Gilbert Chagoury promotes ORCA mega-showroom in Lagos

Ambassador Gilbert Chagoury is placing a bold bet on Lagos’ high-end consumer market with the launch of what promoters describe as Africa’s largest home and lifestyle showroom, a sprawling retail complex inside Eko Atlantic City.

ORCA Deco Mall opened late November along the Atlantic coastline, occupying more than 50,000 square meters across four floors. The showroom houses more than 100,000 products, ranging from furniture and kitchenware to smart-home technology, in a layout designed to mirror modern living spaces.

Chagoury, a leading figure in the Chagoury Group and one of the main promoters of the project, is joined by Ronald Chagoury, Mikano Group executive Moufid Karameh and Jamal Kawar, founder of Orca Africa. Together, they are positioning the mall as both a retail destination and a statement about investor confidence in Nigeria’s largest city.

The project has created more than 500 jobs, according to organizers, adding momentum to Eko Atlantic’s transformation from a construction-heavy zone into a functioning commercial district. Built on reclaimed land off Victoria Island, the area has increasingly attracted luxury residences, offices and flagship developments.

ORCA Africa operates in more than 20 countries, but executives say the Lagos showroom represents its most ambitious footprint yet. The idea, they say, is to blend scale with experience — allowing customers to see, touch and compare products in ways online shopping cannot replicate.

Lagos Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu attended the opening alongside senior government officials and business leaders. He said the project showed Lagos was still open to investors, even amid economic pressure, and commended private businesses for pressing ahead with major developments.

Eko Atlantic Management officials echoed that view, saying the showroom reinforces the city’s growing appeal as a mixed-use destination rather than a future concept. With each completed project, they say, the district is becoming more active and commercially viable.

The building was delivered by ITB Construction, whose executives said the project required careful engineering and coordination to meet international safety and quality standards.