Shop allocations to subscribers at the multibillion naira ultra modern machine parts plaza at the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex, Badagry Expressway, Lagos, would begin this month ahead official commissioning, Bartholomew Achukwu, chairman, United Allied Spare Parts Dealers Association (UASPADA), says.
Achukwu, while addressing a general assembly meeting of the association, reassured members of his administration’s commitment to speedy handover of the shops to their deserving subscribers.
“Despite all the challenges, you all can testify that work is in progress, and this regime will not stop working until these shops are duly handed over to the various subscribers who made their complete payments as required for each shop. Allocation of shops will begin July ending, preparatory to our moving in and commencing business at this place in August.
“We are 90 percent ready, and in a couple of days from now, we will clean up all access roads and lay the interlocking stones. My appeal is for your continued support and cooperation to make this dream a reality, he said.
The multibillion machine parts plaza is an international shopping arcade housing 3,000 lock-up shops, and 29 individual plazas. It is a wholesale market offering a wide range of machine parts, engines and accessories including motor bikes, three wheelers, tractors, generators of all sizes, marine boat engines and components, as well as all manner of industrial and domestic machineries.
According to the UASPADA’s secretary general, Simon Uzoetue, who spoke with newsmen after the meeting, the market, which is first of its kind in the entire ECOWAS region, is borne out of the visionary efforts by some pioneers and founding fathers of like minds drawn from Idumota and Ebute-Meta who came together in 2004 to form the union with a primary aim of relocating to ASPAMDA’s auto parts plaza.
“UASPADA was duly registered with the CAC in 2005, by this administration led by Bartholomew Achukwu as chairman; Simon Uzoetue, general secretary; Edmund Edeh, treasurer, and Adesope Aderogba as financial secretary, and the entire executive committee members. We relocated to ASPMDA same year and in 2008, after the concession of Trade Fair Complex to Aulic Nigeria Limited, we moved again and acquired an area at the complex for a 2,200 shops development under a 25 years lease agreement. The area was later increased for additional 800 shops development.
“Our membership has grown above 3,000, but only qualified subscribers will be allotted with the shops in July. The project was strictly funded through the selfless contributions of our members and some investors, so we did not borrow from any bank or individual whatsoever. Each subscriber is expected to make full payments of N610,000 for a shop, representing N460,000 cost of the shop and N150,000 allocation fee meant for the concessionaires, ” he said.
Ifeoma Okeke
