$300m Aba Mega Mall project, attracting interest from stakeholders

Aba Mega Mall, touted to be the biggest mall in Africa, has continued to attract the interest of stakeholders in the country, since the commissioning of its first phase in May 2015.

Fantastic facilities at the mall, has made it the first choice for event organizers in Aba. Aba Mega Mall in the last three months has hosted four major events-two hair shows and a fashion fair. The fashion show just ended at the weekend.

This is also as the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International (FGBMFI), a fellowship of lay businessmen, visited the facility on Saturday, October 10, 2015.

Recall also that the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), during their tour of the facility, applauded Greenfield Assets Limited, developers of the mall, for their initiative, which he observed would engender economic activities in Abia State and the entire South-East region.

Ademola Olorunfemi, president, Nigerian Society of Engineers, described the Aba Mega Mall project situated at Osisioma Ngwa, as a practical demonstration of patriotism.

He urged other Nigerians with capacity, to take a cue from Greenfield Assets, to provide infrastructure and create jobs for the people.

As a professional body, the NSE President, explained that they were interested in engineering developments in the country and so, encourage projects like Aba Mega Mall.

In his words, “It is part of our responsibility as a professional body to encourage this kind of development. This is a $300 million project and the implication is huge. It is even good that he engaged largely Nigerian professionals, artisans and all the likes”.

Greenfield Assets Management Limited, an indigenous infrastructure development firm, is turning 28–acre space in Aba, the commercial city of Abia State, a strategic trading hub in the southern part of the country.

The first phase of the project, which provided about 1000 shops, was commissioned in May, 2015, while construction for the second phase is ongoing.

The facility on completion will be a purpose-built smart mall community with 100,000 square meters of retail space for shopping, a multiplex movie theater, bank, its own transportation system, a dry port for wholesale distribution and more.

With a projected development cost of $300 million, Aba Mega Mall is expected to be the biggest shopping mall in Africa.

According to Paul Obanua, group managing director, Greenfield Asset Management Limited, the mission of Greenfield Asset Management is to renew sub-Saharan African cities, regenerate our communities and empower lives.

He continued, “In our quest to achieve this, one of the opportunities we identified is in the area of infrastructure development, especially retail infrastructure. This has encouraged us to pioneer the leapfrogging of Africa’s ‘Historical Open Market Retail System to Smart Mall Infrastructure’.

“Our goal is to transform the way in which Africans trade”, he affirmed.

GODFREY OFURUM