The first Nike flagship store in West Africa has opened in Lagos’ Ikeja City Mall. The official debut event took place on Thursday, August 25, 2022, inside the actual store, giving Nigerians access to high-end Nike products.
Hudson Brand Development Nigeria [HBDN], a subsidiary of Hudson Holdings Group, a top retail and distribution Group representing a variety of sports and fashion brands in over 30 African nations, has made it possible for Nike to enter the Nigerian market.
The Nike Brand Director for Business Development, Indrek Heinmets, expressed his delight at witnessing the establishment of the business in Nigeria.
“I can say it’s been a long journey for us. We have been planning for several years for Nike’s flagship store in Lagos but the pandemic didn’t help global supply. We had even planned to open in April of this year but we’ve now only managed to open at the end of August so seeing this thing finally come alive, I have no option but to give a thumbs up to the teams working hard and having sleepless nights to make this happen.” said, Heinmets.
Giuseppe Crispino, the Marketing Communications Manager at Hudson, emphasized that over the years, Nigeria and the Nike brand enjoyed a positive working relationship. Additionally, he mentioned that many of Nike’s athletes and ambassadors are from Nigeria and that the sportswear company designed Nigeria’s 2018 World Cup jersey.
“I think it was just time to come over. We are here now with a home where we can welcome our customers and meet them face to face. I think the real work starts now. I see this as a kickoff for the things we can do for consumers now that we are here,” Crispino said.
