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City of Lagos Monopoly unveiled in London (Video)
The City of Lagos edition of Monopoly was unveiled in London recently.
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Just a roll of the dice away: the first ever official African city edition of Monopoly was formally presented in the UK recently.
Bestman Games Limited, the African distributor for new ‘local’ editions of Monopoly - the world famous board game owned by Hasbro officially unveiled to the UK, The City of Lagos Edition of Monopoly on Saturday June 15th, at The London Hilton on Park Lane - symbolic in its position on the famous London edition of Monopoly.
A distinguished audience of 180 individuals from the UK Diaspora and Nigeria came out to support the historic occasion.
The Governor of Lagos State, represented by The Honourable Attorney-General of Lagos State - Mr Ade Ipaye SAN; The Deputy High Commissioner of Nigeria to the United Kingdom - H.E Ambassador Oluwatoyin K. Lawal; The Chairman Of Bestman Games - Mr Odein Ajumogobia SAN; The Director-General of the Nigerian Securities & Exchange Commission - Ms Arunma Oteh; and The Chairman of the Central Association of Nigerians in the United Kingdom (CANUK) - Chief Bimbo Roberts Folayan were amongst those in attendance.
The City of Lagos board was uniquely revealed to the audience embedded in a stunning and fully bespoke clear acrylic block. The CEO of Bestman Games - Mrs. Nimi Akinkugbe said, “The City of Lagos Edition of monopoly aims to instil a sense of community and nostalgia amongst Lagosians and Nigerians both at home and in the Diaspora. It is a game that they can relate to, including its legendary streets, neighbourhoods, iconic monuments, familiar landmarks and leading brands.”
Peter Griffin, the Business Development Director of Winning Moves explained, “We looked at a number of places through Africa which should have this honour. When we looked at Lagos, we saw a mega city, a city going through rapid growth and a city that has such a rich culture, deep heritage and pride. When we looked at all these together, we realised Lagos was going to be the perfect choice for the first African City edition of Monopoly.”
Reflecting the economic strength of the city, the blue and green properties have been assigned to First Bank of Nigeria Plc, and Guaranty Trust Bank.
Indicative of all that we love about the city is the colourful portfolio that showcases the city's popular landmarks, and leading brands including, The Palms Shopping Mall, Lekki, Silverbird Galleria, Quintessence, The Lagos Yacht Club, Terra Kulture (Cultural Centre) and the luxury Wheatbaker Hotel, Ikoyi. Even the utilities have been localised with the inclusion of The Lagos Water Corporation and The Lagos Internal Revenue Service while the Railroads showcase the city’s diversity of transportation with BRT Buses, Iddo Terminus, Tincan Island Port and Murtala Mohammed Airport all featured.
Other Lagos-centric twists can be found in the tweaked Community Chest and Chance cards. Draw a Chance card and you could be fined $M50 for being “caught driving against traffic”; while you could move forward three spaces for using “the overhead pedestrian bridge on Ikorodu Road.”
The City of Lagos edition is now available in the UK on Amazon.co.uk, Shop.winningmoves.co.uk, Cokobar.com and at Mama Cass Restaurant, Mama Calabar Restaurant, Jesus House- Pages Book Shop and The Africa Centre. Please visit www.bestmangames.com for more information.
Monopoly first hit shop shelves in the US in 1935. It is now played in 111 countries and enjoyed in 43 different languages.