The Nation Newspaper

Category: Building & Properties

  • ‘Nigeria’s underground space untapped’

    ‘Nigeria’s underground space untapped’

    One aspect of construction that has remained largely untapped in the country is tunnelling. This is the art of creating useful and effective space below ground level. Mr. Abidemi Agwor is the national chairman, Tunnelling Association of Nigeria. He is also the first and only Nigerian representative at the world body of tunnelling engineers. Agwor is championing a fresh awareness of this aspect of construction, especially in infrastructural development. For him, this will help build better and efficient cities. In this interview, he explains the concept and its benefit to the nation. MUYIWA LUCAS was there.

    Tunnelling does not seem to be very popular in this country. Why?

    Although it is not alien to us, it is, however, an approach that is not readily part of our infrastructural conceptualisation. To put it simply, tunnelling is the act of creating useful and effective space below ground level. This cuts across several sectors, covering a wide spectrum from the seemingly small applications to the more sophisticated applications like water and sanitary waste management, telecommunications and power distribution, vehicular and pedestrian transportation, oil and gas product transportation, mining and mineral exploration, agricultural and environmental applications and several other unorthodox applications. These can be done through conventional and mechanised means, the latter being the most popular.

    However, delivering an underground infrastructure requires extensive planning and preparation. Depending on the type of project and structure, an extensive ground investigation would be required as that will duly inform the construction method as well as produce a geotechnical baseline report for construction. This helps to determine if we are working in a soft or hard ground, cohesive or non-cohesive as well as several other technical parameters that aid the decision of procuring the best suited tunnelling equipment as well as proposing a sustainable design and realistic programme. The baseline report will also infer if ground preparatory works will be required. We can’t fully exhaust all the requirements in delivering an underground infrastructure, but I know that this technology can be applied appropriately and effectively in Nigeria.

    Why are you championing the campaign in Nigeria and what landmark projects have you been involved to support this cause?

    The idea of developing the tunnelling industry in Nigeria was first conceived shortly after I arrived in the United Kingdom on scholarship from the Rivers State Government in 2008. I discovered my passion for tunnelling and the development of underground structures. I was part of the team that developed the Crossrail tunnels UK, which was at the time the biggest infrastructural development in Europe worth £16 billion. I am currently part of the tunnelling team working on a key part of the Hinkley Point Nuclear Power Project worth £24 billion.

    Over the years I have had the opportunity to work with the best in the industry and so my network was built from there. I am a member of the British Tunnelling Society (BTS).  In September 2015 I approached the Chairman of the BTS to advice on how to go about setting up a similar organisation in Nigeria since they had just helped set up the Tunnelling Association in Saudi Arabia; and that was where it really all started from. We have since gone on to incorporate the Tunnelling Association Nigeria (TAN), registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission of Nigeria as the Association of Tunnelling Operators Nigeria in June 2016.  Presently, I am the Chairman of the Executive committee.

    We have also gotten in touch with the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association (ITA) which has a consultative status with the United Nations. The body has now adopted Nigeria as a member nation through an exclusive endorsement of TAN. In essence Nigeria now has a seat at the World Tunnelling Congress held yearly.

    What responses have you been getting from the Nigeria Society of Engineers and the government in this tunnelling crusade?

    It has been challenging but fulfilling to say the least. The responses have been mixed and that is the reason we are deliberate in our approach. We have had key members of the Board of Trustees of the Tunneling Association Nigeria champion and promote the idea within their respective professional affiliations and the Nigerian Society of Engineers is one of the bodies currently in partnership with TAN. They have even set up a Tunneling Engineering Study Group to work with TAN. We are also making progress in setting up same partnership with other relevant bodies like the Nigerian Institute of Architects, Nigerian Institute of Surveyors as well as Nigerian Institute of Town Planners. We have had positive responses from the Federal Ministry of Power, Lands and Housing; some state governments and some educational institutions like the University of Lagos and the River State University of Science and Technology. So the response in the country has been encouraging, but there is still a long way to go.

    Considering the prevailing economic climate, do you think Nigeria can afford investment in tunnelling infrastructure?

    I believe that the current economic challenges can serve as an opportunity to invest. The lack of requisite infrastructure has exacerbated the impact of the economic challenges, though I believe that bridging our infrastructural gap is now government’s primary objective. Developing a tunnel or an underground space enables us maximise the use of a square foot of space thereby adding more value depending on its application- be it utilities or transportation, it can positively affect our lifestyle.  A cost-benefit analysis of most of these scenarios will tell you that the value of the benefits that these infrastructures bring over their life span outweighs their delivery cost. Planning and delivering a major underground project will typically take ten years if everything works according to schedule; and probably half that time for minor projects. We can invest now in the early phases of delivering innovative and sustainable projects that will in future help our rapidly growing cities.

    Aside from government, can corporate bodies and private developers invest in tunnelling and allied underground infrastructure and services?

    Tunnels and underground structures can be privately developed and one area that can be given keen consideration is the development of underground parking for residential accommodation. It should come naturally that we would consider it as part of a design brief. I would expect that a private developer would be restricted to the scale and scope of structure that can be developed granted by the appropriate authorities.

    How much of expertise or technology is available in the country to make this happen?

    Although expertise and technology in developing underground infrastructure is still in very high demand globally, Nigeria currently cannot boast of a handful of talents and expertise in this sector. However, I believe we have existing skills that can be easily developed to suit some of the requirements of developing underground infrastructure. Developing our local capabilities is one main reason the Tunnelling Association Nigeria was established. It was set up to promote the use of our underground space through awareness creation, sensitization, knowledge sharing, advocacy and several other means.

    The Tunnelling Association has put together a 10-year plan that would enable us locally engage at least 50 percent of the delivery of major tunnelling and underground activities. So, realistically my advocacy is for us to prepare for the mid-term to long-term future trends in the tunnelling and underground industries, which has indicated that sub-Saharan Africa will inevitably experience its own fair share of the global tunnelling and underground space market boom.

    What programmes are in place by the Tunnelling Association of Nigeria to integrate this new thinking into the management of the underground space in Nigeria?

    Benefitting from all that the association has put in place to develop capacity starts from being a registered member of the association. We have employed an open ended policy on the membership of the association which is open to all potential stakeholders in the development of our underground infrastructure including, civil engineers, mechanical and electrical engineers, geotechnical engineers, mining engineers, geologist, surveyors, GIS engineers, architects, urban planners and developers, financiers, insurers, policy makers, legal practitioners and project finance specialists.

    As part of our developmental programmes, we have scheduled annual conferences and workshops, we are scheduled to host what is the first International Tunnelling and Underground Space Conference in Nigeria next month in Lagos; it is tagged: “Developing the Tunnelling and Underground Space Industry in Nigeria”. We are also scheduling courses endorsed by the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association. We have a team that champions this campaign in university institutions as well as colleges. As part of the benefits of being a member nation of the World Tunnelling Congress we have exchange programmes that would enable students and professionals gain foreign practical experience of how tunnels are built. TAN in partnership with other member nations, has scheduled tours to specific project sites to expose our members to current global trends in the industry. Our partnership with other key organisations will also help to propagate the idea.

  • Nigeria to ratify Minamata Convention on Mercury

    Nigeria has set next month as its target date to ratify the Minamata Convention on Mercury.

    An official of the United Nations Development Organisation (UNIDO) Regional Office in Abuja, Dr. Chuma Ezedinma, made the disclosure last week in Lagos during a day-long forum designed to kick-start the ratification process and raise awareness on the Convention.

    The workshop was themed: “The Minamate Convention on Mercury: Minamata Convention Initial Assessment (MIA) Project”.

    The objective of the MIA project is to assist Nigeria in completing pre-qualification activities under the Convention in order to enable strategic decision-making and prioritise areas for future interventions on mercury related issues.

    “Nigeria is expected to ratify the Convention before September, and we are looking at sometime in March when some things would have been put in place,” Ezedinma said.

    Nigeria is one of the 128 signatories to the global treaty (the nation became a signatory on October 10, 2013), but it is yet to ratify it. Ratification by Nigeria automatically makes it a Party to the Convention with the duty to domesticate its content.

    A minimum of 50 nations are required to ratify the Minamata Convention to make it legally binding. So far, 38 nations have ratified, implying that the First Conference of the Parties (COP1) to the Minamata Convention on Mercury scheduled to take place in September 2017 in Geneva, Switzerland, depends on the emergence of 12 more ratifications on or before September.

    The Minamata Convention on Mercury, a global treaty aimed at protecting human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury, was agreed at the fifth session of the Inter-governmental Negotiating Committee (INC) in Geneva, Switzerland on January 19, 2013.

    The Lagos awareness-raising forum, aimed at cementing partnership with civil society and the media, held at the instance of the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), UNIDO, United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and Federal Ministry of Environment (FMENV).

    The Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed, who was represented at the forum by the Deputy Director, Pollution Control and Environmental Health Department, Dr. Idris Adamu Goji, expressed gratitude to the international agencies whose financial and technical support to Nigeria to implement the MIA Project made the gathering possible. Mercury, she noted, is naturally occurring and highly toxic to human health and the environment.

    “Human activities in recent times have increased the level of mercury in the environment, and human exposure to this increased concentration cause kidney, heart and respiratory problems, tremors, skin rashes, vision and hearing problems, headaches, weakness, memory problems, and emotional changes,” she noted.

    Mohammed observed that Mercury poisoning and effects in the environment have, over the years, been recognised to be of global concern as a result of its nature and behaviour in the environment, including its ability for long-range transport in the atmosphere, persistence in the environment, and more importantly its ability to bio-accumulate in the ecosystem, leading to significant adverse effect on both human health and the environment.

    The Minamata Convention on Mercury is a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury. It was agreed at the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) on mercury in Geneva, Switzerland on Saturday, January 19, 2013 and adopted later that year on October 10 at a Diplomatic Conference (Conference of Plenipotentiaries) in Kumamoto, Japan.

    It draws attention to a global and ubiquitous metal that, while naturally occurring, has broad uses in everyday objects and is released to the atmosphere, soil and water from a variety of sources. Controlling the anthropogenic releases of mercury throughout its lifecycle has been a key factor in shaping the obligations under the Convention.

    Major highlights of the Convention included a ban on new mercury mines, the phasing out of existing ones, the phasing out and shutting down of mercury use in a number of products and processes, control measures on emissions to air and on releases to land and water, and the regulation of the informal sector of artisanal and small-scale gold mining.

    It also addressed interim storage of mercury and its disposal once it becomes waste, sites contaminated by mercury as well as health issues.

    The Convention will enter into force once 50 countries have ratified it. As at the last count, 128 countries have signed the Convention, while 38 that include 16 African countries have ratified it. Nigeria is expected to ratify it before September 2017.

  • N8b budget for climate change

    The Clerk of the House of Representatives Committee on Climate Change, Wali Baba Shehu, has revealed that the National Assembly made provision of N8 billion in the 2017 Appropriation Bill for the country to tackle issues on climate change.

    Sheu disclosed this at the Climate Change Knowledge Immersion workshop series, which held in Abuja last week. It was organised by the Federal Ministry of the Environment’s Department for Climate Change and the World Bank for members of the National Assembly.

    “The sum of N8 billion has been dedicated as a new budget line for issues on climate change in the 2017 budget, which will cut across all the MDAs that directly engage in issues of climate change. This is a committed action taken by the legislative arm of government to support Nigeria’s action towards achieving its set goals of reducing carbon emissions by 25 per cent by the year 2030,” Shehu said.

    It was gathered that this is the first time the National Assembly will be dedicating a lump sum to issues of climate change in the budget across the diverse sections of MDAs that work on climate change issues.

    The Director, Department of Climate Change, Ministry of Environment, Dr Peter Tarfa, expressed delight and commended the lawmakers for coming up with the budgetary plans to assist in implementing the country’s plans of action on climate change.

    “This will immensely enhance the capacity of Nigeria to draw from the diverse climate change funds or green funds that are available in the international community, but required a stringent counterpart commitment. It will also enable the much desired collaboration amongst all the MDAs as against working in silos thereby limiting our ability to work collectively,” Tarfa said.

     

    A Director with the Energy Commission of Nigeria, Dr John Epkeyong, however enjoined the lawmakers to tie the appropriation to set targets.

    “I want to appeal to the National Assembly to make sure that whichever department or agency that will be receiving funds from this budget must ensure that their expenditure is based a set target of achieving carbon emissions in any way,” he said.

  • Online real estate portal makes debut

    A new real estate portal, propertynews.com.ng, has been launched in Lagos.

    Its  Publisher/Adrant Partners Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Ranti Adedeji, said the portal is a cost-effective platform that provides in-depth reports and analysis of events, activities and developments in the construction and real estate sector.

    “Practitioners, investors, as well as, individual property owners would find it most invaluable. www.propertynews.com.ng, the media arm of Adrant Partners, has regular segments, such as Building Planning, Sellers’ request, Buyers’ Request, Documentations, Real Estate, Investment, Supplements, Projects and  Interviews,” Adedeji explained.

    According to Adedeji, a former journalist on the real estate beat, www.propertynews.com.ng, affords landlords who have property to sell and estate agents who have direct instructions to help sell property an opportunity to publicise their stock.

    He added that buyers could indicate their demand in order to be matched with property in the organisation’s database. “We also provide free consultancy services about property documents like Survey, Land Information, Certificate of Occupancy and Building Approval.

    This is in conjunction with experienced property lawyers and relevant government agencies,” Adedeji added.

  • Illegality of houses demolition in Lagos

    Illegality of houses demolition in Lagos

    In this article, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, lists the processes that must be followed by the government before embarking on demolition of houses.  

    Sometime in 1989, about 300,000 people were rendered homeless in Maroko, a shanty town on Victoria Island in Lagos State when their houses were demolished by the defunct military junta.  All efforts by the displaced people of Maroko to halt the demolition failed on the ground that a breach of the fundamental right to property could not be enforced under the Fundamental Rights Enforcement Procedure Rules, 1979.  Upon the appropriation of Maroko, it was sand-filled with public funds and distributed by the government to some top civil servants, military officers and business elite. Even though the Court of Appeal later held that the refusal of the High Court to grant the relief sought by the displaced community was wrong, the ruling military junta arrogantly named one of the streets after the judge who refused the injunction!

    However, following the destruction of their homes by the Lagos State government, the Maroko people took over the uncompleted Abesan Estate. To prevent the government from ejecting them forcefully from the estate, we approached the Lagos High Court for legal protection. In stiff opposition to the suit the government contended that since the occupants of the estate were squatters, they could be ejected forcefully. In rejecting the spurious contention, the presiding judge, Alabi J. (as he then was) ruled that the occupiers of the estate were entitled to be served a seven-day quit notice and be sued if they refused to quit the premises.

    Notwithstanding the clear provisions of the law enunciated by the Lagos High Court in Samuel Ayeyemi’s case, the Lagos State government has continued to embark on mass demolition of houses occupied by the poor in the state. It is our submission that all the demolition exercises carried out so far are illegal as they violate Section 36(4) of the Constitution which stipulates that in the determination of their rights and obligations, every citizen shall be entitled to make a representation to the authority. It is pertinent to note that the right of owners or occupiers of houses to make representation to the government before any demolition exercise is carried out is enshrined in the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law Cap U2 Laws of Lagos state 2015 (herein referred to as the URPD Law).

    Thus, by virtue of Section 49 of the URPD Law, there shall be a renewal agency which shall be saddled with the responsibility to issue enforcement notices, including the following: Contravention Notice; Stop Work Order; Quit Notice; Seal-up Notice;  Regularisation Notice; and Demolition Notice.

    Before enforcing the order contained in any of the aforesaid notices,  a committee of members of the renewal agency shall be set up to hear, consider and report on any representation or objection which may be made orally or in writing by the owner or occupier of any building on which a notice has been pasted. It is further provided that before a demolition order is made in respect of any building or a part of it, estimates of the compensation payable to the owner or occupier shall be determined and made available.

    If the agency dismisses the objection and confirms the demolition order, the aggrieved owner or occupier has the right to appeal against the decision to the Physical Planning and Building Control Agency Appeals Committee. Furthermore, an aggrieved person or any interested party may appeal against the decision of the Appeals Committee and such appeal shall lie as of right to the High Court of the State. The appeal to the high court must be made within twenty-eight (28) days after written notification of the final decision of the Appeals Committee.

    It is clear from the foregoing that it is after the complaint of the aggrieved person has been dismissed by the High Court that any demolition can be carried out in Lagos State. However, a building cannot be demolished in any part of the state without a valid court order, unless it has been established that it is structurally defective or found to constitute environmental hazard.  Therefore, the practice of demolishing houses after the expiration of a 48-hour notice is illegal in every material particular.  In a judgment delivered by the Federal Capital Territory High court on February 2, 2017, in Chief Jacob Obor & Ors v Federal Capital Territory & Ors (unreported suit no  CV/3998/12) Kutigi J. declared the planned demolition of all the houses in Mpape illegal on the ground that the notices purportedly served on the plaintiffs did not meet  statutory requirement.

    Indeed, the illegality of the demolition of houses in Lagos State is compounded by the refusal of the Ministry of Physical Planning to hear and determine the objections and complaints of owners of buildings which are marked for demolition. In other words, the action of the government constitutes a reckless violation of the provisions of sections 57-89 of the Law. It is also a breach of section of 36 (4) of the Constitution which guarantees the fundamental right of every citizen to make a representation before any matter affecting their civil rights and obligations is determined.

    In SERAP v. Federal Republic of Nigeria (2002) 2 CHR 537 at 562 the African Commission on Human and People’ Rights condemned the demolition of a number of houses in Ogoniland. While upholding the human right of the owners of the demolished houses to shelter the Commission said:

    “At a very minimum, the right to shelter obliges the Nigerian government not to destroy the housing of its citizens and not to obstruct efforts by individuals or communities to rebuild lost homes. The state’s obligation to respect housing rights requires it, and thereby all of its organs and agents, to abstain from carrying out, sponsoring or tolerating any practice, policy or legal measure violating the integrity of the individual or infringing upon his or her freedom to use those material or other resources available to them in a way they find most appropriate to satisfy individual, family, household or community housing needs.”

    To check the menace of land grabbers and prevent a breakdown of law and order, the Lagos state government has enacted the …….Law, 2016, which has criminalised the seizure of land and houses without a valid court order. Thus, by forcefully taking over houses before demolishing them, the Lagos state government has violated its own law. The duty of the government to prevent the use of force was emphasised in the case of Attorney-General of Lagos v. Attorney-General of the Federation (2004) 18 NWLR (PT 904) 1 at 53 by the late Justice Niki Tobi when he said:

    “The courts are available to accommodate all sorts of grievances that are justiciable in law and section 6 of the Constitution gives the courts power to adjudicate on masters between two or more competing parties. In our democracy all the governments of this country as well as organizations and individuals must kowtow to the due process of the law and this they can vindicate by resorting to the courts for redress in the event of any grievance.”

    It has been confirmed that some of the demolitions were carried out while cases challenging the validity of demolition notices were being challenged in the Lagos High Court. Even under a military dictatorship the government  was called to order in the case of The military governor of Lagos State v Chief Emeka Ojukwu (1986) 4 NWLR (PT 18) 621 when the Supreme Court said:

    “In the area where the rule of law operates, the rule of self-help by force is abandoned. Nigeria being one of the countries in the world, even in the third world which proclaims to operate under the rule of law, there is no room for rule of self-help by force to operate… the rule of law means that disputes as to the legality of acts of government are to be decided by judges who are wholly independent of the executive.”

    In the light of the foregoing, it is submitted that the demolition of houses carried out by the Lagos State Government without a court order is illegal and unconstitutional. If the victims seek legal redress, the government is liable to pay special, general and aggravated damages. Perhaps the attention of the government ought to be drawn to the damages of N166 billion awarded by the Federal High Court against the Federal Government in three separate judgments over the wilful destruction and demolition of houses during the military invasions of Odi, Zaki Biam and Gbaramatu.

  • Going green with ‘smart cities’

    Going green with ‘smart cities’

    Smart or Business Cities are a common feature in most developed climes. Its goal is to improve quality of life by using urban informatics and technology to boost efficiency of services and meet residents’ needs. ChannelDrill, an indigenous firm, is set to deliver such a city through reclamation and dredging of the Lagos lagoon. MUYIWA LUCAS reports that when completed in 2021, the multiplier effect will not only grow the economy astronomically, but also ensure that the city conforms to the clamour for environmental development.

    Cities, according to Town Planners and other players in the built environment, are engines of growth. This is why experts and other stakeholders in the industry are clamouring for more investment in real estate.

    For them, this is a viable option to drive the economy out of recession. This is because of its potential to attract new entrepreneurs, promote job creation and make artisans and masons huge contributors to the economy.

    A smart city is one equipped with basic infrastructure to give a decent quality of life, a clean and sustainable environment through application of some smart solutions. It is an urban development vision to integrate multiple information and communication technology (ICT) solutions in a secure fashion to manage a city’s assets.

    Part of the features include but not limited to assured water and electricity supply, sanitation and solid waste management, efficient urban mobility and public transport, robust IT connectivity, e-governance and citizen participation, safety and security of citizens. Others are public information, grievance redressal, electronic service delivery, citizens’ engagement, waste to energy and fuel, waste to compost, 100 per cent treatment of waste water, smart meters and management, monitoring water quality, renewable source of energy, efficient energy and green building, smart parking, intelligent traffic management system.

    Through the use of ICT, officials running the city to interact directly with the community and the city infrastructure and to monitor what is happening in the city, how the city is evolving, and how to enable a better quality of life. For instance, through the use of sensors integrated with real-time monitoring systems, data are collected from citizens and devices – then processed and analysed.

    Smart cities are developed with the goal of improving the management of urban flows and allowing for real time responses to challenges. Therefore, a smart city is usually more prepared to respond to challenges than one with a simple relationship with its citizens.

    Major technological, economic and environmental changes have generated interest in smart cities, including climate change, economic restructuring, the move to online retail and entertainment, ageing populations, urban population growth and pressures on public finances. In China, ZTE Corporation have more than 150 cities with Smart Solutions; in the United Arab Emirates, smart or business cities are the order of the day, Dubai, smart cities.

    A city can also be classified as ‘smart’ when investments in human and social capital and traditional transport and modern communication infrastructure fuel sustainable economic development and a high quality of life, with a wise management of natural resources, through participatory action and engagement.

    Now, with an increasing population and need for more housing units, an indigenous firm, ChannelDrill, in partnership with The Elegushi Royal Family (ERF) has secured approval to build a business city in Lagos State on 200 hectares of reclaimed land from  dredging the Lagos Lagoon. This project, known as  the Imperial International Business City (IIBC), has Channeldrill Resources Limited as the developer and Joint Venture (JV) partner to ERF . The development of the project, which started last August, will be completed in 2021.

    The IIBC, being built on the Lagos lagoon, will run from the end of Freedom road to the end of NICON town; that is, from freedom road to Kunsenla Road, to Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi Road, through Lekki Phase 1 ( Lekki Third Roundabout). Its access routes will be through 4th Roundabout of Lekki-Epe high way, by spa supermarket before Jakande bus stop.

     

    Smart, Business city

    According to the managing director of ChannelDrill Resources, Mr. Femi Akioye, since IIBC is a new city that is being built from the scratch, the firm has decided to make it a fully planned city with distinct zones and building regulations. Each zone, he explained, will have low, medium and high density areas with water view. He said the land to be built on will be completely reclaimed from the Lagos Lagoon, with dredging of between two and 2.5 metres above sea level to avoid flooding, which is common in the Lekki axis.

    “The Lekki-Epe corridor is reputed as the fastest growing not only in Nigeria, but in the whole of West Africa, with the biggest seaport, airport, refineries and other infrastructure coming up. The people, who will work there must live somewhere, and this is a motivation for developers. The future demand of the Lekki Free Trade Zone will only increase demand for comfortable homes within the metropolis,” Akioye said.

    Expressing optimism on the prospects of the IIBC, the ChannelDrill boss noted that the new city would correct some of the mistakes recorded in the development of the Lekki Phase 1. The project, he further explained, gives the developers the opportunity to build smart and go green for the future.

    The city, he revealed, will be well planned and will be Africa’s first eco-friendly city. This will be achieved with the creation of lakes and waterways within the city, as well as underground drains, the first smart shopping mall in the country and the first six-star hotel in Africa to be built.

     

    International consortium

    Already, Akioye said a consortium of experts in building, such cities have been recruited for the IIBC project. These include Dredging International (Dredging Contractors), Royal Haskoning (Marine Engineer & Reclamation Consultants), M. Arthur Gensler & Associates (Master Planner/ Architects), Delloitte Real Estate Middle East (Project Manager), Belgium Dredging Company, Netherlands Marine Engineer and Reclamation Consultants, United Kingdom Infrastructure Engineering Consultants, United Kingdom Master and Town Planner, Germany Shoreline Protector, and Kedari Capital Limited, among others. With this team, Akioye is convinced that “we have entrusted the job to one of the best dredging companies in the world.”

    Director, Maritime Projects, Royal Kaskoning DV, Mr. Roland Stive, assured that his firm has adopted a state-of-the-art reclamation design without silt, coarse and angular quartz as well as flood resilient platform level, stable and sustainable waters edges and settlement control in the project. He said that since 60 per cent of the world population live in coastal areas, then there is the need for safe and resilient coastal development, which the city would offer.

    According to the General Manager, Dredging International, Stefaan Van Velthoven, dredgers had already been positioned in the lagoon for the project. In similar vein, the Project Coordinator and Adviser to the Elegushi Family, Benson Evboren, disclosed that all necessary approvals for the project had been obtained. He said reclamation would take two years, while the actual construction would last for three years.

    “It will be a sight to behold when completed and will also stand the test of time. IIBC is also designed to take pressure off Lekki Phase 1,” Evboren explained.

     

    Financial advisor

    The IIBC project also has Nigerian financial advisors on board, with lead consultant, Kedari Capital, acting as Joint Financial Adviser and Fund Arrangers to the IIBC project.

    According to the Group Chief Executive Officer of Kedari, Mrs. Ife Fashola, the firm brings to bear its experience in project and structured finance, especially having proven experience in delivering its services in the real estate sector and on similar projects. She explained that part of its focus as a firm is to partner with public and private sector players in delivering infrastructure, real estate, energy/power projects and even provide funding for manufacturing concerns through properly articulated financing structures and issuance of suitable instruments.

    She assured the public that Kedari, in pursuit of the successful delivery of the over $300 million project, would guide the promoters, proffer suitable financing structures and assist in raising the required financing for the project.

    Kedari, Fashola said, is particular about the professional pedigree and integrity of project promoters and their ability to successfully deliver on their promises. “We have worked closely with the promoters of IIBC right from the conceptualisation of the project and we are very confident about the pedigree of the assembled project team on the IIBC project. The project will be successfully delivered to global standards,” she assured.

     

    Infrastructure

    Other infrastructure to be put in place by Channeldrill include a 250-metre entrance road. The road network will include walkway and bicycle way; waterway and lakes; underground drainage, sewage treatment, potable water and water treatment plant, independent gas fired electricity and cooking gas piped to every house, including fibre optics cable.

    Others are cloud enabled communication network and smart city/house infrastructure for willing subscribers; mini-marina and water park, Mini Gulf course; Perimeter fencing, First Smart shopping Mall in Africa; cloud enabled 24-hour spy eyed security connected to a central security center; private data centre and a world-class hospital and recovery resort within a dedicated health care zone.

    The project offers various sizes of plots. The minimum is 650 sqm. Others include: 800sqm, 1000sqm and 1200sqm, 2000sqm, 3000sqm & 5000sqm.

  • ERA/FoEN criticises proposed Lagos environment law

    ERA/FoEN criticises proposed Lagos environment law

    The Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) has described the proposed Bill to Provide for the Management, Protection and Sustainable Development of the Environment in Lagos State as a document laden with ambiguities to mask its privatisation plans in the water sector.

    At a Public Hearing by the Lagos House Committee for Environment at the House of Assembly Complex in Alausa, Ikeja, ERA/FoEN faulted sections of the proposal, which it viewed as attempts to sneak public-private partnership (PPP) into the water sector. The sections include: Allocation of Fund and Guarantees, Sinking of Borehole Hydraulic and other Structures, Maintenance of Water Bodies, Functions of the Office and Powers to Make Regulations.

    ERA/FoEN Deputy Executive Director Akinbode Oluwafemi said: “We are shell-shocked at the proposed law as it is fraught with deliberate loopholes that will open the door for the corporate take-over of Lagos water, the sanitation sector and, ultimately, the state.”

    Oluwafemi frowned at the provisions of the “Allocation of Fund and Guarantees,” saying it is scandalous for the state government to contemplate securing payment for contracted services and concessions for long-term infrastructure investments as first line of preference from internally-generated revenue. This he interpreted to mean that government must pay corporate entities before spending on roads, schools, hospitals, and water.

    He condemned the aspect of the bill which says: “in the event that the state’s IGR is insufficient or unavailable to discharge its obligations, it will apply monies due to it from the monthly allocations from the federal account to secure its payment obligation to the contractors and concessionaires”.

    The ERA/FoEN memorandum also carpets the clause on the composition of members of “The Trust Fund Board” to be set up. Going by the clause, the body will have six members, two of which will be from the Ministry of Environment, and the Commissioner for Environment being its chair. It noted that the commissioner would have too many powers under the law as he would also be tasked with making regulations.

    In the provision that criminalises “Sinking of Borehole Hydraulic and other Structures” with recommendation of prison terms and fines for defaulters, the group said Lagos residents using these means to access water were only victims of a failed system that failed to provide them a basic human need.

    “What logic justifies banning people from using streams or helping their neighbours who cannot access safe water due to inadequate investment from the state government for decades? Yet, this obnoxious provision is in the law,” Oluwafemi said.

    The ERA/ FoEN chief explained that if these measures were not challenged, they would further burden Lagosians at a time that the government has no plan to fix the public water system. He added: “Our fear is that this pressure on Lagos citizens could be the guise to introduce the PPP in the water sector which Lagosians have roundly condemned.’’

    ERA/FoEN also provided copies of the document titled:  “Lagos Water Crisis: Alternative Roadmap for the Water Sector” which it launched last October, as solution to the water crisis in Lagos.

  • Westwood Park Estate: A classy investment destination

    Westwood Park Estate: A classy investment destination

    If you desire a comfortable home in a serene and classy environment, Westwood Park Estate is a place to be.

    Westwood Park, one of the brand new residential estates on the stable of Vine Realtors, a property management website, is located in Monastery Road, Sangotedo, Ajah, Lagos.

    It has unique features such as good road network, street light, secured environment, sports corridors, landscaping and shopping centres.

    The estate has a total land size of 600 square metre and currently goes for N5, 000,000 (outright payment only).

    Why Westwood is a unique investment destination

    The Estate is a very attractive investment destination that will yield quick return on investment.

    It offers huge incentive for prospective investors desiring comfortable homes and huge returns on investments.

    Such incentives include over 150 per cent turnover in 12 months,  close proximity to high-brow Victoria Garden City (about 10 minutes’ drive), excellent facilities and land title.

    The Estate also has the unique advantage of sharing common boundary with several high –profile residential estates in Lagos.

    Some of the estates are:

    • Oluwa-ni-n-sola Estate in Chevron, Lekki, Lagos , regarded by many as the largest private estate in Lagos.
    • The Lagos Business School and Pan Atlantic University in Sangotedo.
    • Novare Mall, Lekki (Sangotedo) – The largest shopping mall in Lagos
    • Emperor Estate, Sangotedo – One of the most expensive housing estates in Lagos.
    • The Catholic Monastery in Sangotedo
    • Lagos Homes, Sangotedo.
    • Grenadines Estate, Sangotedo.

    The aforementioned estates compete favourably with some of the best investment locations in other parts of the world.

    For detailed information on this or other properties on Vine Realtors stable, contact us on

    08052864662 and 08166250519

    Or

    Email: info@vinerealtors.com.

    Take advantage of this unique opportunity and own properties in a choice location.

     

  • Experts: real estate in chains

    Experts have passed a vote of no confidence in the real estate sector. They are worried that the residential vacancy rate in three major cities  has hit an all-time 33 per cent high  by the shrinking of companies’and personal incomes. They argue that investors may have to tarry for the industry’s resurgence, MUYIWA LUCAS reports. 

    The statistics reeled out by the panelists in the conference room of Reality Point Office, Ikeja, Lagos, last Friday, sent shivers down the spines of members of the audience.

    It was  at the yearly review of activities in the real estate sector.

    “The vacancy rate in residential buildings in Lagos is estimated at around 33 per cent; in Abuja it is 28 per cent and 13 per cent in Port Harcourt. There is also no difference in retail development, which came down leaving a vacancy rate of between 33 and 50 per cent, among large shopping malls. Apart from few blue chip developers, who were able to raise capital, it was a sorry tale for many others,” Chief Executive Officer, Northcourt Real Estate, Tayo Odunsi, lamented.

    He noted that the statistics were impacted by the delay in passing the budget last year, and the recession. This he said shrunk companies’ and personal incomes in response to inflation. Based on this, investors in the sector, it is believed, may have to wait longer for light to appear at the end of the tunnel.

    Dotrubik Projects Chief Executive Officer Oladotun Olusola said there was an over supply of commercial real estate last year and that developments in some areas of Lagos went up by about 100 per cent with many of them not taken.

    “In the office and retail space, there was an oversupply because people were interested in investing in other things,” he said.

    Realty Point Limited Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Debo Adejana set the tone of the discussion when he said the real estate industry was witnessing an anomaly. This, he regretted, was because while the prices of houses are plummeting, the cost of land is going up.

    He linked this to the depreciation of the naira value and unfixed cost of capital. Therefore, he said, unless relevant stakeholders took urgent steps, the sector, which had been seriously hit by recession since last year, would not fare better this year.

    Indeed, available data shows that the real estate sector contributes about eight per cent to the economy, which has now fallen into recession following two consecutive quarters of gross domestic product (GDP) contraction. The effect has been telling on the industry, which is believed to be on the decline.

    Adejana said the recession forced investors to pull out from equity market leaving the government as the principal actor, which borrowed extensively at ridiculous rates. The development, he said, has left businesses stifled

    Odunsi agreed with him. He said since last year, the real estate sector has not been able to compete because of foreign exchange problems. This was why, in the first and second quarters of last year, the industry witnessed a lull in housing, retail and office space prices.

    He warned that unless a defined foreign exchange policy was implemented, the situation would remain the same this year.

    “It wasn’t the best of year but there were a few bright spots here and there. Buyers became a little selective, so developers who met their needs in terms of pricing and creativity actually did well. Quality and price became king because money moved intelligently in 2016,” he said.

    Though the Business Development and Strategy Manager, Realty Point Limited, Akin Arogundade, said the forex issues impacted much on the input components of the real sector, which are majorly import-based, he called for the review of planning regulation, saying the regulation was archaic and not dynamic in meeting realities on ground.

    But all hope is, however, not lost. This is because the panel agreed that with the proposed Diaspora bonds being muted by the Federal Government, and the rent-to-own initiative that is gradually gaining grounds across the country, including the restructuring of the mortgage system, a brighter future may just lie ahead of the industry. They are optimistic that if the bond is successful, the real estate sector will be a major beneficiary.

    He said: “For 2017, I am betting that the Diaspora bond will make it bright. Should it be successful, the Ministry of Finance may begin to shift their focus by raising funds from the diaspora rather than internally; and then, it will reduce how much of treasury bills they are putting into the market; once that happens, it will reduce competition and the real sector will pick up.

    “Once foreign portfolio investors begin to understand where the government stands when it comes to fiscal and monetary policy, infrastructure plans and other things, there will be more investment.”

    The Group Head, Risk Management, HomeBase Mortgage Bank Limited, Arinze Adigwe, raised hopes for mortgage seekers, insisting that the mortgage sub-sector would play a more significant role henceforth, especially with the restructuring of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN).

    “There is a lot of structures that need to happen in the mortgage sector. One thing that we need in Nigeria is the uniform underwriting standards,” he said.

    Other areas of note, which the professionals identified, that would stimulate the industry, included land titling and building approval process.

  • For a virile, sustainable construction industry

    For a virile, sustainable construction industry

    The effects of climate change have raised the need for sustainable construction in the country. According to experts, there is a need for awareness on ways the built environment is planned, designed, constructed and used. Multinationals   have taken the lead, rewarding innovations for sustainable development, MUYIWA LUCAS writes.

    More than ever, the need to build sustainably has taken the driver’s seat in the construction industry. This is so because of the effects of climate change on mankind. Now, environmental protection is the dominant item in the quest to achieve sustainable development. This is why creating awareness on ways the built environment is designed, constructed and used becomes necessary in the race for sustainable building in the country.

    Sustainable construction, according to experts, is a way for the industry to move towards achieving sustainable development. Materials used in building account for 40 per cent of natural resource use; 30 per cent of carbon dioxide (Co2) emissions and 40 per cent of waste. In countries such as the United Kingdom (UK), buildings take up 45 per cent of the total energy use.

    According to a Professor of Construction in the Department of Building, University of Jos, Natalia Anigbogu, the Agenda 21 for Sustainable Construction was developed and published in 1999.

    He said it refers to construction as “the broad process/mechanism for the realisation of human settlements and the creation of infrastructure that supports development, including the extraction and beneficiation of raw materials, the manufacturing of construction materials and components, the project cycle, from feasibility and design to deconstruction, and the management and operation of the built environment”.

    Sustainable building practices, he explained, form an integral part of the process.

     

    Building materials, price

    Anigbogu explained that the prices of basic construction materials, including cement and steel, often fluctuate in Nigeria as they are mostly require imported. This, to a large extent, affects the effective delivery of sustainable construction as to choice of materials used and method of delivery.

    He said in 2001, the International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction noted that one of the issues to be addressed to attain sustainable construction was innovation in building materials and methods.

    Anigbogu, in his research, Achieving Sustainable Construction in Nigeria: An Evaluation of Construction Materials: a Comparison of Concrete vs Steel, writes on the extent to which sustainability factors influence construction materials, noting that concrete is a more suitable construction material in the country.

     

    Lafarge Africa, sustainable construction

    In the last quarter of 2013, the merger of Lafarge with Holcim, to form LafargeHolcim, changed the disposition of construction materials manufacturers to key into sustainable construction. This gave birth to its legacy “Building Better Cities,” which also encompasses the clamour for sustainable construction.

    The Head, Sustainability and Corporate Brand, Lafarge Africa, Mrs. Temitope Oguntokun, said the concept Building Better Cities conveyed the force of the company’s global ambition and strategy, as well as expressed its vision and marked its difference.

    Mrs. Oguntokun said in Nigeria, Lafarge Africa has been contributing to each of the five focus areas of the scheme through the projects and programmes being developed and executed by it across the country.

    She listed the focus areas of its sustainable construction to include more housing in cities. This is through its affordable housing initiative, “Easy Home”, launched in 2013. Easy Home, she said, has impacted over 25,000 beneficiaries since inception by helping them gain access to shelter. Also, jobs are created for masons, blockmakers and  retailers, among others.

    The scheme is available in 14 states, with target to reach 20 by the  end  of 2017. Easy Home is present in 32 cities and provides free Lafarge technical assistance to aspiring homeowners.

    Others are its mass housing solutions scheme targeted at households earning between N30,000 and N300,000 monthly. Lafarge Africa is also partnering state governments and relevant professionals on mass housing.

    “Our integrated mass housing solution provides construction technologies that deliver speed, quality, cost efficiency and reliability, which ensures sustainable development, Oguntokun said.

    She listed other initiatives to include building more compact, beautiful and durable cities by providing quality materials that endure over time; and contributing to greener environment through alternative fuels like the Biomass Project which helps to reduce CO2 emissions.

     

    Encouraging sustainable construction

    As part of its contribution and encouragement for sustainable construction locally and globally, LafargeHolcim instituted an award for sustainable construction. The award, now in its fifth edition, seeks to recognise and reward bold, innovative and sustainable construction ideas that could solve some of today’s social and environmental challenges. It is open to established / young professionals and students in the built environment, construction firms, project owners and NGOs. This fifth edition, which began on July 4 last year and closes for submissions on March 21 has a total prize value of  $2 million or N630.49 million (at N314.50k to $1). Already, 26 participants from Nigeria-14 professionals and 12 students, have so far submitted entries.

     

    Nigerian pride

    Oguntokun explained that in the fourth edition of the LafargeHolcim global award, a Nigerian, Mr. Kunlé Adeyemi of NLÉ Works, received one of the five equally-ranked Acknowledgement prizes for his construction design, “Working on Water”. It was designed to build Chicoco Radio, an amphibious building housing a floating media platform that will be built to strengthen local communities for residents of waterfront slums of Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

    In awarding Adeyemi the prize, the jury acknowledged the project’s objective to establish linkages locally and across the region. “Architecture merges here with new media to become a platform for modern communication and participation – a civic tool to strengthen local and regional identity. Located at the threshold between land and water, the structure furthermore encapsulates the effects of climate change on coastal communities in Africa. The use of indigenous materials such as bamboo to create a media centre offers the opportunity to create an architecture that goes beyond tradition, while respecting the past,” the jury submitted.

    Adeyemi is founder and principal of NLÉ based in Lagos, Nigeria and Amsterdam, the Netherlands. He is an architect, designer and urbanist with recent work including “Makoko Floating School”, a prototype floating structure on the lagoon heart of Lagos. This acclaimed project is part of an extensive research project – “African Water Cities.” He had won the Silver Lion prize for promising young architects at the 15th International Architecture Exhibition (2016) for his “Makoko Floating School” design/project.

     

    Building sustainable future

    A consultant with Advanced Engineering Construction (AEC) Richard Ibilola, explained that sustainable construction aims to meet present day needs for housing, working environments and infrastructure without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs in times to come.

    He said it incorporates elements of economic efficiency, environmental performance and social responsibility – and contributes to the greatest extent when architectural quality, technical innovation and transferability are included.

    This, he said, involves issues such as the design and management of buildings, materials performance, construction technology and processes, energy and resource efficiency in building,  operation and maintenance, robust products and technologies, long-term monitoring, adherence to ethical standards, socially-viable environments, stakeholder participation, occupational health and safety and working conditions; innovative financing models; improvement to existing contextual conditions; interdependencies of landscape, infrastructure, urban fabric and architecture; flexibility in building use, function and change; and the dissemination of knowledge in related academic, technical and social contexts.

    “The pace of change means we don’t have the luxury of time. With urban populations worldwide swelling daily, there’s an urgent need to come up with clever ideas that optimise the sustainable performance of the buildings that we live and work in,”Ibilola said.