The Nation Newspaper

Category: Consumer Watch

  • Customers count losses over poor phone services

    From Lenovo, Freetel, Feros, Mi-Tribe to many other brands, these are all phones that were launched in Nigeria with much hype, fanfare and many promises of after sales services but today the unfortunate consumers that patronised the brands have been left in the lurch due to lack of service parts.

    Most of the phones are no longer in the open market for those who want to buy and those that are still using the ones they bought cannot repair them or service them.

    Fero mobile launched Royale X2 smartphone in Lagos in November 2017 in an atmosphere of glitz and excitement. Speaking at the launch then, the Product and Development Manager, Fero mobile Nigeria, Mr. Ayodeji Ogunmola said the Royale X2 smartphone was born out of the desire to meet the needs of its consumers.

    He boasted then that the company provided five major after sales service centers and 150 collection points across the country, catering for the needs of its buyers.  Ogunmola also said then that the company equally introduced a value added service of giving free screen replacement for all Fero smartphone.

    Not yet done, the Director Fero Mobile Nig. Mr. Phiroze Seth noted that Nigeria was a thriving market for the company and that was why they decided to give the buyers the best.

    Lenovo smartphone made its grand entrance into the Nigerian market with Lenovo P70 and Lenovo S90 in February 2014. Speaking at a breakfast meeting with the media in Lagos, Shashank Sharma, Executive Director of Mobile business Group at Lenovo, Middle East and Africa described Nigeria as a vital focus for the organisation.

    According to Sharma, “In the past one year, Lenovo has made strong progress with its Nigerian consumers. We consider the region as a principal destination for investment, even as we continue to record robust growth in sales, sustaining a solid in-country presence is very important to us from both social and economic stand point. We will continue to expand our business and investment heavily in this market.”

    Mi-Tribe A500 with strong camera, one of my favourite phones was launched at Protea Hotel Maryland Lagos in February 2016. It was a success with thousands of units sold both online and offline in local mobile retail stores.

    One would have thought that Mi-Tribe as a mobile brand has come to stay. Nigerians rushed to purchase the beautiful device. It sold for around N23,000 but months later the price came down to N20,500 on Konga and the sales volume of the device almost doubled.

    “With the Mi-Tribe A500, we have launched a mobile device that offers convenience, style and affordability made exclusively for the people of Nigeria as a way of giving them quality backed up by superior after sales support,” said Alpesh Patel, CEO and founder of Mi-Fone as he also announced their partnership with Nigeria’s leading Online Mall, Konga at the launch of the Mi-Tribe A500 in Nigeria.

    Japan’s largest selling smartphone mobile brand, Freetel was launched in Lagos, August 2017. It announced its partnership with TD mobile, a mobile device distributor in Sub Sahara Africa.

    The Vice President, International Sales, Freetel, Eugene Yoshika said at the launch then that “Nigeria is the market for Freetel and we are looking forward to reach out to Nigerian consumers with our latest smartphones. We plan to invest in the country with a full-fledged subsidiary to support sales, marketing and after sales support.”

    Consumers who bought their products have been left high and dry without any explanation or how they can receive after sales service.

    A visit to Oremeji Street, Computer Village, Ikeja, the service center of Lenovo and Freetel did not yield any fruit. At the first floor of the building that also houses Konga shop, Staff at the Service Center calmly informs consumers that there were no service parts for Freetel or Lenovo phones and they were not expecting any either.

    On the next step to take, the frustrated consumer is advised to buy the more popular brands that offer second hand value.

    At the supposed Mi-Tribe Service Centre in Computer Village, 20 Oremeji, the reporter was told that a new occupant had rented the office.

     

  • Mixed reactions trail border closure

    While local farmers and manufacturers jubilate over the land border closure, consumers especially residents of border towns are lamenting the soaring prices of goods.

    On August 20th, the federal government had announced its intention to close the country’s land borders in order to put a stop to the smuggling of products, especially par boiled rice, into the country in order to encourage and develop the local rice industry. “Too much rice, too much fake fertiliser is still coming across the Republic of Benin borders into this country in spite of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) we have with them. They are not listening,” former Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbe, lamented in March 2018.

    Apart from rice, other products like vegetable oil, textile, vehicles, second hand clothings, drinks, used tyres, repellent mosquito coil, fertilizer, spaghetti, used compressors, used fridges, blank invoice, frozen poultry, fish, sugar, etcetera, are smuggled into Nigeria, making the country a dumping ground.

    Nigeria shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east and Niger Republic in the north. With a land mass of 4,000 square kilometres coverage, it has well over 1,400 illegal routes which are not manned.

    However, with the closure of the borders, especially the Seme and Idi-Iroko borders, prices of products have skyrocketed. A bag of foreign par boiled rice which was selling for N15,000 now sells for between N18,500-N20,000. A kilo of frozen chicken sells for N1,500 while frozen turkey sells for N1,600 as against N900 and N1,200.

    It was moaning and complaints at Supa Market Iyana-Ipaja and The Arena Oshodi. The Arena, where second hand wears, shoes and bags are sold, was not a bee hive of activities like before. Majority of the stalls were half empty. Some of the traders were observed idle and chatting while majority of the customers were complaining of the high cost and not seeing exactly what they came to buy.

    Further investigations revealed that majority of the traders at Supa who were buying directly from Cotonou have resorted to buying from the heavy dealers at The Arena as those small traders can no longer access Cotonou due to border closure while Customs still opens the borders for the heavy dealers.

    Mrs. Joke Akinwumi, who sells second hand clothing at Supa, said she used to buy directly from Cotonou but since the closure, she now patronises the dealers at The Arena at a very high cost. How are those dealers getting their wares? the reporter asked. “By Direct,’’ Akinwumi said, explaining it’s a term only understood by traders. Throwing more light, she explained that they book their market in advance with Cotonou agents and settle custom officials very well. That way their goods are allowed to pass through the border.

    “There is no market to sell because we did not receive goods from Cotonou. At the moment, it is very expensive to bring in goods from Cotonou. Traders are wary. We are waiting for things to normalise at the borders,” said Mr. Michael Itoro, a big time dealer in men’s second hand shirts at The Arena.

    At Balogun and Oke-Arin markets Lagos, the stories are the same. Speaking with the immediate past president General of Oke-Arin Traders Association, Mr. Edwin Nnamdi Onye, he said “There is no market as traders cannot bring in anything through the border. We are selling only old stock.”

    “Is it only through Seme border that Nigerian traders import things? the reporter ventured. “No, we also import through Apapa Wharf but it is more expensive and the processes longer.”

    It is noteworthy, however, that consumers not residing in the border towns are not feeling the impact of the border closure as residents of border towns. Most consumers not in border towns prefer eating the locally farmed rice. They prefer live fowls to imported frozen poultry which some refer to as mortuary. For instance, in Enugu town, frozen poultry is called ‘carton’. Nobody buys it as consumers allege it is tasteless just like foreign par boiled rice which they see as tasteless. Poultry farming is thriving and affordable. Sizable fowls sell from N1,000.

    It is unfortunate that while successive Nigerian governments especially the former Goodluck Jonathan government tried to make Nigeria self sufficient in food, especially in rice, our staple food, our neighbouring governments strive to frustrate the efforts.

    Investigations revealed that in 2016, about 58,260MT of rice was imported into Nigeria from Thailand, according to the Thai Rice Exporters Association.

    This represents a huge reduction when compared to about 805,765 MT recorded in 2015. By November 2017, the figure reduced to 23,192 MT and between January and November 2018, the figure had crashed to 6,277 MT.

    Within the years, the Thai statistics shows that there had been a 72.9 per cent reduction in quantity of export to Nigeria while the export value had also crashed by 72.2 per cent. This, clearly, confirms that there has been reduction in Nigeria’s rice import figures.

    However, as Nigeria’s importation figures slide downward, neighbouring Benin Republic has seen its export figures skyrocket exponentially, within the same years.

    According to the Thai Import statistics, from 805,765 MT in 2015, Benin Republic has seen import figures rise to 1,650,237 MT in 2017 and 1,487,188 MT between January and November 2018.

    Nigerian borders are notoriously porous and several reports have established how numerous goods, including rice, find their way into the country through the borders, especially the ones adjoining Benin Republic.

    In November 2016, the Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Hameed Ali, claimed the nation’s boarders were porous because of their interconnectivity with adjoining nations, adding that there was no line demarcating Nigeria from its neighbours.

    More importantly, Benin Republic exports and most of its par-boiled rice imports, up to 30,000 containers per year, are routed via transit shipments through Niger to the northwest of Nigeria, according to HAS Rice, a leading exporter in Pakistan.

    For our local industries to flourish, we must depend less on imports.

     

  • ‘BIC shave, play and win’ ends

    In line with keeping up with the quality mark, manufacturer of disposable shavers, BIC, has reaffirmed the brand promise with the just concluded third edition of ‘BIC shave, play and win’ campaign which produced over 40 winners nationwide.

    Known for its affordable variants, which include BIC 1, Comfort 2, Twin Lady, and Flex 3’, the company has been in the market for over 70years.

    The six-week campaign, which ran across Nigeria, saw a number of activations including the set-up of viewing centres that brought Nigerians together to cheer for the national team during the just concluded African Nations Cup tournament. As part of the campaign, promotion activities took place across the country, giving consumers chances chance to win instant prizes of over 10,000 recharge cards and other gift items.

    The final draw took place at the General Import & Distribution head office in Lagos, supervised and certified by the National Lottery Regulatory Commission, the Consumer Protection Council, and the Lagos State Lottery Board, and saw an impressive participation of 30,000 entries. The prizes that were won included LED television sets, DSTV explora decoders, mobile phones, tabletop, gas cookers, and rechargeable fans.

    Speaking at the draws, BIC’s Business Development Manager for Nigeria, Mr. Adeyemi Ojo, said: “Our ‘BIC shave, play and win’ campaign was created to underline BIC’s commitment to providing quality shaving solutions in addition to engaging and rewarding the loyalty of our consumers. As a company, we are always looking to excite our partners and our consumers through various touch points. We are delighted with the success that our ‘shave, play, and win’ campaign continues to garner and by the overwhelmingly positive feedback and participation we had this year.”

    In his own comments, Assistant of Enforcement Unit, National Lottery Regulatory Commission, Adeniyi Adeleke, said that the draw was fair, transparent and gave equal chances to everyone that participated in the promotion.

    Consumer Protection and Council Head of FCCPC, Susie Onwuka, and Senior Legal Officer – Simisola Muniru – from Lagos State Lottery Board (LSLB) commended BIC’s initiative and congratulated the company for staying true to its promises.

  • Nimbus Media launches new digital signage screens

    In its bid to help advertisers more effectively measure digital ads, Nimbus Media Limited recently unveiled the latest version of its electronic digital advertising board, a 75-inch free standing double-sided LED screen at the Ikeja City Mall in Lagos.

    The new device features a Content Management Software (CMS) solution, an application used to create, customise, and manage information such as still image and video advertisement on a digital signage screen.

    Speaking during the launch event, Managing Director, Nimbus Media Limited, Tayo Osikoya, revealed that one of the unique features of the device is that it has the capacity to measure the amount of audience that views the adverts displayed on the screen with the surveillance cameras attached on the board.

    “Prior to the launch of this device, we have received some feedback from our clients concerning the numbers of reach for their adverts in order for them to have some degree of measurability, now we are glad to have a device that helps our clients measure the reach of their sponsored posts on the digital screen,” he explained.

    Read Also: Nimbus launches first Shopping Mall Guide

    Osikoya stated that the software technology introduced into the board allows the device to gather key information about audience: number of viewers, their gender, age group, emotions and attention time.

    “Social media has been a major competitor with other traditional advertising media because it displays the numbers of views, clicks, likes and shares which makes it possible for the clients to measure the reach of their running adverts.

    “In addition, the device allows brands strategically place their advert content on the screen in order to fit a specific target audience as it can choose the duration, time and period it wants the adverts to run, amongst several others,” he added.

    The MD further explained that the new technology will help advertisers to get more value for their spend. “We are working towards expanding and introducing new technology such as touch screens and other technology that provide better services and reach for our clients and audience.”

    Nimbus Media Limited currently runs the largest network of indoor advertising screens in Nigeria with core strength in high traffic shopping malls with plans to expand its operations to other West African countries. They are currently gearing up to launch their newest screen at the Ado Bayero Mall, Kano.

  • Mattress buying guide

    I never knew buying a good mattress can be difficult till a retiree, Mrs Edith Udug, complained to us that a mattress of a leading brand she bought collapsed after about one year of usage.

    Explaining, the brand manager of the company who pleaded anonymity said it could have been caused by many external factors. Exonerating the company, he affirmed the high quality of the product but said that Udug bought a mattress not meant for her.

    “When buying mattress, a customer must consider so many things including her weight. A mattress for someone weighing 40kilos will not do for one weighing 100kilos. We provided weighing scales for our dealers and educate them on weighing customers before selling mattress to them.”

    Weight is just one of them. Let us examine other factors to be considered before parting with our money.

    Getting a good night’s sleep is essential to staying happy and healthy. But buying a mattress without doing your research first can lead to sleepless nights and achy mornings, if you are not sleeping on a supportive base.

    So whether you are a side sleeper or suffer from chronic back pain, read on to find out what option is best for you.

    Types of mattress

    Open spring mattress: Also known as open coil or continuous coil mattresses. These contain one long piece of metal wire coiled into numerous springs. There is also an additional border rod or wire to maintain shape and provide structure. It is a great value for money option, although sides are machine-stitched rather than hand-stitched, they are lighter than other models, making them easy to turn. They tend to be less supportive than other mattresses too, so are most suited to guest bedrooms or as children’s beds, where they are used occasionally or will need to be replaced regularly anyway.

    Pocket spring mattress:  You can buy soft, medium or firm versions, depending on your preference, and they are more breathable than memory foam or latex mattresses. This is a good option if you’re looking for a bed for two people, as the separate springs will cater for your different needs and weights, while they will also minimise the risk of you rolling towards your partner in the middle of the night.

    Memory foam mattress: These more modern mattresses are made from memory foam, which is a mouldable material that also responds to temperature and weight, and has hypo-allergenic properties. This means it will mould to the shape of your body, absorb your weight and relieve pressure on your joints. Not everyone likes the sinking motion of this type of mattress, and it can get rather warm, but it’s ideal for those who need support or suffer from a bad back, as it will maintain posture and align your spine horizontally when sleeping on your side.

    Latex mattress: As the name suggests, these mattresses are filled with latex foam, which is an especially breathable material, so you won’t overheat in the middle of the night. It’s also extremely durable and should last for many years. And it’s a good option for those with allergies or asthma. They can feel rather solid at first though, so they’re better suited to those who prefer a firmer bed. Usually heavy, latex mattresses can be difficult to turn and cheaper versions can develop lumps and dents over time.

    Hybrid: Drawing from a combination of materials that usually include memory foam, latex and pocket springs, hybrid mattresses are designed to give a more balanced sleeping experience. They often come with a pocket-sprung base and a memory foam top layer, providing both comfort and support – alleviating aches and pains by responding to your body’s shape.

    Continuous and coil: These are significantly cheaper than other mattress types, but be warned that with the attractive price tag comes the likelihood of these mattresses wearing out and sagging quickly. These mattresses also move around a lot with you as you sleep – as they are designed as one unit – so if you or your partner tosses and turns in the night, we’d suggest you consider other options.

    Mattress firmness

    How firm your mattress is will affect how well you sleep. The type of firmness you need will depend on your sleeping position, height and weight. Here we explain what level of firmness is best for what type of sleeper.

    Soft: Side sleepers or those who change positions during the night are best suited to soft mattresses. This is because the way you sleep already relieves pressure from your spine so you want your mattress to mould to your body’s natural position.

    Medium soft: This is ideal for those who change their sleeping position during the night, as it will still mould to your body position but provide a little more support.

    Medium firm: This is best for people who sleep on their back as you require extra lower-back support, which this type of firmness offers.

    Firm: This type of mattress is ideal for those who sleep on their front, are over 15 stone or suffer from back pain. This is because it will keep your back in a relatively comfortable and stable position without allowing you to sink into it as you sleep, which can cause lower-back pain.

    How should you sleep while pregnant?

    During your first trimester, you’ll often feel sleepy and want to nap. It’s important you get the rest you need so sleep in whatever position feels most comfortable, including on your front or back.

    In your second trimester, you’ll feel the baby’s weight more, which can feel uncomfortable and put extra pressure on certain areas of your body. This is when a soft mattress will help, while your bigger bump means the recommended position to sleep in is on your left side, as sleeping on your back will cause your bump to press against a main blood vessel, which may cause you to feel faint.

    During your third trimester, your lower back may be a source of pain as it supports your baby’s increasing weight. To ease this, continue to sleep on your left side and with a pillow under your head, between your knees and under and around your bump to ease discomfort and take pressure off your muscles and hips. We’ve also reviewed pillows to help mums-to-be sleep.

    What mattress do you need if you suffer from joint or back pain?

    A good mattress needs to give both support and comfort and that includes ones for those who suffer from back problems.

    Although a firm mattress is recommended by some retailers, you should always look for a mattress that keeps your back aligned while sleeping and relieves pressure points along your spine and joints. This has a lot to do with your weight (the heavier you are, the firmer your mattress should be).

    Mattress care

    Once your mattress is delivered, make sure you let it air for at least four hours. This will remove any storage smells of damp or cold.

    Ideally, the mattress should then be aired weekly by removing the bed linen. Remember to turn your mattress regularly too. This will stop dips forming and your weight altering part of the mattress, causing uneven sleeping.

    You should aim to replace your mattresses every eight to 10 years though. This is not only for hygiene reasons but because it will soften over time, reducing the support it gives you.

    If you feel sore when you wake up or you find you sleep better in other beds, it’s time for a change.

  • Nuture Technology launches moneybag

    Cognisant of the current economic difficulties Nigerians face, moneybag.ng has debuted promising to add value to the saving culture of consumers especially those who hitherto have found it difficult to set money aside for the rainy day.

    The Online saving platform which is consumer-focused encourages all consumers regardless of age and status to save with attractive interest while restricting them access to the money saved until a stipulated agreed time between the depositor and the bank.

    “Moneybag.ng, the brain child of an indigenous technology firm based in Lagos, Nuture Technology Service Limited, was borne out of the need to address the many challenges faced by consumers as they try to save from their income while bringing convenience and transparency to the way people save,” said the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Nature Technology, Mr Uchenna Okezie.

    The product which was unveiled to the media was described as an innovation that is set to gain popularity amongst Nigerians based on its expected high uptake. According to Okezie, “saving is an activity that is crucial to the financial independence of any individual and with Moneybag.ng, we have created a customised savings solution that is flexible for everyday use and transparent for comprehension.”

    Unveiling the new product in an event at Ikeja, the CEO explained that “it is an online financial services platform that can be used by anyone regardless of age or profession with features such as savings, investments (“Baglocker” which helps you lock away funds for a set period with 9-13.5% per annum interest) and loans. It also has a lifestyle feature known as “Cliquebag” designed to help friends save together.”

    Okezie further stated, “A lot of you are already aware of the efforts we have put in over the past 10 months to be able to get to where we are today and be ready to move forward with this exciting new venture. We are all cognisant of the current economic difficulties Nigerians face. That is why right from when we started developing Moneybag.ng, our goal has always been to add value to the savings culture of the Nigerian society as we noticed that a lot of people find it difficult to save money owing to numerous reasons.”

    In his remarks, The chief operating officer of the company, Mr. Lanre Fadayomi, made it clear that low inclusivity and limited user-friendly financial service options were identified as the main difficulties why people found it hard to save and that this was a critical motivating factor when Nuture Technology decided to create an easy way so that people could save regardless of their age, background or qualification.

    Fadayomi also said, “Majority of what we do is transaction-based, so it required us to be customer centric with the types of savings plans Moneybag.ng offers. We also had to focus on a user experience that was easy to understand and interact with the needs of our customers while looking for ways to help customers better appreciate the product. We then infused lifestyle, investments and discipline in saving to help get customers interacting with the product.”

    In its efforts to creating Moneybag.ng, Nuture Technologies partnered with some giants of the financial sector towards ensuring a full integration for Moneybag.ng across the various financial services. The list of partners include, Interswitch, GTbank, First Bank’s FBN General Insurance, Moneyline, Primera Micro-Finance and others. The launch event which was held on 8th July, 2019 at the D’Podium International Event Centre in Lagos also witnessed the unveiling of former Big Brother Nigeria 2018 Housemate, Omololu Somuyiwa, as Moneybag.ng’s brand ambassador.

    Responding to questions on loans for consumers, the CEO of moneybag.ng explained that there are two types of loans which can be assessed without collateral from the consumer.

    “The consumer can only be qualified to apply for the loan if he/she has been on the platform for up to 90 days. Though we do not demand for collateral but you are expected to provide your BVN and we make sure that you have the capacity to service the loan.”

     

  • The highs and lows of the GTBank food and drink festival

    The GTBank food and drink festival which lasted four days ended on a high note on Wednesday with many people and pupils trooping to the venue as the day was public holidays affording workers and students the opportunity to relax.

    The Fair was characterized with excitement, fun, glamour, trading and networking as up to 300 food and drink vendors had their goods on display while many business people who could not get a stall at the Fair were busy giving out hand bills to prospective customers.

    Over 15 international Chef were on hand to facilitate the culinary master classes where many things including the secrets to blending seasonings to perfection, building and maintaining a world class restaurant, food styling for photography, to the art of kushi making, latin American dishes amongst others were taught.

    Creativity and innovation in food and drink were displayed to their best during the four days the festival lasted. Majority of the vendors came to the Fair with mouth watering delicacies which they created from our normal regular food products proving that there is still much more we can do from our normal food products.

    Take for instance, ‘Mouth munchers coconuts’ stall that had various unique coconut products like oil, chinchin, flour, coconut flakes etcetera on display. However what attracted guests more was the coconut Poundo made from coconut chaff which ordinarily we discard but Mouth munchers turned it to something desirable, a swallow meal like semovita.

    Explaining to prospective buyers the Manager, Mrs. Olaitan Hanidu who was very grateful to GTB for the platform said the coconut chaff was gotten after the milk was expressed from it. She said the swallow is good for health conscious people especially those running away from carbohydrate and glutten. The ordinary coconut flour also on display she noted, can be used in baking.

    Mrs. Oluwatosin Akintola of ‘Creative corn pap’ was able to turn our ordinary ‘ogi’ as Yorubas call it or ‘akamu’ like the Ibos, into mouth watering delicacies. Gazing at the transparent disposable cups  filled with different colours of pap topped with various dried fruits like sultana, baked oats, one will hardly believe that it is our humble pap.

    Mrs. Akintola explained to the buyers who were eagerly snapping up her products, that she was able to achieve the different coloured pap by using yellow corn, white corn, guinea corn and dawa for the chocolate coloured pap while strawberry flavor was used for the pink pap. In fact the look reminded one of yoghurt at the highbrow Pink berry Outlet.

    The creative pap maker was all thanks to GTB whom she said not only provided the platform free but also provided POS machines for all the vendors. Opening up more to the Nation Reporter She said, she had come to the Fair with her varieties of raw pap but was  surprised that buyers were enthralled with the already prepared mouth watering cold pap.

    At the ‘Rielle’s Cocktails and Candies’, unique drinks of all types were on display. On hand were drink mixers, ready to mix any kind of drinks to your taste. Smoothies, fresh juices, drinks, cocktails’ and assortment of candies were available.

    Urban District were there with an assortment of any local and foreign dishes one can think of. The pocket friendly prices ranged from N400-N2400.

    On prices of the goods displayed, while some were pocket friendly, others were ridiculously expensive. However the prices of almost every product sold there was higher than what it sells outside the Fair. This of course could not be justified as the Vendors admitted that they did not pay the Host to be part of the Fair. The Vendors did not pay GTB any money to participate rather GTB  gave them free stalls, POS machine etcetera. According to Oyinade Adegite, Group Head, Corporate Communications and External Affairs, GTBank, “We gave them free business platform. All the stalls are free. No Vendor paid a penny for anything”. If that is the case why should most of the Vendors price their products very high?.

    At the ‘ShellCrop Farm’ stand, coconut water from just one average sized coconut was selling for N500. The same thing would have sold for N100. No wonder they did not get many customers. Most people who visit their stall on hearing the price strolls out.

    Mr. Lewis Olabode of Jardin de nueden Agro & Foods who parcipated in the Fair for the first time said that the Vendors did not pay anything to the bank. On how he was shortlisted, he explained that he applied on time. Expressing his gratitude to GTB he said within the two days he recorded a lot of sales, established contacts. “In fact there is no platform as good as this”.

    On whether the Fair has met her expectations, Mrs. Toluwalase Makinde  of ‘Gilgal Meat Mart’  a first time participant said the Fair exceeded her expectations. Thanking the management of GTB, she said ‘there is no platform for upcoming SMEs like this.

    “I was not lucky to get a stall  here last year  but I was at the Fair giving out my hand bills and many people who took those hand bills are my customers today. This year I applied early and was given a stall. This platform is amazing because people come from all over the country. Today I sold things to customers that came all the way from Kwara State” She gushed excitedly.

    However at the ‘Holo Crunch Shop’, it was not a tale of roses. “Last year when we were given opportunity to exhibit for three days was far better. This year is just two days. I made more sales last year than this year. How I wish they can extend it”, regretted Miss Shola of Crunchy Yummy Goodness.

    Unlike the past three years the Organizers gave more Vendors the chance to participate. Last year 150 Vendors displayed their goods for three days but this year 300 Vendors were divided into two sets with each set participating for just two days in other to accommodate them, the visitors, other stakeholders and enable easy management.

    Speaking in a Press Briefing, the Bank’s Group Head, Group Head, Corporate Communications and External Affairs noted that “This year, we are taking our commitment to promoting enterprise in the SME sector further , by giving small businesses more opportunities to connect with consumers and business experts from around the world.”

    The festival has also seen to the  establishment of   businesses of hundreds of entrepreneurs in the food retail industry.

    In addition, there was farmers’ market for the sale of fresh and organic produce as well as a showcase of some of the finest street foods. Children were not exempted as the four-day event  also feature exciting games and fun exercises designed to thrill and entertain children all day long.

    Launched in 2016, the initiative has become a premier culinary event in Africa, bringing together  thousands of people from across the continent and beyond, to support and celebrate Nigeria’s vibrant and burgeoning small businesses in the food retail sector.

  • How healthy is pressure cooking?

    Our lead story is completely different from what we had planned to publish but an argument I witnessed last week and the result of the subsequent research that followed the argument completely changed our focus.

    At a house birthday party last weekend, a guest while digging into her meat delicacies, complimented the hostess on the tasty, tender and juicy cow tail pepper soup she was relishing. To that, Mrs. Bunmi Akintola, the hostess said it was all thanks to her Pressure cooker.

    Another guest who later introduced herself to me as Mrs. Bose Bolaji said she can never be seen cooking with a pressure cooker as it completely destroys food nutrients. “What is the essence of pressure cooking when in the end the nutrients are destroyed and you are left with chaff?”, She questioned.

    “Beans is my favorite food and I like it very soft. The only time I enjoy it is when my wife cooks it in a pressure cooker. It gets done fast and comes out very soft. I do not really believe that all the nutrients in the beans I eat gets destroyed when cooked under pressure”, argued James Adedutu Adesope, another guest.

    Before long majority of the people in the room joined in the argument. Sitting in a corner I listened and watched them. I could not contribute to the argument as I was not even sure. However I started thinking about the healthiness of pressure cooking. Does it actually destroy food nutrients as majority of the people in the room believe?.

    Some of the nutrients in food products are lost whenever they pass through cooking or when they are generally being handled or being processed. No matter the method of cooking, some percentage of nutrients get destroyed or lost. It only becomes worrisome if the percentage lost is much. For instance when onions is cut or even orange, some of the nutrients goes into the surrounding air through oxidization. So some nutrients naturally get lost when food is being cooked whether by boiling, grilling, baking, frying, roasting, roasting etcetera but if cooking with pressure cooker is the quickest and fastest way food nutrients are destroyed is what we want to find out.

    Before we proceed any further, let us understand what is pressure cooker. It is the process of cooking food, using water or other cooking liquid, in a sealed vessel known as a pressure cooker. This stimulates the effects of long braising within a shorter time. Almost any food that can be cooked in steam or water based liquids can be cooked in a pressure cooker.

    Now back to our topic of the day. I pray and hope that majority of the people in that party, will have the opportunity to read this story. Does pressure cooking destroy food nutrients as majority of us believe?

    According to research findings, science shows that pressure cooking is healthy, that it can in fact preserve more heat sensitive nutrients than any other cooking method because of its shorter cook times.

    So nutrients like water soluble vitamins like Vitamin C, B vitamins-thiamin[B1], riboflavin[B2], niacin [B3],pantothenic acid[B5], pyridoxine [B6], folic acid [B7] and cobalamin [B8] and fat soluble vitamins ; vitamins A, D,E, and K are better preserved when they are cooked in a pressure cooker than through any other ways of cooking.

    Pressure cooking, increases the boiling point of water and decreases the cooking time. Since steam can not escape  from the cooker, you avoid water loss and are able to cook foods without losing heat.

    Most foods can be cooked using pressure cooker but because pressure cooking adds moisture into your food, tougher meat like cow tail, cow leg and tougher food products like varieties of beans cook faster and softer when prepared in a pressure cooker.

     

  • Council, Nigerchin wage war against fake cable products 

    In their continuation moves to wage war against fake products especially in the cable industry in Nigeria, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission [FCCPC] and Nigerchin Electrical Development Company Limited raid Oroyinyin cable markets in Lagos Island with their enforcement team recently.

    Several adulterated cables were confiscated by the enforcement team. The enforcement team stormed the market base on the intelligence gathering from the Niger Chin sales team that the market is full of adulterated cable products which are of low standard in term of quality.

    The Administrative head of the cable company, Mr. Gerald Duruemeruo said the company products have been adulterated and sold in the market for long and the case was reported to FCCPC and the agency swung into action by raiding the market with its enforcement team. During the operations, several fake cable products that are packaged with Nigerchin labels without NIS numbers were ceased by the enforcement team which confirmed that the market really patronised adulterated cable products.

    “Our product has more weight with the adulterated ones because our cable is 100m long while the fake ones are 80m or less, also our cable is made of copper conductor which makes it high in standard and quality,” Duruemeruo added.

    Duruemeruo seized the opportunity to call on federal government of Nigeria to assist manufacturers in waging war against fake products which has continue to hinder the growth of local industry in the country. He went further to commend FCCPC for their prompt response to the yearning of manufacturers in waging war against fake products in Nigeria.

    Nigerchin was incorporated in 1970 as the pioneer manufacturer of electric cables and conductors in Nigeria. The products are essentially electric cable and conductors of aluminium and copper made specifically to British Standard (BS) International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and Nigeria Industrial Standard (NIS).

    The FCCPC is a parastatal of the Federal Government of Nigeria, supervised by the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment. Though it was established by Act No. 66 of1992, it commenced operations only in 1999, when its institutional framework was put in place. The agency mandate requires among others, to eliminate hazardous products from the market, provide speedy redress to consumers complaints, undertake campaigns as will lead to increased consumer awareness, ensure that consumers interest receive due consideration at the appropriate forum, and encourage trade, industry and professional associations to develop and enforce in their various fields quality standards designed to safeguard the interest of consumers.

     

  • Restaurant unveils new Lagos outlet

    A premium restaurant brand pioneering a new revolution in Nigeria’s fast food sector, Terminal 3, has unveiled its outlet in Lagos. Located in the high brow Lagos mainland area of Ogudu, the grand launch of the restaurant is in line with the desire of its management to offer Lagos customers an extraordinary dining and relaxation experience.

    Terminal 3 encompasses a quick service restaurant (QSR), casual dining restaurant and lounge. The three-in-one restaurant is set to embark on an enterprising drive to deliver superior customer experience by redefining QSR in Nigeria.

    Speaking at the grand launch, the Chief Executive Officer, Bunmi Ajisafe, stated that the Nigerian QSR industry is quite dynamic and that is why Terminal 3 is competing through amazing innovations. In her words: “we are proud and excited to open our outlet in a busy area like Ogudu and we are confident in our ability to provide our customers a fresh experience. Beyond our array of culinary delights, we offer a more contemporary environment that is welcoming and comfortable for everyone.”

    She added that the brand remains optimistic about its operations and will continue to position itself for upward growth in the industry whilst giving customers the kind of experience they require.

    One of the notable dignitaries present at the event, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, who officially declared the restaurant open, also reaffirmed the uniqueness of the restaurant whilst reiterating the need for the management to ensure the current standard is maintained.

    Also speaking at the event, Project Consultant for Terminal 3 Restaurant, Gbenga Fashola, revealed that the restaurant will focus strongly on the health needs of its customers. He put it clearly: “You know that presently most Nigerians are very conscious of what they consume. So we will ensure that all our customers receive the full benefits of our expertise in nutrition. It will also be our key selling point.”

    On other unique qualities of the brand, Director, Terminal 3 Restaurant, Lekan Ajisafe, highlighted the strategic plan to create an international brand from Terminal 3 thus making it an exportable brand that will carry Nigeria’s flag globally. His words: “At present, we have special menus daily- not just the regular meals. For instance, you can get ekpang- nkukwo and edikang-ikong, popular delicacies from South-South Nigeria every Monday and it is like that each day – a special delicacy from different parts of the country. In fact from this outlet you can also order African, continental, European and even Chinese dishes. It is the first of its type in this part of the country – a one-stop experience you can’t find anywhere around.”

    Apart from the entrance and ambience being disability complaint which is the recommended global best practice, Terminal 3, according to Managing Partner, AT3 Resources Limited, Tosin Adefeko, has definitely set for itself the target of being one of Nigeria’s most popular and customer-focused restaurants.

    “We can definitely start looking forward to the celebration of the launch of more outlets across Lagos and other states in Nigeria and even beyond in the near future,” she added.