and leads to overimportation. And loss of dollars. Once prices crash again, we take loans to sustain the importation until it becomes impossible

Same for most subsaharan African countries.

sulaak:
SAP was the right decision. Nigeria imported everything and produced nothing, with a low tax collection, the economy was always going to collapse when the price of oil fell.

The issue with economic reforms is that they must be backed by political and government reforms, followed by industrial policies to drive economic growth.

Yeah, we had no choice, chronic low oil prices meant that we had to SAP or worse

I kuku no sabi any Kingsway. Na insult from our mothers make me know wetin be Kingsway.

O shey oju bi baby Kingsway

Na me that father Christmas carry!

Give it to Baby Kingsway, they are best in the world!

free2ryhme:
Masco and leventis

if you watch shoppers guide on Saturdays in the late 80s and early 90s you can relate

Shoppers' Guide with Femi Johnson

Nothing lasts in nigeria. Apart from thiefinf sector, which other sector don dey for atleast 100 years plus