The ARISE Integrated Industrial Platforms (ARISE IIP) has signed an agreement with the Ogun State government for the establishment of the Remo Economic Industrial Cluster, which includes three special economic zones.

 This was in line with ARISE IIP’s ambition to unlock Africa’s industrial potential and support the state government in advancing the region’s industrialisation agenda.

 The project is a public-private partnership with each of the parties holding a stake of 77.5 per cent and 12.5 per cent in the asset, while 10 per cent will be dedicated to potential local investors. Under the agreement, ARISE IIP will invest $400 million in the zones.

 The project to be located in the Sagamu area will comprise three zones and will create nearly 12,000 direct and 20,000 indirect jobs, as well as attract an estimated $1 billion in foreign direct investment in phase 1.

 Construction will begin in January, next year and the zones are expected to be fully operational by the fourth quarter of 2024.

 Chief Executive Officer of ARISE IIP Gagan Gupta, said: “The ARISE IIP is partnering the Ogun State government in the development of the cluster. By leveraging our experience in the design and management of industrial ecosystems and the sustainable transformation of natural resources, we aim to contribute to making the Ogun State a key player in the processing of raw materials, light industries and pharmaceuticals.”

 Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun said the investment in the Special Agro-Processing Zone (SAPZ) is a testament that the state is an investor destination of choice and will birth new investments in the agricultural value chain.

 SAPZ has been allocated 6,300 hectares, while the first phase consists of 549. The cluster seeks to promote and attract multi-sectoral industrial and commercial investments, as well as develop local manufacturing of raw materials.

 The zones will focus on agro-processing, light industrials, pharmaceuticals, and logistics.

THE Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Rolad Properties and Allied Services Limited, Oladotun Oloyede, has reiterated the importance of quality delivery.

 He stated this at the companies’ end-of-the-year party.

  Oloyede appreciated staff members and stakeholders for their trust in the brand and commitment to making sure that the core values are upheld.

 Oloyede, who is also First Fountain Homes CEO, noted that next year would come bearing a greater level of standard real estate delivery and plans were in motion to make business processes more efficient.

The Chief Operating Officer, First Fountain Homes, Ayodeji Oloruntoba, expressed gratitude to staff members and clients for believing in the vision of the right in delivering smart homes to smart Lagosians. While talking about the completion of the first phase of the project, he announced that the second phase, which is the construction of three-bedroom terrace duplexes, would commence in the coming year.

 Head of Operations, Rolad Properties and Allied Services Limited, Yemisi Okunlade, stated that next year would be a great year for investors and land buyers because more high-value and affordable products will be launched, accompanied with top-notch service delivery.

 Highlight of the event was the award presentation to outstanding staff members and stakeholders. Awardees also won gifts like cars, gadgets, home appliances and holiday trips.

Towards ensuring affordable and environmentally-friendly living, the Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company (NMRC) has called on private developers to build more green residential houses.

 Its Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Kehinde Ogundimu, who made the call at an event organised by the International Finance Corporation (IFC)-EDGE, to celebrate early adopters of Design for Greater Efficiency (EDGE) Certification in Lagos, said the company has been refinancing mortgages since it began operations, but is ready to refinance mortgages created for off-takers of green buildings.

 “We have been refinancing conventional mortgages, but we have a few things that we are looking at on the green side. So, my advice to developers is to build more green buildings because when the mortgages are created, we stand ready to refinance them,” Ogundimu said.

 He noted that NMRC is a cheerleader and pioneer advocate of EDGE, a global green building certification system. “We are so passionate about the EDGE certification because we see a direct connection between sustainability and affordability. We at NMRC are about how to make housing affordable. When you look at the long-term cost, it makes sense to build green.

“The initial cash outlay for a green building might appear to be higher, but when you look at the savings from energy, water, health benefits, the longevity of the houses, the fact that they have better resale value, when you look at the total costs, you see that it is actually much cheaper,” he said.

 Ogundimu said the company supports EDGE-certified green buildings because they are sustainable and affordable. “We would get more people in their homes for a longer period than with conventional loans that are prevalent today. Let’s build more houses that are green, let’s put our people in houses that are more affordable in the long run, we will realise our dream of making housing more affordable and available,” he said.

 Over the past four years, EDGE has supported several forward-looking pioneers of green buildings to lead a profitable transformation of the country’s real estate sector.

 EDGE advocates are delivering greener and energy efficient buildings, ranging from residential accommodation, student housing, high performance office buildings and mass housing.

The EDGE platform allows design teams to quickly determine the optimum combination of building design strategies for the best return on investment. Within minutes, a building designer can determine the optimum combination of design strategies for the best return on investment.

The EDGE software discovers energy- and money-saving design opportunities through region-specific and use-based analysis. As a free design tool, EDGE presents incremental costs, savings, and payback periods for green building measures, helping developers and buildings make the business case for green building.

 EDGE has three global levels of certification. The first requires that a building achieve a minimum projected reduction of 20 per cent in energy and water use, and embodied energy in materials as benchmarked against a standard building.

The second level is the EDGE Advanced certification that requires 40 per cent or more on-site energy savings. The third is the Zero Carbon certification, while 100 per cent renewables on-site or off-site or purchased carbon offsets to top off at 100per cent.

 EDGE uses reputable independent third parties of EDGE certification to validate the green credentials of a building’s sustainable achievements at a modest cost for financial and community stakeholders.

Minister of Works and Housing,Babatunde Fashola has inaugurated five roads and car park at the University of Lagos (UNILAG).

The projects were part of the Federal Government’s intervention on internal roads for tertiary institutions.

They are Alvan Ikoku, Tafawa Balewa road, Bunu Jike Crescent, UNILAG Shopping complex and a car park.

Fashola said President Muhammadu Buhari was committed to quality infrastructure delivery across tertiary institutions.

The minister, represented by the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Mr Umar Bakare, said the government had intervened on 83 roads in tertiary institutions across the nation.

Fashola said over 60 roads had been fully rehabilitated in various federal tertiary institutions across the country.

He said 18 campus roads were ready, while 19 were nearing completion.

The minister said the upgrade of road infrastructure within the tertiary institutions, was another strategic intervention of the government in supporting education through a conducive learning environment.

“The institutions are assets of the Federal Government,” he said.

Responding to the requests of the university community, the minister said tertiary infrastructure upgrade was continuous.

Bakare promised to visit the more sites the management complained about to make a proposal for intervention.

The Vice Chancellor of UNILAG, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, hailed Buhari for the initiative.

 He said the upgraded roads had made the campus more conducive for learning.

Ogunsola solicited more interventions in other parts of the campus, including a new road to enable the development of land spaces to augment overstretched and inadequate facilities.

She said potholes on various stretches of roads caused a lot of hardship before the intervention and commended the quality of construction.

The vice chancellor said the future of the nation and youths would be mortgaged without investment in the education sector as being done by Buhari.

The President, Faculty of Social Sciences, UNILAG, Mr. Stanley Ikechukwu, appreciated the intervention, which, according to him, had led to an increase in class attendance.

Earlier, the Assistant Director of Federal Highways in Lagos State, Mrs Olukorede Keisha, an alumna of UNILAG, thanked the Federal Ministry of Works engineers for upholding quality in the project.

She said the project would boost the morale of students and ensure commitment to academic excellence.

Keisha thanked the VC and university management for their support in actualising the project.

The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, has said the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration is committed to bridging infrastructure gaps in tertiary institutions and boosting investments in the education sector.

Fashola spoke during the handover of new constructed/rehabilitated car parks and internal roads to Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Lagos.

The project was part of the Federal Government’s Intervention of Internal Roads for tertiary institutions.

The minister, who was represented by the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Mr Umar Bakare, said: “The gap of our infrastructure needs is steadily being bridged by a gradual process of repairs, renewal and construction on major highways and it has reached the schools.

“It is undebatable that quality of education will be impacted by the quality of infrastructure and the learning environment and those who doubt it should simply listen to some of the feedback from students in the schools where this type of intervention has taken place.

“We have successfully intervened in 64 internal road projects in various federal tertiary institutions and handed over a total of 46 as at March, 2022 and we now have another 18 ready to be handed over, while we are currently attending to 19 roads in similar institutions across the country, making a total of 83.”

Fashola added: “And the point must be made that although this is a civil works project, it is an investment in education.’’

He said the project also impacted livelihoods in the area as it created over 40 direct or indirect jobs, urging the institution to take care of the assets.

YABATECH Rector, Mr Obafemi Omokungbe, thanked Buhari and the minister for the project.

He recalled the institution had benefited thrice from the government’s intervention in the last five years.

Omokungbe said the students were happy and were attending lectures more regularly because the new works were making movement easy for them.

He appealed to the minister to, also, remember to fulfil his promise of constructing  a two-kilometer road in the institution’s new campus in Epe.

Earlier, Bakare had promised to visit the new campus, “do a proposal and forward to Abuja”.

The First Vice Chairman, of the Students Union Government, Mr Adenle Oluwatosin, noted that the project had solved the problem of flooding in the institution.

Oluwatosin thanked the government and promised that the students would maintain the infrastructure.

Assistant Director, Federal Highways, Mrs Olukorede Keisha, thanked the school management for its collaboration with the government towards actualisation of the project.

She also thanked Buhari for his timely response to YABATECH’s needs.

THE Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Prof Wahab Egbewole (SAN) has applauded the Federal Government for constructing the 2.75-kilometre road linking the main campus of the institution with the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital.

Egbewole, who was represented by Director, Academic Planning, Prof Gideon Arosanyin, said: “The road has reduced travel time significantly; reduced vehicle operating cost (VOC); increased comfort and convenience during trips, etc.

“While appreciating the Federal Government for this donation to our institution, like Oliver Twist, we are using this medium to seek for further assistance in the rehabilitation of more roads within our institution. Of particular concern is the road between the main campus and the School of Preliminary Studies at Fufu.

“We, therefore, implore the Controller to spare, part of his time today, to visit the road for an on-the-spot assessment of the flood prone lo cations along the road to enable him to develop a proposal on our behalf to the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing for its rehabilitation.’’

Speaking with The Nation after the handover of the road by Works and Housing Minister Babatunde Fashola, President, UNILORIN Students Union Government (SUG), Tobiloba Faji, said the rehabilitation of the road was a step in the right direction.

Faji said: “We really must appreciate the Federal Government for considering UNILORIN for the rehabilitation of this road.

“This particular infrastructure will reduce the traffic time of the students. The link road will help them to access the main campus and the institution’s college of health sciences at a less traffic time. It will also ease vehicular and human movement.

“Hitherto, students used to lose a lot of man hour time on the road because of its parlous state. It used to increase the stress and strain time they encountered on the road. The safety and security of students were not also guaranteed. The project is a step in the right direction.”

Earlier, Mr. Fashola said the Federal Government had intervened in 83 internal road projects in federal tertiary institutions.

He said the ministry had intervened in 64 internal road projects in federal tertiary institutions and handed over a total of 46 as at March, 2022.

“We have another 18 ready to be handed over, while we are attending to 19 roads in similar institutions across the country making a total of 83,” he said.

Represented by the Kwara State Federal Controller of Works, Lasisi Rafiu, the minister described the project as an investment in education.

Rafiu said: “We converge on the University of Ilorin Main Campus to hand over an important asset, 2.75 kilometres rehabilitated/reconstructed by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing.

“While it is true that a lot of work needs to be done in many sectors of our national life, including education, the Buhari government has stepped up to lead the process of getting that work done.

“The gap of our infrastructure needs is steadily being bridged by a gradual process of repairs, renewal and construction on major highways and it has reached the schools.

“It is unbeatable that quality of education will be impacted by the quality of infrastructure and the learning environment and those who doubt it should simply listen to some of the feedback from students in the schools where this type of intervention has taken place.’’

“During the construction, 85 people were employed, contributing to the job creation initiatives of the government, and it is hoped that the school will ensure that this asset is used properly and not abused.”

The Chief Executive Officer, Jobiko Skypoint Business Concept, Pastor Joel Obikoru, has identified dearth of integrity among professionals as one of the challenges hindering the growth of housing industry.

He spoke at an interactive session for consultants organised by Jobiko Skypoint Business Concept to kick off the marketing of its products at Treasure Court Phase 1-IV, Igbodu Epe, Diadem Grove Estate, Poka Epe, and Jubilee Garden Estate in Epe, Lagos.

He said for the industry to grow, players in the sector must embrace professionalism and environmental sustainability, which he said, informed why he chose communities where nature and environment are critical elements for property development.

He stated that his firm chose to come into the industry to correct the negative impression stakeholders have about some providers of housing solutions.

According to him, a home helps families find better health, financial freedom, independence, stability, and security that otherwise would have remained an illusion. Little wonder the United Nations made providing people with access to decent and affordable housing one of the targets under Sustainable Development Goal 11.

“Integrity is lacking and people sell lands, they don’t develop the estates. There is difference between selling of lands and developing an estate,” he added..

Pastor Obikoru added: “Despite efforts made by successive administrations to tackle issue of housing availability, many Nigerians are yet to have roof over their heads.

“I have done crypto before and it is technology. You can’t monitor your money. But, when you buy land, you don’t feed it and it keeps appreciating.”

On the uniqueness of his products, he said: “The kind of natural ambiance that is lacking in other place is available here. Here you will enjoy the ecosystem, the air are not polluted, so that is one thing we want to deliver and not just building houses. We want to deliver a very therapeutic estate.’’

After years of delays, the Second Niger Bridge has come stream, writes Assistant Editor, Okwy Iroegbu-­Chikezie

IT has become a reality. For people travelling for Christmas to the Southeast and Southsouth, it will definitely be jolly ride this yuletide.

The 1.6-kilometre long bridge linking Anambra and Delta states was opened by the Minister of Works & Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, last Thursday.

The bridge was opened about 9 am, according to a government official, after some adjustments.

Some commuters said: “It is a reality, though it is not 100 per cent complete. So far, what we are seeing is impressive. We commend the present administration and hope they complete it based on the time frame.”

Fashola had last week announced that the Second Niger Bridge would be open to traffic from December 15, this year, to January 15, next year, to ease the agony experienced by travellers during the yuletide.

Fashola, who inspected the bridge, said the administration of Muhammadu Buhari completed the bridge to save lives and alleviate poverty occasioned by the waste of man-hours resulting from gridlock on the old first Niger Bridge.

He said: “A lot of people have talked about a solution, but the President Muhammadu Buhari administration decided to build the bridge, whatever it took. So, wherever the funds came from—investment, income from our oil assets, repatriation of some funds that were stolen out of Nigeria—they came in from the US.

”The result is what we see when people are talking about poverty; the biggest part of it is not monetary poverty; it is multidimensional poverty.

“Spending two to three days trying to cross a bridge is poverty. This should take just a few minutes so you can go and do more productive things.

“The President approved that since the bridge is finished, we should create an access road; so that during Christmas you can begin to experience what it would feel like to ply the bridge.”

The minister added: “The maximum speed limit on Nigerian roads is 100 km per hour. Don’t drive 101 kilometres per hour. Let me be clear again; we haven’t finished construction work on the bridge, but we would open it for people to use to relieve the pressure from the one bridge. On January 15, 2023, we would reverse that movement for those coming from the east to the west.”

The second Niger Bridge has a long history. It was first proposed during the 1978/79 political campaign by then-candidate of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), Shehu Shagari. President Olusegun Obasanjo also turned the sword for the cameras and votes, but nothing came out of it.

In August 2012, the Federal Executive Council under then-President Goodluck Jonathan’s approved a contract worth N325 million for the final planning and design of the bridge. At a time it became a cash cow for politicians who awarded contracts for the bridge and re­warded but nothing concrete happened as traveller year in year out suffered traffic snarl on the bridge and had a common problem of not getting to their destination in a day.

Incidentally, the project continued under  Buhari, who had  cancelled the contract in August 2015, but resumed it on September 1, 2018.

The 38-kilometre Fourth Mainland Bridge is getting set for take off, the Managing Director, Sustainability, the firm that conducted the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA), Dr. Kayode Oluwaguyi, has said.

He said the state government would announce the preferred bidder on December 21, while the major preferred bidder would be announced April, next year.

Oluwaguyi spoke at stakeholders’  meeting on the proposed Fourth Mainland at Etiosa East Local Government headquarters.

He said eight roads – Lagos/Ibadan Expressway, Lagos/Abuja highway, Benin/Sagamu, and Igbogbo/Lagos aligned with the Fourth Bridge.

Oluwaguyi said the project would be delivered through Public-Private Partnership and would be tolled for two years.

Earlier, Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Works and Infrastructure Aramide Adeyoye  said the state government had carried along the over 48 estates, traditional rulers and others that would be affected by the bridge.

Adeyoye, who was represented by a Project Manager and Director in the ministry, Tokunbo Ajanaku, praised the Etiosa East Local Government for assisting to make the bridge a reality.

She said every stakeholder needed to make choices and that maintenance was in three layers –  routine, periodic and rehabilitation.

She said the Lekki/Epe Expressway was built for 60,000 cars daily but  it had gone up to 100,000 cars.

Adeyoye said the negative impact of the bridge was minimal compared to the advantages, urging those anxious for the project to take off to be patient.

On the bridge’s economic impact, she said it would boost businesses as poor road network had made many businesses to close sho or migrate.

Read Also; What you need to know about proposed Fourth Mainland Bridge

According to her, the roads and the bridge will create over 10,000 jobs, when completed. The bridge, he added, would cut travel time from three hours to about 30 minutes. She assured stakeholders that anybody affected by the bridge would be compensated by the government.

Her words: “New communities will spring up on the axis with business opportunities. The developments on the axis include Dangote Refinery, Lekki Free Trade Zone, and regional roads. It is a process. We will reach a viable and economic process agreeable to all.”

Spokesperson for Etiosa Baales’ Forum and Baale of Elegede Tapa Ayodeji Abiodun wondered why the bridge should be tolled. He frowned that almost all the roads and bridges on the axis were tolled and called on the government to ensure that the toll was not exorbitant for their people.

Chairman, Lekki Estates Residence & Stakeholders, Suleiman Kolawale Bello, complained of gridlock and the need to expand the road to accommodate the influx.

Emmanuel Adagu, who lives on the axis urged communities to embrace the project as it would attract development to the area in the long term. However, he advised the government to ensure that it engaged a financially-stable contractor.

To a stakeholder, Arowolo Mohammed, if the government fails to bring a law that will sanitise the driving culture of people, those on the axis may not enjoy the full benefit of the Fourth Mainland Bridge and road infrastructure that would come with it.

ln another development, the state government has said the project would accommodate future expansion, curb gridlock and bring development to communities.

Adeyoye said this at a stakeholders meeting with some boundary communities in Lagos and Ogun states.

The meeting, which took place in Isheri Estate, in Ogun, was for the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (EIA) of the bridge project on Arepo, Opic, Isheri, Igbogbo, Baiyeku, Agric-Owutu, Ishawo, Tapa and other communities.

Adeyoye, who was represented by Ajanaku, thanked stakeholders from Lagos and Ogun States and sought their support towards the execution of the 38-kilometre road with 16 routes.

She said three bids in their final stages captured the interests of the communities – direct benefitiaries of the project – in mitigating environmental impacts.

She said the project was a transport infrastructure solution and was divided into three sections: Island, Mainland and Lagoon, adding that the government was meticulous, and transparently carrying stakeholders along at every stage.

She said the project provided a holistic solution to perennial flooding on the axis because the area would be the exit point of the bridge, which would take its bearing from Abraham Adesanya on the Island.

Responding to questions from residents who wanted the rail incorporated, Adeyoye said the project had a Bus Rapid Transit Corridor included, and spaces were provided for expansion.

She said the proposed bridge, which had three to four years completion period, was not a white elephant project.

Adeyoye said the state’s Strategic Transport Master Plan comprised five roads of which three were nearing completion, one suspended and only work on the bridge was yet to start.

“What is outstanding is this laudable project which is the 4th Mainland Bridge,” she said.

She noted that because the project was a public-private partnership (PPP), there was need to spell out every process, giving opportunity for feedback, hence, the meeting.

Adeyoye added that 16 routes and alignments had been charted in the last three years and various tests and studies had been been done, including the EIA.

Mr. Afolabi Oladunni, consultant to the project, said the bridge would be an international project, hence, the need to involve and carry along  the end users through a transparent process.

He said six interchanges would be built now, while additional three would be built in future.

On the project overview, Mr. Tola Johnson, who lives on the axis, said climate change had be taken care of.

He said the number of buildings to be demolished would be reduced through the state drainage master plan to ensure that people also benefitted from the project, which would bring economic developments to the state.