One of the former largest chain stores in Nigeria, Leventis Stores will return to Nigeria before the end of the year.
The chairman of Leventis Foundation Nigeria, Ahmed Mantey, announced this on Tuesday in Abuja.
Leventis stores dominated the Nigerian consumer goods formal retail market in the 1980s alongside the likes of Kingsway and UTC.
At a media briefing session at Leventis Foundation Nigeria on Tuesday, Mr. Mantey, who is also Non-Executive Chairman of the A.G. Leventis group, disclosed that the first two new stores would be opened in Lagos.
He said A.G. Leventis has made a partnership with a South African company called Pick and Pay in light of making the return to retailing a reality.
He added that the stores would be operated through a neighbourhood store model, unlike the Shoprite supermarkets currently in operation in the country.
Also at the media briefing and unveiling ceremony of the 30th anniversary logo of the group, the Executive director of the foundation, Hope Usieta, announced that the foundation has put together a competition among other activities to mark its 30th anniversary.
He said the foundation would give out N2 million each as seed money to three individuals with business pursuits in agriculture.
He said there would be a formal call to present a business plan.
The competition called “LFN@30 Agribusiness Pitch” would be graded in three categories; producing winners who will comprise students, past students of the LFN training schools and the general public.
He said the winners would be announced and presented with a cheque at the grand finale of the anniversary celebration, a gala dinner.
According to a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES, LFN Foundation has so far set up nine training institutes in Nigeria and Ghana, with over 25,000 youths and farmers benefitting from the training programme in modern and sustainable agriculture practices.
The training schools in Nigeria are located in Osun, Kano, Kaduna, Gombe, Ondo, FCT Abuja and Edo states.
The Leventis Foundation Nigeria was established in 1979 and registered and incorporated as a charitable company on April 26, 1988.