Gilbert Ekezie
The Ikota Shopping Complex Owners and Operators Association (ISCOOA), Lagos, is seeking partnership with corporate bodies, captains of industries and investors with a view to investing investing in the market, assuring them of greater return on their investments.
Public Relations Officer of the association, Mr Umezurike Austin Umezurike made the call at 10th edition of ISCOOA Trade Fair titled; Ikota Must Flourish, held at the market recently.
He said this year’s Trade Fair was unique and unparalleled in many ways because there is new administration in place to signal and symbolise a complete and total new dawn.
Umezurike explained that theme of the trade fair was a renaissance that there is a new ideological revolution, making it a paradigm shift from the old order, with new effective security system, rehabilitation of dry bones, improved power supply and transformation of the market to an international market, that it has always been. “We are working to ensure orderliness, so that owners and operators could achieve their objectives of flourishing in business.”
According to him operators generate about N5.5 billion every month. “It is a big market with quality. We have all kinds of business ranging from banking, boutique, electronics etc, and the operators here are big time investors. We buy our fabrics from Israel, UK, England, Italy, France, and Vietnam etc. You hardly see China products here because quality is our watch word.”
Umezurike disclosed that the 14-day trade fair is to show that Ikota Shopping Complex is not only for the rich and that about one million customers would be expected to patronise operators during the period. “The fair will give opportunity for price slash ranging from 30, 50 and 70 per cent, depending on what the owner wants. The idea is to encourage customers to enjoy the Christmas season. We also want to correct the impression that Ikota Shopping Complex is meant for the rich, by telling the whole world that the market is not only for the rich, anybody is free to come. Our goods are of high quality and our prices are the best among all in our category. One does not need to own a flashy car to qualify to buy from the market.