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Tag: space

  • JUST IN: FG to send first Nigerian civilian to Space

    JUST IN: FG to send first Nigerian civilian to Space

    The Federal Government has announced plans to send the first Nigerian to space.

    The Director General of the National Space Research and Development Agency Dr Matthew Adepoju announced this during a briefing in Abuja on Wednesday.  

    The Federal Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Space Exploration and Research Agency (SERA) to facilitate this ambitious venture.

    Read Also: Case for opening up Nigerian legal space

    The DG noted: “This collaboration, which is coming to the country, marks a significant milestone in Nigeria’s 25th anniversary of Space Exploration journey and opens new opportunities for scientific research and technological advancement.”

    Details shortly…

  • Brianfield redefines relaxation space

    Brianfield redefines relaxation space

    Special occasions, such as weddings, are usually held with much funfair. This is why couples to be take extra time in planning for their special day.  It was, therefore, not surprising when Adeola Ogunlere, an intending bride, combed the nooks and crannies of Lagos to find a befitting venue for her wedding. For her, distance was nothing compared to the ambience a good venue would offer her on her memorable day.

    After much searching, Ogunlere  discovered a venue on Igando-LASU Road, Lagos. She had no difficulty convincing herself and her groom-to-be that the Brainfield Event Centre, was a perfect choice. This, she said, was both in terms of facilities at the venue and her budget.

    “I am a woman with a large network of friends, so you can expect a huge turnout at my wedding. Apart from massive space at this venue, the features are also very attractive to make my ceremony very successful,” she explained.

    Ogunlere may not be wrong. A look around the event centre was quite revealing.  The Brainfield Event Centre, built in 2010, is a facility that has redefined standards in the event centre market, considering its offerings.

    For instance, its multipurpose hall, depending on the occasion and arrangement, can sit 1,000 people in conference setting, and 500 sitting in banquet position. With a platform for the sitting of  dignitaries, the well- ventilated hall is fitted with 10 units of industrial air conditioner, with good illumination. Depending on the taste and choice of an intending client, the hall can be decorated to suit taste and pocket. Apart from electricity supply from the national grid, power is guaranteed by two generators of 150 KVA and 60KVA capacities.

    The Barinfield Event Centre also caters for children’s needs while their parents are having a swell time inside the hall. Its outdoor garden, equipped with toys, keeps the kids busy all day. While the children play there, guards and supervisors keep an eye on them, thereby eliminating parents’ worry over their ward’s safety.

    Inside the centre is an exquisite bar and a relaxation corner. The corner is carved into small units where people desirous of privacy can sit and holdtalks. It is fitted with four units of air conditioner, exclusive leather settees and four large screen LED television sets. It is not an uncommon sight to see people in the environ and guests thronging the games room for as ludo, ayo, scrabble, chess and snooker, among others.

    Indeed, several youths in the Igando-LASU axis love the centre. This is because of its fully-equipped gym, with two instructors and trainers, to guide patrons seeking fitness. Two swimming pools close to the gym make it possible to continue exercising without breaking.

    A regular face in the gym, Mr. Tunde Owodunni, said the gym was comparable to any in the world. To him, the gym has eliminated the pains of residents  travelling several kilometres in search of a standard gym.

    A common denominator among centres such as this is parking space. But for this venue, it is not a worry.  According to a representative of GabbyCarl Investment Limited, the agency handling the centre, with parking space for over 100 cars, the road is left free of any disturbance to traffic, even during peak periods. Security is guaranteed as the premises is covered by a CCTV surveillance, and personnel patrol. Besides, it is sandwiched between the Igando and Idimu police stations.

    Brainfield Centre about 20 minutes drive from the Lagos airport, is up for sale. It is valued at N280 million.

  • ‘We need underground space to decongest cities’

    The Founder and Chancellor of Afe Babalola University (ABUAD), Ado-Ekiti, Aare Afe Babalola, has canvassed the development of underground space  to reduce surface congestion and bridge infrastructural gap.

    Babalola, while receiving members of the Tunnelling Association of Nigeria (TAN), at the weekend in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, said underground space development  a long overdue concept that should be deployed in Nigeria.

    Noting that the country was ripe for the tunnelling technology, especially in expanding facilities for transportation, power and water supply to reduce stress in major cities, especially Lagos, the legal icon, said although the idea of tunnels is not new globally, there is an urgent need to introduce it as solution to Nigeria’s infrastructural challenges in national planning.

    “It is a very lofty idea that we should key into. I know tunnels in London, France and other major cities in the world that have used this technology to solve infrastructural challenges. We need it here in Nigeria also, especially in Lagos,” he emphasised.

    He said ABUAD, as a leading engineering institution in the country, would partner with TAN in its bid to promote capacity-building in tunnelling as an emerging engineering field in Nigeria.

    TAN’s leader of delegation, Imo Ekpo, said they were in the university to seek collaboration and participation towards the association’s first international tunneling conference scheduled to hold between 29th – 30th March in Lagos. The conference is themed: “Developing the Tunnelling and Underground Space Industry in Nigeria.”

    He revealed that the association is currently working on a 10-year capacity building plan in partnership with one federal, state and private university. “We’re looking at the prospects of opening up our infrastructures to the best practices globally and ease off surface utilities by developing the underground space in Nigeria,” Ekpo said.

    He noted that Nigeria, as a member nation of the ITA, now has access to specific international scholarships for tunnellng and underground development as well as exchange programmes with countries currently developing major underground projects.

    The President of the International Tunnelling Association, Dr. Tarcisio Celestino, is expected to lead other participants from across the globe to the planned TAN conference in Lagos later this month.

  • ‘We must develop underground space to decongest cities’

    ‘We must develop underground space to decongest cities’

    The Founder and Chancellor of Afe Babalola University (ABUAD), Ado-Ekiti, Aare Afe Babalola, has reiterated the call for the development of underground space in order to reduce surface congestion and bridge infrastructural gap.

    Babalola, while receiving members of the Tunnelling Association of Nigeria (TAN), at the weekend in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, said underground space development as a long overdue concept that should be deployed in Nigeria.

    Noting that the country was ripe for the tunnelling technology, especially in expanding facilities for transportation, power and water supply to reduce stress in major cities, especially Lagos, the legal icon, said although the idea of tunnels is not new globally, there is an urgent need to introduce it as solution to Nigeria’s infrastructural challenges in national planning.

    “It is a very lofty idea that we should key into. I know tunnels in London, France and other major cities in the world that have used this technology to solve infrastructural challenges. We need it here in Nigeria also, especially in Lagos,” he emphasised.

    He said ABUAD, as a leading engineering institution in the country, would partner with TAN in its bid to promote capacity-building in tunnelling as an emerging engineering field in Nigeria.

    TAN’s leader of delegation, Imo Ekpo, said they were in the university to seek collaboration and participation towards the association’s first international tunneling conference scheduled to hold between 29th – 30th March in Lagos. The conference is themed: “Developing the Tunnelling and Underground Space Industry in Nigeria.”

    He revealed that the association is currently working on a 10-year capacity building plan in partnership with one federal, state and private university. “We’re looking at the prospects of opening up our infrastructures to the best practices globally and ease off surface utilities by developing the underground space in Nigeria,” Ekpo said.

    He noted that Nigeria, as a member nation of the ITA, now has access to specific international scholarships for tunnellng and underground development as well as exchange programmes with countries currently developing major underground projects.

    The President of the International Tunnelling Association, Dr. Tarcisio Celestino, is expected to lead other participants from across the globe to the planned TAN conference in Lagos later this month.

  • Provide parking space, NURTW chief urges Ambode

    The Deputy Chairman, Ojota branch ‘C’ of Nigeria Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Rasheed Oyebola has called on Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to provide parking space for transporters under his union who were ordered to vacate the Ojodu/Berger Motor Park. He said the seven-days notice given to them was inadequate.

    The union chief urged the government to provide enough parking spaces that will be accessible to passengers.

    He, however, stated that non-availability of Motor Parks at Ojodu/Berger has continually caused hardship to their drivers, union members and passengers who resort to parking by the roadside in order to load their passengers.

  • FUTA Space Club holds Asteroid Search Campaign in West Africa

    FUTA Space Club holds Asteroid Search Campaign in West Africa

    The Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) Space Club under the institution’s Centre for Space Research and Applications, in collaboration with the International Astronomical Search Collaboration is organizing the First Asteroid Search Campaign in West Africa.
    The International Astronomical Search Collaboration (IASC) is an educational outreach program for high schools and colleges. It provides high quality astronomical data to students around the world.
    According to the organisers of the campaign, students are able to make original astronomical discoveries and participate in hands-on astronomy.
    The campaign which is opened to Nigerian students (Undergraduates and Postgraduates) will run through July 11-15, 2016 and interested individuals or teams are to register on the club’s website (www.spaceclubfuta.com/asc2016) before June 12.
    Interested students will form a team of Maximum of three and work together during the one-week long campaign between.
    Typically, each team will get 3-5 image sets. This is an average depending upon factors such as the Moon and Weather. It takes about 20 minutes to analyse one set.
    This means each team can expect an average workload of one hour per day. The image analysis is done with Astrometrica, an easy to use software package provided by IASC (Astrometrica provides the ability to easily compare Astromerical images for the purpose of moving object discovery).
    Selected teams will receive an info pack about the software to be used and other details on how to get ready for the Asteroid Search Campaign.
    Each team would collaborate as a research team via the internet, submitting a single MPC (Minor Planet Center) report to IASC on each of the image sets that they get during the campaign.
    A team working over the internet will probably rotate the responsibility of analysing a set then share their work with the others on the team for comment.
    In case an Asteroid is discovered, more information will be received.
    A discovery has to be observed a second time within 7-10 days. At that point it is given a provisional designation by the Minor Planet Center.
    In 3-6 years as additional observations are made and the orbit is fully determined, the asteroid is numbered and placed into the world’s official minor planets catalogue by the International Astronomical Union.
    Numbered asteroids will be named by their discoverers.
    After the Campaign, participants will be asked to submit a short report to the Space Club FUTA about their experience

  • Tackling cyber space security breaches

    Tackling cyber space security breaches

    Cyber space breaches are increasing at a faster rate than the country can keep up with.  OLATUNDE ODEBIYI looks at some of the issues in the Cyber Crime Act and how its implementation can bring sanity to the internet community.

    Over the years, the cyber space has transformed the way people think, communicate, travel, run businesses,  run the economy and even get services. But like every good thing, there is the other side, which is cyber crime. While some unsuspecting persons have died, others have lost their life savings to cyber crooks.

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo set up the National Cyber security Initiative (NCI) in 2003. Former President Goodluck Jonathan, at the twilight of his administration, also passed the Cyber Crime Act 2015 to combat cyber crimes.

    To criminals, it is all a means of livelihood, but cyber crime is a dent on the country’s image and a source of  embarrassment to the nation.

     

    Faces of cyber crimes

    • Hackers: They make use of the weaknesses and loop holes in operating systems to destroy data and steal important information from victim’s computer.
    • Cyber-stealing: It is the use of computers and communication systems to steal information in electronic format.
    • Viruses and worms are major threat to normal users and companies. Viruses are computer programs that are designed to damage computers, while worm usually exploits loop holes in soft ware’s or the operating system.
    • Spamming: It involves mass amounts of email being sent in order to promote and advertise products and websites. Cyber harassment is electronically and intentionally carrying out threatening acts against individuals.
    • Website Cloning is the recent trend in cyber crime, which involves fake ‘copy-cat’ web sites that take advantage of consumers that are unfamiliar with the Internet or who do not know the exact web address of the legitimate company that they wish to visit.
    • Cyber laundering is an electronic transfer of illegally obtained monies with the goal of hiding its source and possibly its destination.

     

    Goals of cyber security

    Cybersecurity would enable people to reduce the vulnerability of their Information Communication Technology (ICT) systems and networks. It would help individuals and institutions to develop and nurture a culture of cyber security. It would also enable people work collaboratively with public, private and international entities to secure cyberspace and thereby help people to understand the trends in IT/cybercrime and develop effective solutions.

     

    Effects of Cyber Crime Act

    An Internet Security Expert/Chairman, Education and Manpower Development Committee, Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), Mr. Aderogba Adeoye, said the Cyber Crime Act has not helped to combat cyber crime to the extent that human resources to drive it and capacity are almost not in the system.

    Adeoye, who is also the Executive Secretary, Information Technology Systems and Security Professionals (ITSSP), said the government should put structures in place to drive the Act.

    He said Cyber crime is in the domain of information technology and related communication services, but the Act is being domiciled in an improper place.

    “Cyber means online; cyber crime is the criminality within the online space. Cyber crime is a serious security threat to the nation, which deals with somebody that interfere with e-processes, banking activities, e-mail, theft of identity, theft of data and misbehavior within the online space,” he said.

    He said human resource and technical knowhow are required. “We need to build capacity in the area of cyber crime so that we can run with the Act. The Act is ok as at now; at least we are starting from somewhere. Every law over time will be reviewed. The law requires a lot of human capacity and resources in the various organs and institutions that are involved in the information technology domain.

    “The Police, Armed Forces and Judiciary are doing their own part but, what of the IT professionals. The Nigeria government said you can only be IT expert if you are known to CPN, but is CPN doing what they are supposed to do. If they did not register what they are suppose to register, who summons them or whose over sight is that. Also in the usage of IT services which is given to Nigerian Information Technology Development Association (NITDA); are they collaborating with CPN and NCS. These are the major bodies known to the law of Nigeria; What are they doing to increase our expertise in cyber crime or cyber crime act and its related issues? ‘’ he asked.

    He said within NCS there is the Information Security Group, among other groups. “What are they saying about Cyber Crime Act. The Cyber Crime Act is there, but there are other pre issues before cyber crime. We have electronic evidence which makes computer related reports and issues to be admissible in court. Now that we have Cyber Crime, have the stakeholders subject it to analysis.

    “How much do the Judicial officers know, where are our computer experts, where are the Lawyers that have some prerequisite knowledge about Cyber Crime. Has there been effort to train these people. Is our training to generally create human resources?

    “Cyber crime is not civil crime, it is a criminal matter and those to prosecute criminal matters are the police. Has there been any collaborative work between the police and the State prosecutor, judicial officers and the judge; do the judges have prerequisite knowledge about computer related issues and the Act; these are things that need to have deliberate effort to develop  human capacity along that line.”

    He said there was the need to educate and train people more.

    “In government we must have proper structure in place to develop those who will run Cyber Act issues.

    “Today, the Cyber Crime Act has a lot of work to do because CPC should be discussing with NCS; they should form a working group because everybody is now on e-service. In Nigeria, most of the services that has to do with financial transactions are being run on e-platform; e-transaction, e-payment, e-book, e-money. When problems come on that line, what do we do? We should not be doing all these services and allow nonentities to take it over,” he said.

     

    Views about Cyber

    Crime Act

    Chairman,Teledom Group, an indigenous ICT firm, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, said the Act is a good starting point, though it is not yet perfect. He described the Act as a guide and movement from where we are to where we should be.

    He said the Act is good, though it would  require amendments in future.

    Ekuwen also noted that there was need to specify ICT infrastructure as typical national infrastructure, saying: “Until we realise as a nation that the ease and speed with which information, knowledge or data is accessed and translated into productivity is what gives the citizen, state and the nation a competitive advantage in any field of human endeavour.”

    He said if there is a reliable broadband plan that connects those in the rural and urban areas,  expertise in all spheres, health, banking and academics, will be linked.

    “Our Cyber Security Act must expressively specify that ICT infrastructure constitute an important and critical infrastructure of a nation,” he said.

    Ekuwem said if cyber security is not given the appropriate attention, it will lead to disaster. He said if hackers were allowed into the customer data base of the bank , for instance, it would lead to a disaster which a nation may never be able to recover from because everybody will inflate their deposit in the bank. “You can also imagine what would happen to the credit of customers if the customer data base of the operators of the telecommunications companies are hacked into. Many people will also inflate their credit, claiming they have credit they never loaded. There are lots of consequences leaving our cyber space unprotected,” he said.

    He noted that there are lots of security agencies working to ensure physical security but no one is there to secure the cyber space.

    “All agencies must apply to the cyber space, because that is what the cyber security law of a nation is all about. The law is imperfect like all laws but we must give it some support, encourage it and inpute must be made as well as subsequent versions of amendment of the law.

    “As we grow, gradually moving into broad band, a lot of information is flowing up and down, so also must our cyber space be protected.The public should know that cyber security law is important as all the laws that have being put in place to regulate and govern the behavior that has been put in place in the cyber space,’’  he said.

     

    Effects of the Act

    Ekuwem said the Act has reduced cyber crime.

    He said: “In the absence of the law, there is no infraction, but when people get to know that there is an infraction when you invade somebody’s  privacy by having an unauthorised access into his cyber space, then the awareness has contributed in the existence of the Act.

    “If we will follow due process in the world space then it is of a necessity to follow procedure into the cyber space; we should avoid unauthorised access in the cyber space just as we do not allow unauthorised access in the world space because you know that you will be breaking the law.”

    He said people should to know that they are not to play around with other people’s or company’s password.

     

     

    The way forward

    Ekuwem said: “It is our duty as ICT practitioners to make sure that hackers don’t invade our privacy. The law is a deterrent as people get to know that those laws are there. It is also as deterrent as its enforcement. Who enforces and regulates the Act is very important and this is an issue that is not very clearly stated. Is it Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)? The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), or Nigerian Information Technology Development Association (NITDA).”

    He said the Act must be followed by enforcement and penalty. “There should be a cyber security agency that handles the Cyber Crime Act so that when a crime is committed in the cyber space that agency apprehends and there must be penalty for the infraction of the law, which must be very high.

    “There must be an institution to regulate and monitor the cyber space, to enforce the law so enacted, prosecute offenders, culprits and there must be jailing and punishment,” he said.

    He asked: “Who is that government institution that enforces, regulates, monitors and apprehends, punishes and prosecutes infractions to the cyber security act; there is none to take that responsibility.

    “There should be a specified government institution to do this, if not all these regulatory bodies will expect the other to do it and at the end of the day, the job does not get done.’’

     

    Education/awareness

    Adeoye said the only prevention is continuous education. “We have to continuously enlighten our people on the need to take some pre cautionary measures. We have to secure the platform we are running as government, private entities, and business organisations as well as individuals.

    “Data privacy is a big issue, exposure of the junior ones to the Internet is a big issue but, the greatest of it all is identity management. Government must ensure the effectiveness of the institutions in charge of the cyber crime act. Some people will complain of funding but, funding is not the main issue, but harnessing technical expertise for effective performance of specified assignment,” he said.

     

    Effects of cyber crimes

    Ekuwen said Cyber crimes are destructive. “Hackers can impersonate you by sending emails you are not aware of once they hack into your email password and you may never detect that someone is sniffing.  Cyber crime can also affect the medical report. If a hacker hacks into doctors’ report, the hacker that wants to kill a patient can prescribe what ought not to have been prescribed and sends the mail by impersonating  within the cyber space of the doctor; the patient will be dead.

    He said until Nigeria fully understands the dire economic, financial, social, health, academic and social implications, to mention a few, then we will sit up.

     

    How to keep safe online

    President, Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA), Sunday Afolayan, said cyber security is a discipline, not just a switch that you fix and the internet is secured.

    He said a lot of compromises happen that were not technical but social, adding that internet security is not just one activity; rather, it is a system of activates that assures security.

    “There is need for education, equipment and most importantly for people to know that there is need for self discipline to ensure that you are safe online,” he said.

  • Venia launches new co-working space

    Venia Group has launched its second business hub for Lagos’ Start-up and the small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) community.

    The Hub launched four years ago, has been one of the driving forces in jumpstarting both home grown entrepreneurs and foreign businesses coming into Nigeria. Most of the ecommerce firm either started at Venia Hub or worked from there.

    The new 120-businesses capacity co-working space is equipped with tastefully furnished offices, fully kitted conference room with video conferencing services, kitchenette/cafeteria, private meeting rooms, high-speed internet, ample parking space and value-added services like front desk and business advisory services.

    Beyond being an infrastructure platform that connects entrepreneurs to office spaces, the Venia model is one that fosters job creation and enterprise building, not only within Nigeria but also across Africa.

    The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of VeniaGroup (the parent company of Venia Hub), Kola Oyeneyin, said he isn’t just providing desk and office spaces but enabling businesses by building a community of collaborators and co-creators.

    “Our value proposition is simple- to kickstart businesses by providing the best platform for growth, collaborations and partnerships. Members of our hub leverage on our affiliations with venture capitalist firms, vendors and network of contingent professionals within and outside the country,” said Oyeneyin.

    As a company that takes care of many of the time-consuming hassles involved in setting up new businesses, VeniaBusiness Hub has cast itself as a new kind of workplace for the new era labour force.

    “By providing affordable premium services to our members, we are giving them the opportunity to go about their jobs without having to worry about things like erratic power supply or Internet connectivity. All you need to do is focus on doing business!” Oyeneyin stated.

    The Hub 2 is created to enable companies of various team sizes across diverse workforces ranging from start-ups to multinationals. It’s a place where the age-old notion of nine-five is replaced by a novel concept where your startup or growing business gets the wings it requires to fly.

  • SPACE UNLIMITED CREW SET FOR GERMANY

    WINNERS of the 2015 edition of Battle of the Year Nigeria Break-dance Championship, Space Unlimited Bboy crew, are getting set to represent the country at the world finals schedule to hold in Braunschweig, Germany October 24.

    The Nigeria event which was sponsored by Sprite, took place at the Indoor sports Hall, University of Lagos on Sunday, August 23. The competition saw Space Unlimited Bboy Crew clinching the title for the fourth time.

    The Surulere-based crew won the third, fourth, and fifth editions of Battle of the Year Nigeria and represented the country at the 2012 and 2013 International Battle of the Year events in Montpellier, France and in Braunschweig, Germany respectively.

    The crew entered for the seventh edition of Battle of the Year Nigeria after a recess from the past year’s edition and qualified for the finals where they battled defeating Champions 619 Bboy crew.

    Members of the crew who will be representing Nigeria at the world cup for break-dance include: Uwakwe Victor (Bboy Invincible), Edun Olaide (BboyLeyon),Enweribe Promise (Bboy Bigflow), Adesanya Bolaji (Bboy BJ), Kalejaiye Victor  (Bboy Vikbone), Awokoya Oluwagbenga (Bboy Maestro),Asomugha Obinna (B.boyRobshunider), and ChizeOsejindu (Bboy JC Jedor).

    Battle of the Year commonly referred to as BOTY, is an annual international Break-dancing series that began in Hannover, Germany over 20 years ago. Its uniqueness is the battle between break-dance crews as opposed to individual Break-dance battle. Regional qualifying tournaments, also known as preliminaries, are held worldwide culminating the world final event, which is usually held in Germany.

  • Shopping mall space supply to more than double

    Shopping mall space supply to more than double

    Supply of retail space in shopping malls is expected to more than double in the year to 11.7 million square feet in the top seven cities of the country compared to last year, according to a report by property consultant Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL).

    Last year, these seven cities – Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi-NCR, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Pune – logged an estimated supply of around 5.2 million square feet, taking the total shopping mall stock to 76 million square feet (sq ft).

    According to the report on ‘Retail Real Estate’, India’s total shopping mall stock is likely to reach 87.7 million sq ft by 2014, representing an addition of 11.7 million sq ft of new supply this year.

    “In 2013, an estimated supply of around 5.2 million square feet was registered – a 22 per cent increase over last year’s supply of shopping mall space,” JLL India managing director (retail services) Pankaj Renjhen said.

    “Chennai led with 1.95 million square feet of supply in 2013, followed by Mumbai and Pune. In 2014, Delhi-NCR is expected to hold the dominant position in terms of expected net addition of shopping malls.”

    Among the seven cities, Delhi-NCR and Mumbai have been leading in terms having the highest concentration of shopping malls, accounting for 62 per cent of the total stock.

    Mr Renjhen said the year would witness increased supply of mall space as most of the retail projects were launched in 2009-10 and it takes four to five years to complete them.

    That apart, he said DLF’s large shopping mall of about two million sq ft in Noida would be operational next year.

    Highlighting an emerging trend in retail real estate, he said the average size of malls is likely to increase in the coming years, as developers are focusing on project sizes that allow for a critical mass in terms of offering various formats and categories under one roof.

    “In 2014, the average size of malls is estimated to be around 3,80,000 sq ft, which is expected to increase to 4,70,000 sq ft in 2015 and further increase to 6,60,000 sq ft in 2017,” he added.

    Mr Renjhen also mentioned about an increasing trend among upcoming malls to adopt a structured approach in planning, execution and launch.

    “The importance of formulating an optimal tenant mix to ensure the maximum utilisation of retail space is now recognised and accepted by almost all major mall developers,” he said.

    JLL said retailers are showing the highest interest in upcoming retail projects that offer not only a good location, but have been optimised in terms of design and trade and tenant mix.