By: Aladeselu Margaret Ayomikun
Blaring horns, ceaseless movements, wagging tongues, straight faces, bursting hustle — these are the words that describe a typical morning in Lagos, Nigeria’s home of commerce. Being the most populous country in Africa, the African Giant (as she is widely called) remains home to some of the most prodigious people in the history of the world.
North, South, East, West — Nigerians still share defining traits that defy geographical borders. One of such traits is the shared love that Nigerians have for luxury. You’d see this love in a South Western’s preference for an owambe celebration held in a fully-lit multipurpose hall with massive chandeliers hanging over hundreds of heads. You’d see it in a Northerner’s undeniable preference for bedazzlingly regal architecture. Every Nigerian has a taste for luxury but with the current state of the country’s economy, it is almost impossible for every Nigerian to fully satisfy their need for luxury.
Capitalism has made luxury an exclusive asset for many years, available to few and inaccessible to many. There is an unwritten rule that permits some Nigerians to live a life of ease but this rule exists to solely foster the concept of “rich getting richer and poor getting poorer”.
The hospitality industry has a long history of providing access to luxury for Nigerians but this luxury comes at a cost that only a depressingly low percentage of Nigerians can afford. For short-let companies like Spaceet Technologies, affordability is just as important as luxury itself. Spaceet has a rather confident motto that promises to provide equal access to luxury. The CEO of the company, Obijole Ayowole, claims that the company is currently on a mission to breach the gap between affordability and luxury and with the impressive price ranges and budget options available on the company’s official website, it is almost impossible not to agree with him.
Spaceet has an interesting feature that allows users to filter their search by customizing their budget. These apartments come at interesting low prices. With as low as N30,000, you can conveniently book a luxury apartment for one night. The company claims that they currently provide the fairest pricing system in the hospitality industry and they are still working on more ways to make their prices even lower.
Spaceet is setting a standard for other short-let companies inside and beyond Africa to follow by actualizing the example that luxury does not necessarily need to remain exclusive to a certain category of people.
