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Keswani, SPAR Win at BusinessDay Nigerian Business Leadership Awards

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By Modupe Gbadeyanka

Over the weekend, those who matter in the business community gathered at the prestigious Lagos Continental Hotel for the 2019 edition of BusinessDay Nigerian Business Leadership Awards.

During the glamorous ceremony, those who have contributed immensely to the nation’s economy in different ways were recognised and honoured by the organisers.

Two of those rewarded for their contributions to the Nigerian service industry were the Group Managing Director of Artee Group, Mr Haresh Keswani, and SPAR.

While Mr Keswani went home with the Lifetime Achievement Award, SPAR, the retail store brand of the group, was given the Retail Brand of the Year award.

The BusinessDay Leadership Awards was created to recognize leaders who have created and sustained outstanding entrepreneurial initiatives and built successful businesses that are strengthening Nigeria’s global competitiveness and attraction as a destination for talent and capital.

According to the organisers, the Sectoral Award won by SPAR was in recognition of its business agility, market share growth, financial strength, leadership vision and resilience in varying economic conditions.

For the Lifetime Achievement Awards won by Mr Keswani, it was in recognition of his pioneering effort in the second-wave retail revolution in Nigeria through the birth of Park ‘n’ Shop, and the business has grown to become a dominant player in the retail industry with over 50,000 metre square under the SPAR brand.

Other businesses managed by him include, Cascade Water in PET bottles; Millennia Furniture and shopping malls in Port Harcourt, Enugu and Calabar.

While expressing delight about the award, Mr Keswani said, “It is a great honour to be nominated for the award as it beams the spotlight on the efforts of the company in touching several lives. I am grateful to God, family, friends and colleagues who have enhanced the vision till date.”

“I am glad to have touched people’s lives in various ways and our organization would not be deterred in supporting laudable initiatives of the government. Many of our businesses are in response to the government’s policies and this has further enhanced the economy of the country. We believe in Nigeria and Nigerians; we know that there are huge opportunities in the country despite the challenges,” he added.

In recent years, Mr Keswani has become an advocate of Human Capital Development and he encourages every leader to be legacy-minded and to focus on the next generation. This led him to the creation of initiatives such, “Next-Gen Role Model” workshops to mentor budding entrepreneurs of Nigeria, “Farmers Academy” to teach farmers how to improve yields and reduce wastages, and “SME Developments Workshops” to train and inspire business owners.

After spending 39 years in Nigeria, he adherently believes in the country and he noted that the business will become a dominant player in the Agriculture and Food Processing space with a sole aim of improving the food value chain.

Modupe Gbadeyanka is a fast-rising journalist with Business Post Nigeria. Her passion for journalism is amazing. She is willing to learn more with a view to becoming one of the best pen-pushers in Nigeria. Her role models are the duo of CNN's Richard Quest and Christiane Amanpour.

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What to Expect from GOtv in 2025

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It’s a brand-new year, and we are making our usual New Year resolutions- fitness goals, financial discipline, and maybe even learning a new skill. While you may be able to keep all your resolutions,  there is one resolution you can keep this year and that is levelling up your entertainment game with GOtv.

So, what can you expect from GOtv in 2025? Here’s a sneak peek into the shows that are set to make this year unforgettable.

Dive into Historical Drama with Uriri

Start the year with a journey back in time to the 15th-century Niger Delta, where love and power collide in Uriri. This historical drama follows the epic tale of a legendary warrior and a spirited young maiden whose love story is intertwined with the social and political struggles of their time. Airing Mondays to Wednesdays at 8:30 PM on Africa Magic Showcase (GOtv Channel 8), Uriri promises to be your new obsession.

Experience Tension and Drama with PTA

What happens when a routine parent-teacher association meeting takes a dark turn? PTA, premiering on January 2nd, explores this gripping scenario. Secrets unravel, alliances shift, and emotions run high in this edge-of-your-seat drama. Catch it on Africa Magic Showcase and see why everyone’s talking about this unexpected hit.

Glamour and Gossip takes centre stage with The Real Housewives of Lagos Season 3

Back with more glitz and drama, The Real Housewives of Lagos returns for its highly anticipated third season on January 12th at 8 PM. Follow the lives of Lagos’ most glamorous women as they juggle careers, relationships, and the ever-present drama. Don’t miss this fan-favourite on Africa Magic Showcase.

Celebrating Culture and Language with Masoyinbo

GOtv embraces cultural richness with the premiere of Masoyinbo, a unique game show encouraging Yoruba speaking among Nigerians. Hosted by Olalekan Fabilola, contestants answer questions in Yoruba to win cash prizes, but there’s a catch—no English allowed! This fun and educational show premieres January 4th on Ch. 2, making it perfect for the whole family.

Unmissable Sports Action

Sports fans, rejoice! GOtv brings the magic of football right into your living room. With ongoing Premier League, La Liga, and UEFA Champions League action, your weekends are set for thrilling matches. Relive the excitement of Ademola Lookman’s Europa League hat-trick, or anticipate new records and rivalries in 2025. Whether you’re rooting for your favourite club or tuning in for major tournaments, GOtv ensures you don’t miss a beat.

With the GOtv Stream app, 2025’s entertainment lineup is always within reach. Catch up on missed episodes, rewatch your favourite moments, or enjoy live broadcasts of games and shows—all from the convenience of your device. Your entertainment, your way. Subscribe or Reconnect via the MyGOtv app or dial *288#

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The Urgent Tasks Before Prime Mart Superstores in Ogun

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Prime Mart Superstores

By Emmanuel Udom

It is no longer news that Prime Mart Superstores officially opened it outlet to the public few days to Christmas.

The outlet is located along Lagos-Abeokuta expressway, near Ifo Area Police Command in Ifo, Ogun State. It was declared open by the High Chief of Ifoland, Mr Semiu Ogunjobi.

At the event on Saturday, December 21, 2024, Mr Ogunjobi praised the management of the outlet to high heavens, for setting and meeting its target.

According to him, “Prime Mart Superstores set out to achieving what was possibly seen as an impossible mission around August this year, when constructions works on the outlet began with the target of opening it by December and hit the its target.”

He also debunked the impression that Ifo is a no-go area for business, possibly due to the activities of area boys, and assured that the new outlet in Ifo will open up soon.

However, in a strategic marketing mantra, the outlet promised low prices shopping experiences to customers on all its numerous products and services, this yuletide period and always.

Also ahead of the opening, dancers and drummers were spotted at major bus stops and crowded areas around Vesper, Coker Ibogun, Pakoto, Ifo Market area, St Mary Catholic Church junction at Alaja, Ewekoro, old bank, distributing fliers to residents of various communities in Ifo.

Beyond the jamboree that greeted the opening of the outlet. close observations by some of those who stormed the place on shopping spree showed that there are some urgent tasks the management of the superstores must sort out.

Indeed, children, youths, women, men, had fun since Saturday, shopping, dining, wining, taking pictures, dancing to the beating of the drummers and generally showing off.

But, let’s spotlight some of the tasks for immediate redress for the ultimate good of the outlet.

Security

Yes, the outlet is located near Ifo Police Area Command, in Ogun State. But, it is along the Lagos-Abeokuta expressway and with the movement of people and vehicles around the area in the night, security should be beefed up.

I am sure Seyi Williams, an Assistant Commissioner of Police and Ifo Area Police Commander, is already thinking in this direction with his officers.

Yes, this writer spotted some So-Safe officials, undercover police officers, SSS operatives and TRACE officials during the day. But, some of them were not there when this writer visited the outlet around 8.15 pm on Christmas day.

Pedestrian Bridge

Crossing the Lagos-Abeokuta expressway, especially at certain points is hellish and dangerous. You all know these dangerous points. Some reckless, restive and possibly drunk commercial and other drivers, do drive on both sides of the expressway in order to meet targets.

The outlet opens 8 am to 9 pm daily and the Ogun State and the federal government should tinker at this point in time with the idea of constructing a pedestrian bridge at Prime Mart Supermarket bus-stop, so that those going on shopping could shop and get home in one pieces.

Water Management 

On the opening day, it was observed that the water system in some of the toilets was not functioning in optimum capacity. It is understandable.  But, as at December day when I went shopping with my family, the issues have been successfully sorted out.

Wastes Management

Observe carefully while driving or walking through Lagos-Abeokuta expressway. The wastes dumped around Sango bridge near the markets are huge and clearing the wastes has not been easy for the state management guys. The expressway is littered with wastes at various points. I only hope the wastes generated at the outlets could be promptly cleared.

Continuous Orientation for the workers

Mr Adeyemi Moshood, a management staff told this reporter that those hired were screened and interviewed October this year. According to him, some of the posts advertised were that of bakers, store staffers, cleaners, security officer, marketers, and admin officers, among others.

But, independent interactions reveal that some of the workers need continuous orientations, on how to relate with customers, knowing the exact prices of items displayed for sale, not over flashing and showing off their lovely designer’s uniforms with the intention of attracting attention or whatever.

Emmanuel Udom, the Editor of Global News Agency, can be reached via: [email protected] 

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Jumia Adds PalmPay as Payment Method for Nigerian Shoppers

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By Modupe Gbadeyanka

Nigerian shoppers now have more payment options on the popular e-commerce platform, Jumia, with the integration of PalmPay after a strategic partnership sealed by both organisations.

It was gathered that this collaboration underscores both parties’ commitment to developing the digital payment ecosystem in Nigeria and growing the use of the cashless economy.

PalmPay is a leading Africa-focused fintech operating Nigeria’s most used mobile wallet and its addition to the Jumia payment gateway will allow shoppers to pay for their purchases with the option to check out with their PalmPay wallet, ensuring a seamless user experience and transaction reliability through the direct integration.

This alliance marks the beginning of a long-term collaboration between two industry giants, aiming to drive innovation, increase convenience for consumers, and foster the adoption of digital payments across Africa.

To celebrate the launch of the partnership, PalmPay and Jumia are launching a special Christmas campaign, running from December 11 to 30.

During this period, customers who make purchases on Jumia using the PalmPay payment method will stand a chance to win exciting cash rewards.

“We are proud to partner with Jumia as we bring together the best of fintech and e-commerce to redefine the online shopping experience.

“This strategic alliance aligns perfectly with our shared commitment to delivering a superior user experience and exceptional value to our customers,” the Chief Marketing Officer of PalmPay, Ms Sofia Zab, said.

“At Jumia, we are dedicated to creating value for our customers by ensuring a convenient, reliable, and secure shopping experience.

“This partnership with PalmPay strengthens our commitment to enhancing the digital payments within our platform.

“By integrating PalmPay, we are providing more options for customers to access affordable and quality goods with the convenience of cashless transactions,” the chief executive of Jumia Nigeria, Mr Sunil Natraj, stated.

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