General
Nigerian Consumers Highly Price Conscious—Study
‘Money’s too tight to mention’ for Nigerian shoppers who are highly price conscious and are taking several measures to mitigate rising food prices including cutting down on luxury items and buying in bulk to benefit from lower prices. These are just some of the findings from Nielsen’s latest 2019 Nigeria Shopper Trends Report.
Nielsen Consumer Insights Lead for West Africa Abiodun Olawale-Cole says; “Nigerian shoppers have become more cautious with their spend, they are pre-planning their category choices prior to shopping visits and once in store; mostly buying essentials and switching to cheaper brands.
“Factors impacting these choices include the fact that they’re increasingly shopping with a limited budget and are keen on low prices. In addition, a high number of shoppers notice price changes and most think prices are on the rise.”
Despite their concerns around price, Nigerian shoppers are experimental when it comes to trying new stores and will visit a new outlet in the area. Though motivated for initial visits, this is not seeing shoppers move past the trial stage of the shopping journey and is not converting them to loyalists.
Olawale-Cole suggests; “Retailers and manufacturers must consider the current shopper mindset when it comes to product pricing and strive to meet the needs and wants of a price conscious and deal-seeking shopper to improve loyalty and secure higher spend.”
Modern trade gains ground
Looking at the evolving roles of Modern Trade (MT) e.g. branded supermarkets and stores versus Traditional Trade (TT) e.g. non-branded stores, table-tops and kiosks within the Nigerian retail space, Olawale-Cole says that MT is starting to gain a foothold with a total value share of around 5% of FMCG sales.
“More than 90% of FMCG sales within Nigeria still take place within TT outlets in terms of value and volume and we don’t see that changing much in the next 12-months, however, we do expect significant growth in MT within the next five years.”
“Where we are seeing a lot of growth is in the number of physical MT stores with a number of local branded supermarkets opening e.g. Adide, as well as international chains such as Shoprite and Spar having bolstered the market. The percentage of spend has also almost doubled in Supermarkets compared to 2 years back (17% in 2017 to 33% in 2019), signalling more acceptance of modern trade in the country.”
The Nielsen Shopper Trends study found that Nigerian shoppers mainly use TT for their top up shops, so frequency of visits to these types of stores is understandably higher. Their main reason for visiting MT stores is for bulk shopping with spend normally much higher for this type of trip and visits to supermarkets averaging four times a month, while visits to convenience stores average nine times a month.
Convenience is key
Olawale-Cole elaborates; “Nigerians are starting to shop at Modern Trade outlets more; with one of the key drivers of this behaviour being the convenience of a one stop shop. This is evidenced by the fact that Convenience Stores have the highest monthly footfall within the MT category, with average shopper visits more than double that of Supermarkets.
It’s important to note that Traditional Trade (TT) also offers convenience in the form of close proximity to home and office and still provides better pricing on certain items but Olawale-Cole says; “In line with consumers’ need to simplify their lives, we foresee urban MT retail outlets e.g. supermarkets, growing their share of trade in Nigeria, as consumers become more willing to pay for the convenience and time saving benefits of one stop shop solutions.” Evidence of this is that larger independent MT stores are already gaining ground in Nigeria’s urban areas, with formats offering a combination of large and small stores.
Overall, the growing demand for convenience presents manufacturers and retailers with countless opportunities.
Olawale-Cole comments; “Today, convenience transcends products, services and store channels. Packaging innovation, route to market, storage, portability and ordering, as well as device, payment and application technologies all need to be key considerations in providing an overall convenience experience that appeals to the discerning Nigerian shopper.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has announced plans to commence the disbursement of the $700 million Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) within the next four months.
Last week, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola, instructed the maritime regulator to initiate the long-awaited disbursement process for the fund.
This directive marked a significant shift from over two decades of administrative stagnation and ushers in a new era of strategic repositioning of Nigeria’s indigenous shipping.
Speaking on Wednesday, NIMASA’s Director General, Mr Dayo Mobereola, providing a timeline for the disbursement said this will happen within the next four months, which by calculation, is August 2025.
He made the announcement during an oversight visit by the House of Representatives Committee on Maritime Safety, Education, and Administration in Abuja, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
“We are acting in accordance with the directive of the Minister to ensure indigenous shipowners finally have access to this critical funding. The guidelines have been streamlined based on the Minister’s approval, so beneficiaries can access the funds within three to four months,” he said.
“To effectively manage the $700 million intervention fund, the number of Primary Lending Institutions (PLIs) has been expanded from five to twelve.”
The CVFF, established under the Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) Act of 2003, was designed to empower Nigerian shipping companies through access to structured financing for vessel acquisition. However, successive administrations failed to operationalize the fund—until now.
According to Minister Oyetola, the disbursement of the CVFF will represent not just the release of funds, but a profound commitment to empowering Nigerian maritime operators, bolstering national competitiveness, and fostering sustainable economic development.
“This is not just about disbursing funds. It’s about rewriting a chapter in our maritime history. For over 20 years, the CVFF remained a dormant promise. Today, we are bringing it to life—deliberately, transparently, and strategically,” he stated.
NIMASA, in alignment with the Minister’s directive, has already issued a Marine Notice inviting eligible Nigerian shipping companies to apply.
Qualified applicants can access up to $25 million each at competitive interest rates to acquire vessels that meet international safety and performance standards.
The fund will be administered in partnership with carefully selected and approved Primary Lending Institutions (PLIs), ensuring professional and efficient disbursement.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Ogun State Government, through its Environmental Protection Agency (OGEPA,) has sealed four industries for environmental infractions.
According to a statement by the spokesman of the agency, Mr Luke Adebesin, the affected organisations are Fortune Height Farms Limited and Sanda Wood Industry Limited, both in Odogbolu Local Government, Shengceramic Material Limited in Ogere axis of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and Nehemiah Grace Developer Limited at Ijako in Ado-Odo, Ota Local Government.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on OGEPA, Mr Farouk Akintunde, reiterated that all companies must comply with operating and environmental standards laid by the state.
The agency alleged that Fortune Height Farms Limited, which is into production of eggs and catfish, was sealed after a petition was received from its host community for discharging untreated influence into the environment.
Sanda Wood Industry Limited was sealed for allegedly denying government officials access into its facility while engaging in open burning, while Nehemiah Grace Developer Limited was sealed for encroaching on the waterways and constructing drainage without the state government permit.
“Ogun State government will not fold its hand and allow these industries to violate our Environmental laws,” the agency said, adding that it will continue to ensure that the South Western state is safe and secure.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The National Pension Commission (PenCom) has announced the recovery of N1.58 billion from defaulting employers through enhanced enforcement efforts as total pension assets under management (AuM) surpassed N23 trillion as of February.
The Director General of PenCom, Ms Omolola Oloworaran, made this disclosure on Wednesday in Kano during the First Run 2025 Consultative Forum for States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) that state remittances had also improved, reflecting a greater adoption of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).
Ms Oloworaran noted that in spite of these advancements, challenges remain, as only 25 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) had enacted laws to implement the CPS.
“Six states operate hybrid schemes, while another six have bills at advanced legislative stages.
“Notable progress has been made in Katsina, Yobe, Bauchi, and Abia states. However, full implementation of the CPS is currently limited to eight states,” she explained.
To address this gap, PenCom has introduced a flexible adoption model, allowing states to begin implementation with new employees or those with fewer than 10 years of service.
The director general further stated that the commission was providing technical support to assist states in planning for legacy liabilities and transitioning their entire workforce in a financially sustainable manner.
She reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to achieving full onboarding of all states and the FCT into the CPS.
“With sustained dialogue, technical collaboration, and strong political will, we are confident of reaching this goal,” she said.
Ms Oloworaran described the ongoing forum as more than just a routine meeting, calling it “a call to collective action.”
She urged participants to seize this opportunity to co-create solutions, share innovations, and renew their commitment to a secure, unified, and inclusive pension system.
On his part, the Head of Service (HOS) of Kano, Mr Abdullahi Musa, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to pension reforms.
He commended PenCom for its leadership in promoting best practices and described the forum as a “vital platform for dialogue, peer learning, and policy refinement.”
Mr Musa said that Kano State had made significant progress in restructuring its pension system, notably through the adoption of a hybrid model that combined elements of the defined benefits and the CPS.
He revealed that the state government, under the leadership of Gov. Abba Kabir, had taken bold steps to settle pension backlogs and improve the management of retirement benefits, adding that the state government had paid N16 billion in outstanding entitlements, which represented about 40 per cent of the liabilities inherited from previous administrations.
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