Shoprite Nigeria is reaffirming its commitment to locally manufactured products with the launch of its ‘Made in Nigeria’ initiative, a series of monthly meet-ups for local manufacturers hosted by Shoprite.

The aim is to strengthen existing relationships with manufacturers of local products and identify new opportunities to showcase their goods both in Nigeria and abroad.

The launch event kicked off on February 28, 2017 at Shoprite’s Ikeja Mall and was attended by local businesses currently supplying into Shoprite’s countrywide store network, as well as those businesses looking to get more exposure for their products.

Shoprite Nigeria has grown its local offering over the years, with over 80 per cent of the goods sold in its supermarkets now locally sourced. The push towards a majority local supply throughout its Nigeria operation comes out of a need to meet the demand from its growing customer base.

With local suppliers being subjected to the same stringent quality standards and demanding targets expected of its international suppliers, Shoprite’s ‘Made in Nigeria’ initiative is very timely, as it seeks to provide additional support to local manufacturers to ensure consistency of supply.

Seyi Abolaji, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Wilsons Juice Company, a supplier to Shoprite, encouraged entrepreneurs and owners of small enterprises to take advantage of the platform to grow their businesses.

For Ada Osakwe, founder of Nuli Juice, producers of “Zobo” juice, working with Shoprite has been a great learning experience. “They helped us to get our product packaging right so that our juices not only look great on shelf, but are the best quality for our customers.”