Deputy President of the Senate, Jibrin Barau
The Deputy President of the Senate, Jibrin Barau, has initiated efforts to prevent Shoprite, a prominent Nigerian supermarket chain, from closing its sole branch in Kano State.
Situated at the renowned Ado Bayero Mall in Kano, Shoprite recently declared its intention to exit the commercial center in January, citing a “challenging economic situation” as the reason.
The announcement of the outlet’s decision, which made its debut in Kano in March 2014, has sparked diverse responses.
According to a statement from Barau’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ismail Mudashir, the Deputy President of the Senate is scheduled to hold a meeting with the company’s management in Abuja this week to discuss the issue.
The statement stated, “The Office of the Deputy President of the Senate has set machinery in motion to halt the exit of Shoprite from Kano State.
“His Excellency, the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I Jibrin will meet with the management of the company this week where the issue will be discussed and hopefully resolved.
“Yes, it is a pure business issue, but we will see what we can do to encourage them to rescind their decision and stay in Kano.
“As we all know, there are enormous business opportunities in Kano, the commercial nerve centre of northern Nigeria.
“At a time when we are scouting for investors, we will not fold our hands and allow them to leave,’’ he said.