By Timeswatch
A new Alaba International market will soonest greet the heterogenous buyers and / or customers.
This rebranded market structure which will totally alter the age long nature of this global business hub resulted from a new policy framework designed to align the largest Nigerian electronics commerce destination with global trends.
This latest initiative was made public at a press conference at the IMAE secretariat inside the expansive market on Thursday where the market association’s president, High Chief Amb.( Dr.) Camilus Amajuoyi led other executives and executive council members and critical stakeholders to unearth the plans.
In his address, come the 6th and 7th of August, a major unveiling ceremony will be held to formally present the new face of Alaba International market to the world.
As declared in the president’s speech, the market evolution is quite revolutionary as a radical transition that will rub off on critical aspects such as internal market structures that reflect govt standard, behavioural texture of all stakeholders, security, discipline, digital compliance, internal road network, customer service, etc.
However, the market leadership used the moment to lament the absurdity which the access road leading to the great market is.
Further, the president with chagrin stated that despite the huge billions that the Lagos State govt, the federal govt generate from activities of business men and stakeholders of the market, the access road remains sadly a tragedy which hampers businesses and impedes effectiveness; stressing that it is inexplicably frustrating how the road leading to a special market like Alaba International remains an eyesore, an astonishing disaster – even an investor’s nightmare.
” The Alaba International market apart from being a great employer of labour, engaging directly over 10,000 Nigerian youths, that generates billions of naira in terms of Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, for the state and local govt, existing also as an industrial hub for local production and technology transfer, second to none in this part of the world, this amazing market suffers extortion from Lagos officials
Recounting the ordeals of importers , the president stressed that though each of the about 1,000 containers that enter the market from various Lagos seaports pay over 200,000 naira to the levies collectors of the LG, a lot of the trucks fall , causing damages and great loss for the investors.
” The vehicular and human traffic gridlock that happens on daily basis affect commercial or business normalcy, inflicting untold agony and hardship for long hours.
” As leaders, we have spent hundreds of millions on buying of stones to patch the road that deteriorates by the day.
” Of course, if the State govt can create an opportunity for us to collect the revenues from here, the money will be more than enough to build a stand road to arrest the menace permanently.
” I have had course to attend a stakeholders meeting at the local govt where ways of improving revenue generation from this market was a front burner issue.
” I was forced to rise up to ask them why the issue of the bad road leading to the market does not matter to them, and so strangely, no response came from them.
” Recently, a worried marked stakeholder asked me if the abandonment is sequel to tribal sentiment; and I retorted and said no. I told him that it is sheer neglect”, the president emphasized.
IMAE therefore called on the Lagos govt to urgently address the road challenge of Alaba International market in order to ameliorate the suffering of the traders, an action he said will consolidate the current reforms happening in the market poised to better the lots of all stakeholders.
The leadership equally used the moment to advice those who see the Alaba International market as a place for adulterated products to desist from bearing that erroneous notion, pointing that there is no room for such illegal trends in Alaba, noting that the market association has zero tolerance for such sharp practices.
Revealing one of the latest beautiful initiatives of the market, the president asserted that if anyone buys a product from the market which he or she later finds to be faulty, the market leadership will facilitate a refund or replacement for that customer without encumbrances.
