First day away from work. What an exhilarating experience! Ice Cube’s hit tune “Today was a good day” was buzzing in my brain.

“How best can i spend today”, i thought to myself.

“A visit to the cinema perhaps”? Hmm, a visit to the cinema it is!

Off to Novare!

Ever since Novare Mall opened its doors in late August 2016, work constraints had prevented me from visiting. Funny thing is, the mall is less than 15 minutes away from my home.

By 9am, i was on already my way, in one of my trademark NFL jerseys on a very used blue jeans. Ditched my car and opted for a Keke Marwa, a tricycle used for public transportation in Lagos.

It is true what they say about the Novare mall. Indeed, it is the biggest mall in Nigeria. Sitting on a 22,000 sqm expanse of land. Its 1,000 parking slot is quite intimidating.

They were very few people in the mall when i got there, will attribute this to it being a week day. Perfect for me, i hate crowds. I could not help but feel a little disappointed though, as at least 90% of the stores were still not opened, over a month after. But the big ones were opened though – Game and Shoprite. Window shopped in the former for over an hour, fantasizing about all dem gadgets!

After a dissapointing cold meal of porridge and beef at Tantilizers, i drifted off to Genesis Cinema to see their movie line up for the day. Jason Statham’s Mechanic: Resurrection caught my eye immediately. Jason is one of the best actors to come out of that old boring Britain.

Paid N800 for the movie ticket, grabbed a large pop corn for an additional N800 and settled in for the movie. Action packed from beginning to end, the movie was worth every kobo of my investment.

Without doubt, the mall has brightened the landscape in that neighbourhood but it has also influenced property prices negatively too. Property rental and purchase prices have skyrocketed.

A small price to pay, but it is well worth it.