Brands/Products
UAC Nigeria’s Mr Bigg’s Remodels Operations to Recapture Market
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Many years ago, the Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) arm of UAC of Nigeria Plc, Mr Bigg’s, was the darling of children and lovers, but the introduction of other companies offering similar services forced the market leader to lose its position to rivals.
However, the management of Mr Bigg’s is working tirelessly to recapture the market and take back its rightful position again.
To achieve this, the firm, which is operated by UAC Restaurants Limited, a subsidiary of UAC Nigeria, has made its services better by remodeling its restaurants in a new initiative aimed at positively redefining the lifestyle of its numerous customers.
The new initiative is principally aimed at sustaining the heritage of the 33 years old outfit by raising the customer service to a new level.
The foremost indigenous and largest fast-growing QSR business in West Africa, with over 100 restaurants in Nigeria started as fully company owned before it transformed into partial franchise, and later full franchise.
The new initiative, according to Mrs Ethel Mba, Marketing Manager, UACN Restaurants, is to remodel the restaurants into a scintillating go-to restaurant of high value lifestyle.
Speaking at the pioneer model Restaurant located at Northwest Filling Station by the Victoria Garden City, VGC, Lekki, Lagos, during a media tour of some restaurants on Wednesday, Mrs Mba said the new approach promises to sustain excellence in wide variety of dishes, Patries and Confectionaries to the delight of its teeming consumers, which is the heritage of Mr Bigg’s.
She explained that the VGC restaurant, which was opened on July 9, 2019, will remain the ‘signature poster’ for all the other restaurants in the new concept, aimed at bringing world class meal experience for Nigeria consumers with regards to customer service and restaurant ambience.
The VGC Restaurant presents a cozy ambience backed up by excellent service delivery by professionals to give customers unparalleled experience in a friendly setting. The conveniences, the downstairs lobby, the upper lobby are world-class, coupled with an excellent Kiddies Corner named “Duplin Planet” are aimed at providing the whole family with unforgettable experience.
Mrs Mba assured that apart from the VGC Restaurant, two other restaurants will spring up in Amuwo Odofin by Festac town and Abule Egba along Lagos Abeokuta Express Way very soon.
“The new restaurants will be patterned after the structure of the Northwest restaurant by VGC to deliver high-quality food and good ambience as the basic standard. The menu offering will be aimed at providing wide variety of choices to meet the customer tastes and trends,” she said.
Not a few customers agree that no restaurant can survive without offering quality food and service aimed at giving patrons a satisfying experience.
Mrs Gbemisola Lekan, a customer, who walked into the VGC restaurant with her kids, asserted that a good family restaurant is one that offers delicious food that reminds people of the favorite meals their mothers cooked when they were kids.
She recalled with excitement that products like Mr Bigg’s meat pie, Chicken pie, and Scotch eggs are legendary and still remains the best.
Other patrons averred that in terms of comfort, the new restaurant is well cut out with space wide enough to avoid congestion and movement interruptions.
Mr Bigg’s history began with the coffee shops inside Kingsway Department Stores in the 1960s. In 1973, these shops were rebranded as Kingsway Rendezvous, which became Mr Bigg’s in 1986. The chain saw rapid expansion after becoming one of the first Nigerian companies to sell franchises to investors.
In 2012, UAC Restaurants adopted a full franchising business model making it the first to establish Franchise restaurants in order to grow the brand’s footprint and equity.
UAC Restaurants Ltd has since then owned and operated quick service restaurants with a range of products including her signature Meat pie, Chicken pie & Beef roll, Rice and Peppered Chicken, Ice cream, Pizza, and local meals.
By Adedapo Adesanya
MTN, FiberOne, Wema Bank, Opay, Slot emerged best in their respective sub-sectors in 2024, according to a survey ranking on the Nigeria Customer Service Index (NCSI)
The NCSI report is an annual survey that measures customer satisfaction across various sectors in Nigeria, providing insights for organisations to improve their customer service delivery.
According to the report released on Monday, the Nigerian telecoms sector witnessed a significant improvement in customer service, with the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) space scoring 61 per cent and the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) scoring 71 per cent.
It stated that the telecoms sector, which comprises GSM and ISPs, recorded a 63 per cent customer satisfaction rating, representing a 4.6 per cent increase compared to its 2023 rating.
The sector’s growth is attributed to the improved performance of ISPs, which scored 71 per cent, up from the previous year.
In the GSM space, MTN topped the customer satisfaction rating with 66 per cent, followed by Airtel with 64 per cent, Globacom with 62 per cent, and 9mobile with 52 per cent.
In the ISPs category, FiberOne emerged as the top performer with 76 per cent, followed by IPNX with 74 per cent, Starlink with 68 per cent, Spectranet with 66 per cent, and Smile with 65 per cent.
The NCSI report, which assessed customer satisfaction across various sectors in Nigeria, also evaluated the performance of other sectors, including finance, hospitality, and healthcare.
According to its survey, the finance sector recorded a 72 per cent customer satisfaction rating, representing a 6.2 per cent increase compared to 2023.
In the banking sub-sector, the report noted that Wema Bank topped the customer satisfaction rating with 72 per cent, followed by First Bank with 66 per cent, Sterling Bank and Access Bank with 66 per cent, and UBA with 65 per cent.
“In the Fintech sub-sector, Opay emerged as the top performer with 81 per cent, followed by Moniepoint with 78 per cent, Paystack and PalmPay with 77 per cent, and Flutterwave with 73 per cent.
“However, the e-commerce sector recorded a decline in customer satisfaction, scoring 60 per cent, down from 68 per cent in 2023.
“Slot topped the e-commerce sector with 74 per cent, followed by Jumia with 72 per cent, Konga with 68 per cent, and Jiji with 65 per cent,” it stated.
The NCSI report listed other notable performers to be the Transportation sector with 73 per cent, Hospitality sector 72 per cent and Healthcare sector with 70 per cent, Real Estate sector 62 per cent and Power sector with 61 per cent.
It noted that the sectors with the worst performance included the E-commerce sector with 60 per cent, followed by the Power sector 61 per cent, then the Real Estate sector with 62 per cent.
The survey showed that the companies with the worst performance in their respective sectors included 9mobile (GSM) with 52 per cent, Smile (ISPs) with 65 per cent, Jiji (e-commerce) with 65 per cent, and UBA (Banking) with 65 per cent.
According to the NCSI, the report is based on a survey of over 16,000 customers, who rated their experiences with various organisations across different sectors.
The survey, which was conducted online, covered respondents from Lagos, Abuja, Oyo, Kaduna, Rivers, and Enugu, representing diverse age, education, and income brackets.
Highlighting the importance of the Nigerian Customer Service Index (NCSI), Mr Olatunji Adeleye, Head of Customer Service at Lafarge Plc, noted that this pioneering benchmark, which debuted in 2023, was designed to elevate customer service standards in Nigeria.
“The Index encourages sectors to introspect and identify areas for improvement.
“As a nation, it is imperative that we recognize the importance of treating all customers with respect and dignity, regardless of their background or profile,” Mr Adeleye added.
He noted that the NCSI report provided valuable insights into the collective performance in customer service, highlighting strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for growth and development, thereby informing strategies for enhanced service delivery.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has announced that it has formally instituted legal proceedings against MultiChoice Nigeria Limited amid a tussle to increase prices in the Nigerian market.
Also named in the action is Multichoice’s chief executive, Mr John Ugbe, for allegedly violating regulatory directives, obstructing an ongoing inquiry and engaging in conduct deemed violations of the provisions of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018.
Recall that the FCCPC directed MultiChoice Nigeria on February 27, 2025 to maintain its pricing structure for DStv and GOtv pending the conclusion of an examination of its proposed price hike.
However, despite this directive, the company proceeded with its price increase on March 1, 2025. FCCPC said this is “in clear defiance of the commission’s directive.”
“Following this blatant disregard for regulatory oversight, the FCCPC has filed charges against MultiChoice Nigeria and John Ugbe at the Federal High Court, Lagos Judicial Division, on three counts of offences under the FCCPA 2018, specifically for willfully obstructing the Commission’s inquiry by implementing a price hike contrary to directives (Section 33(4)), impeding the ongoing investigation by ignoring instructions to suspend the hike (Section 110), and attempting to mislead the Commission by proceeding with the increase without objection (Section 159(2), punishable under Section 159(4)(a) and (b)),” a statement on Wednesday read in parts.
The FCCPC alleged that MultiChoice’s actions were “deliberate and calculated attempt to undermine regulatory authority, disrupt market fairness, and deny Nigerian consumers the protection afforded under the law,” adding that “By disregarding the FCCPC’s directive and implementing the price hike before appearing before the Commission’s investigative hearing on March 6, 2025, MultiChoice has not only flouted regulatory processes but also demonstrated a pattern of conduct that undermines consumer rights and fair competition.”
The FCCPC also threatened to pursue other punishments for the broadcasting company.
“In addition to these legal actions, the FCCPC is reviewing further enforcement measures, including sanctions, penalties, and regulatory interventions, to ensure compliance and accountability,” it added in the statement signed by Mr Ondaje Ijagwu, its Director of Corporate Affairs.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Go Make A Difference (M.A.D) campaign train of MTN Nigeria made a brief stop-over in Calabar, Cross River State on Friday, February 28, 2025.
The event showcased icons who embody the Go M.A.D message, including Dr. E Osim, a childcare practitioner and techpreneur, who shared how MTN’s connectivity enabled his UNICEF volunteer work.
“Having my MTN router was one of the best things that happened to me. It allowed us to take our mission to the hinterlands,” he recounted.
Also, an entrepreneur, Joseph “La’Shakara” Edet, narrated his journey from a small fashion stand to owning multiple businesses.
“We’re in a digital age, and even then, I understood the power of the internet and social media in reaching people. Blackberry phones were reigning at the time, and MTN was the number one network that could help expand my reach,” he said.
DJ 007 described how data helped scale his DJ career, saying, “I’ve been able to work with different brands like Budweiser and Hennesy and even mentor aspiring DJs.”
The MTN Nigeria Go MAD campaign was created to promote its 5G network and the transformative power of 5G connectivity.
At the Calabar event, the MTN Head of Delegation, Mr Gbenga Ogunmekan, explained that, “Go M.A.D is a call to action. It’s about inspiring Nigerians to stand out in what they do. It’s about MTN providing an enabling environment for all our customers to go make a difference in their different life endeavours.”
“I’m sure we’ve all learned something, hearing from the people who have been able to make a difference using the MTN data network. I’m sure as we all go home, we’ll all do things differently and we’ll go M.A.D in our various endeavours,” the Manager for Sales and Trade Development at MTN, Chibuzor Akuchie, said.
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