Why there are no McDonald's in Nigeria?
McDonald's is one of the most loved fast food chains for gourmet meals in the most remote corners of the world. However, unfortunately, most Nigerians may never be able to enjoy its delicious meals because there is no McDonald's in the country. In this article, we will consider the possible causes of this phenomenon and the prospects for the opening of these cafes in Nigeria.
McDonald's has always been attractive to consumers because of their speedy and quality service. You can quickly get delicious meals at their restaurants without spending time cooking. Their prices are also much lower than those of luxurious restaurants that many people can visit only on weekends.
Considering how convenient these restaurants are, it is quite strange that they do not have branches in Nigeria. Could it be that Nigerians do not like fast food or the industry cannot prosper in our country?
Fast food industry in Nigeria
Actually, Nigerians like to eat fast, tasty and inexpensive foods. Many businessmen work in this industry and make significant profit. New small cafes are constantly springing up in the country; sometimes you can find several cafes in the same area, which could cause serious competition. When compared with other spheres of small and medium-sized businesses, it is relatively easy to attract investors in this sector.
Let us consider the major fast food chains in Nigeria:
- Mr Bigg's. This franchise is one of the first to start in Nigeria and at the moment, they have more than 160 cafes in the country. Their design and style are very similar to those of McDonalds. One of their most popular snack is their appetizing meat pie. They also serve other foods like donuts, eggs, chicken and soft drinks.
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- Chicken Republic. This chain was opened in 2004, and it is quite popular in the country at the moment. Many Nigerians visit this restaurant to enjoy spicy fried chicken and other delicacies.
- Tantalizers. This is a very modern Nigerian snack chain. Their first branch was opened in Lagos in 1997; at the time, people could only buy hamburgers from them. As at 2015, they had opened over 50 fast food points in the country. Their menu was enriched with pies, chicken, rice and some other delicious dishes. They also have a section for African cuisine where visitors may order pounded yam, eba, ofada rice, semovita and moin moin.
- Tastee Fried Chicken. This chain has only 8 cafes in Nigeria. Their menu consists of meals like chicken, rice, pottage and eggs. They also serve traditional dishes.
- KFC. These cafes appeared in Nigeria quite recently. In terms of size, this franchise is the second biggest in the world. You can enjoy French fries, chicken, hamburgers, and some other kinds of delicious food at their branches.
- Domino's Pizza. You can order pizza at this cafe and have it delivered to you wherever you are. The chain also appeared in Africa not long ago.
Why no McDonald's in Nigeria?
As you can see, the fast food industry well developed in the country, yet, there are no McDonald's in Nigeria. This may be due to the following reasons:
- Costs. It will cost a lot of money to supply the chains of such cafes with all the products they need and this may negatively affect the price of their food. As a result, McDonald's in Nigeria will make far less competitive offers than other eateries and lose clients.
- Road infrastructure. In our country, there are many quite serious problems affecting the transport system. As a result of this, the process of delivering products can become complicated.
- Weak electrical network. The power supply in Nigeria is unstable. This is one of the biggest problems investors face.
- Apart from all the common factors mentioned above, all businessmen may also have personal reasons for refusing to work under the McDonald's franchise
Current perspectives
According to latest news, McDonald's may appear in Nigeria in the near future; the franchise considers the Nigerian market quite promising and the development of new markets is one of the top priorities for their administration.
However, the decision has not yet been finalized and the franchize may decide to spread to Asia as an alternative. Nevertheless, Nigeria is one of the best countries in Africa that could get the honor of being chosen by the restaurant’s management. The fact that it is a developing country could play a good role in attracting the McDonald's franchise. The fast food industry is in a state of constant growth, the services are getting better and the delivery system is well-organized.
If data provided by International Monetary Fund is anything to go by, the Nigerian economy has improved by 8.2% from 1999 to today. The average income per citizen is also believed to be $1,725.
In addition, franchise investors are paying attention to the population and Nigeria is the largest country in the west of Africa. The population grows every year, and this means a larger number of potential consumers.
As for the opinion of Nigerians, they have different thoughts about the presence of McDonald's restaurants in the country. Some are very pleased with such news because they have been waiting for it for a long time, while some others are not so pleased and insist that McDonald's products are not tasty and bad for their health.
It all depends on the tastes of people; some are open to everything new while others claim that they will always remain true fans of those fast food chains that already exist in Nigeria today. Having been accustomed to specific menus and services, some people do not see why they need something different. Such people will rather go to Asian restaurants if they crave something totally different.
Given the diversity of popular opinion, it is difficult to say whether the emergence of McDonald's will be a positive or negative factor in Nigeria. This chain requires significant funding, reliable infrastructure and good transport network. On the other hand, many citizens will be happy to become customers of the popular brand. Now all that is left to do is wait for the final decision of the franchise, after which we can come to certain conclusions about its impact in the country.
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Source: Legit.ng
