Shoprite, the becoming. Shoprite Holding Ltd in Nigeria has also contributed to dwindling foreign reserves through imports that serve to satisfy the appetite of wealthy Nigerians for foreign goods. Photo credit qz.com.

Shoprite leaving Nigeria: Why worry yourselves? – University Don

Shoprite Holdings Ltd has struggled with supply-chain disruptions and faced challenges in getting money out of the country with dwindling oil prices and devalued Naira amidst COVID-19 Pandemic.

The university don advocates having FDIs in manufacturing, agriculture value chain, telecoms, and IT sectors

A Nigerian university don, Uche Uwaleke, a professor of Finance at Nasarawa State University has urged Nigerians not to worry over the looming exit of Shoprite Holdings Ltd, the South African retail giant considers reducing or selling its entire stake in the Nigerian division. Talks about selling the operations have already even started at the time of reporting.

Why wondering what the net contribution of the continent’s largest food retailer is to the Nigerian economy, the university don said that Shoprite should not be a source of worry to Nigerians despite that Nigeria is in dire need of foreign direct investment.

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Prof Uche Uwaleke, regretted that despite crowding on local competitors, the operations of Shoprite Holding Ltd in Nigeria have also contributed to dwindling foreign reserves through imports that serve to satisfy the appetite of wealthy Nigerians for foreign goods.

According to the analysis of the university don, who is a finance expert, mentioned that the right post-COVID-19 business opportunity Nigeria needs now is foreign direct investments (FDIs) in manufacturing, agriculture value chain, telecoms and IT and not businesses that promote the consumption of foreign goods and perpetually leave us import-dependent

Shoprite Holdings Ltd has recently struggled with supply-chain disruptions and faced challenges in getting money out of the country. Delays in clearing goods from Nigerian seaports, traffic congestion, and poor road accessibility have made it difficult for the Cape Town-based supermarket operator to get stock onto shelves. Nigeria’s economy is being ravaged by a slump in oil prices that have dried up dollar supplies and a naira that was devalued earlier this year.

After opening their shop in Lagos Nigeria in December 2005, the largest supermarket chain on the continent which had planned in early 2012 to eventually increase Nigeria number of stores to about 800 outlets – the number of retails outlet it has in Shoprite, is shutting down their shops in Nigeria unbelievably after managing 25 local corporate stores compared to South Africa’s 1,957.

An intelligence report from Lagos indicated that Shoprite was voting with its feet as the Nigerian business environment becomes more toxic, the middle class shrinking and the government harassing businesses to fill dwindling safe. The actual size of Nigeria’s addressable middle-class market remains questionable, especially in the backdrop of the reality that nearly half of the country lives in abject poverty.

Shoprite Holdings Ltd, the owner of supermarket chains such as Checkers and U-Save opened has been growing in 15 countries outside South Africa to become a continent-wide superpower with 2,319 corporate-owned food and liquor retail stores.

Woolworths Holdings Ltd., the South African seller of designer clothing and organic food, quit Nigeria in 2013, apparel retailer Truworths International Ltd. closed its last two Nigerian stores in 2016 and Mr. Price Group Ltd. said in June it was also leaving. MTN, Stanbic IBTC, and DSTV are other South African businesses operating smoothly in Nigeria.