Conglomerate sinks N7bn in Port Harcourt mega market project
An indigenous conglomerate, House 400 Bluesteels, is sinking over N7 billion into building a mega market complex in Port Harcourt, the River State capital.
The market called Bluesteels-Boulevard, which is the first of its kind in Nigeria, is structured to contain 20,000 lock-up shops being built in phases. The first phase is made up of 2,000 shops due for commissioning by second quarter of 2016.
The group managing director, Peter Kings Osunde, an architect, who disclosed this in a media chat with some journalists in Port Harcourt, said over 10,000 youths would be offered job opportunities when the entire project was completed even as more 1,000 skilled labour and other categories of workers were already working in the first phase of the project.
Osunde said his passion to come back to Nigeria after over 20 years abroad to start the investment was born out of his zeal to tackle unemployment, hunger and poverty hitting Nigerians, despite the country having enough resources to create jobs, especially through recreational facilities.
He emphasised said: “Money is not our primary motive in developing the market referred to as ‘market like no other’ but we are devoted to creating beautiful and decent environments; a market endowed with fine architecture and beautiful landscape.”
He revealed that the company was in partnership with the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) Properties Limited, and that the mega project was being funded by First Bank plc.
The phase one offers 2,000 lock-up shops, cold rooms, ATM galleries, a dedicated fire station and an enormous car parking space to accommodate 2,000 cars, he said. The market is divided into categories such as perishable foods, packaged and frozen foods, cosmetics, clothing, electrical, electronics and building materials.
In his address, Samuel Obinna Ozor, general manager of Bluesteels-Boulevard, said the market was structurally planned to accommodate 20,000 lock-up shops and other structures like malls, amusement parks, hotels, crèche, warehouses, office buildings, eateries, sewage treatment plant, power supply, electronic advertising boards, police posts, hospital, among others.
The multi-billion naira project is sitting on 30 hectares of land along the NAF base opposite Rumuomasi Market junction, on Port Harcourt – Aba Expressway.
Ozor stated: “We describe the market as Market like no other. It fits this commercial description because there is none like it in this our clime. Its architectural designs and facilities are structured aesthetically with tourism attractions. Currently it has about 1,000 workers with potentials to increase every day. This comprises of site men, engineers, marketers, doctors, nurses, administrators, etc.”
He also noted that security of the complex and facilities were their paramount consideration together with other state of the art facilities. The market complex is adorned with two malls where best of entertainment facilities like cinema, video games, musk: studios, conference rooms have been provided for shoppers and clients comfort especially crèche where parents can keep their babies and wards when out there for shopping.
More exciting about the market is that its management has provided shuttle buses for customers so that they don’t have to bear the stress of trekking from one cluster to another. Rams are also available to convey their goods from top floor shops to the ground floor.
Bluesteels-Boulevard is created with good road network with walkways to ease human and vehicular traffic with the following categories; perishable foods, packaged foods, frozen foods, clothing and cosmetics, electrical and electronics etc. the GM stated.
He disclosed that the lock-up shops were sold at N7.5m for a 20 years lease, or a mere N375,000 per annum and about N31,000 per month. He pointed out that, “We can sate unequivocally that we still remain cheaper compared to other shops in River State capital where some shops go for as much as N70,000 per month irrespective of location, security and accessibility”.