The Nation Newspaper

Category: Building & Properties

  • Vitapur’s prefab gets nod to tackle housing deficit

    Oyo State government and the Lagos State Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Builders have endorsed the new pre-fabricated building by Vitapur Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of Vitafoam Nigeria Plc. Besides, they praised Vitafoam on its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy, which aims at addressing fundamental needs of humanity despite the ‘harsh’ operating environment.

    Speaking during the commisioning of the two pre-fabricated buildings donated by  Vitafoam Group to Government College, Ibadan, Oyo State, Governor Abiola Ajimobi, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Oyo State  Ministry of Education, Mrs. Aderonke Makanjuola, described the firm’s gesture as a strategic way  to take care of one of the basic needs of the people.

    The governor explained that Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) was the hallmark of sacrifice that  organisations could give back to the society that had done well for them.

    While recommending the pre-fabricated buildings to everyone, he said: “I would like to say a big thank you to the Board, management and staff of the Vitafoam Group for donating these two Pre- fabricated buildings constructed by Vitapur Nigeria Limited along with full furniture such as Sofas, Kitchen cabinets, Ward robes Mattresses and Pillows supplied by other Vitafoam subsidiaries to complement the edifices donated to the Government College Ibadan.”

    In what also amounted to an endorsement by all  builders, the chairman, Lagos State Institute of Builders, Mr. Ashimiyu Bashir declared that pre-fabricated buildings were of interest to all builders in globally.

    At the same occasion,  the former governor of Kano State, Senator Musa Rabiu Kwankwanso also commended Vitapur Nigeria Limited for the innovative pre-fabricated buildings and explained that it would be an option to the Federal Government in its efforts to address housing deficit in Nigeria

    The Managing Director, Vitafoam Group, Mr. Taiwo Adeniyi, explained that Vitapur Nigeria Limited had blazed the trail by acquiring a new state-of-the-art sandwich panel production line, which can produce a maximum length of 14.7 metre with varying thickness, the first of its kind in West Africa.

    According to him, Vitapur Sandwich panels can be used for constructing pre-fabricated structures; cold rooms; equipment shelters; quick shelter development; office partitioning; shopping malls; drop temp ceilings and others. Commenting on the benefits of rigid insulation board, Adeniyi said: “Vitapur Polyurethane Rigid Insulation board comes in various facings depending on intended application. These Insulation boards can be used as wall, floor and roof insulation. For new buildings, boards are usually used over the purlin before the roofing sheets while Vitapur spray foam application is preferred for existing roofs.”

    Adeniyi, who described Vitafoam as an integrated system, said all its subsidiaries are contributing effectively to the innovative products. He further stated that the inherent adaptability and durability of Vitapur’s prefabricated building units’ means that buildings can be developed to fulfill the needs of even the most demanding or obscure applications, creating functional buildings that are time and cost efficient, durable, adaptable and sustainable.

    Vitafoam Chairman, Dr. Dele Makanjuola explained that the project was borne out of the Corporate Social Responsibility that Vitafoam had got accustomed to and also to showcase another arm of the company’s business.

    Makanjuola noted that the company’s foam products are faster, easier and more efficient to mass housing construction in Nigeria.

    According to him, it has also proved that mass housing for our beloved country and Nigerians can be achieved faster, cheaper and with more effective and efficient means. He emphasised the uniqueness of prefabricated building in the area of insulation and stated that Vitapur had gone commercial in the production of panels for constructing pre-fabricated buildings.

    “Pre-fabricated buildings are light weight and they are in vogue in America and many other countries. We are already operating at commercial level and we are willing to partner with the government at all tiers to make housing available to all Nigerians,” he said.

  • Lafarge emphasises on safer structures

    Lafarge emphasises on safer structures

    The General Manager, Independent Power Projects, Lafarge Holcin, Mr. Lanre Opakunle, has called for collaboration among stakeholders, professional bodies, especially the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Institute of Quantity Surveyors, and others to support the Build Safe, Live Safe campaign. He made this known at a media parley designed to educate and enlighten the public and professional builders on the need to engage professional structural and civil engineers in construction. The ‘Build Safe campaign’ was created to reduce the incidence of collapsed building which has remained a recurring decimal.

    According to the Director Ready Mix Operations, Lafarge Africa Plc, Mr. Fred Amobi, most of  the cases of building collapse  occur as a result of poor mixture of concrete. He said until people are ready to mix concrete in proper proportion, it might be difficult to curtail the menace. He said with the Lafarge Build Safe, Live Safe campaign, stakeholders are expected to come together to rub minds on how to stop unwholesome practices in the sector.

    Amobi, therefore, urged professionals to opt for ready mix concrete which is both affordable and durable in construction, rather than allowing building contractors to put them into trouble while trying to be economical with building materials. This method, he explained, can save millions of home owners from calamity, and also make construction works more profitable for building professionals.

    “Ready-mix concrete is concrete that is manufactured in a factory or batching plant, according to a set recipe, and then delivered to a work site, by truck mounted in–transit mixers. This results in a precise mixture, allowing specialty concrete mixtures to be developed and implemented on construction sites. Ready Mix concrete construction is the future of the construction industry,” he insisted.

    Amobi said Lafarge interacts with all actors in the construction chain and makes a net positive contribution to society through sustainable developments which is part of the company’s DNA.

    A property consultant with TELL Communications Ltd, Mr. Boye Ajayi, urged Nigerians to be weary of whom they consult for construction works. He also used the occasion to challenge Lafarge on the sustainability of the campaign by continuously sensitising the public.

    “As for Lafarge, I will urge them to sustain this campaign and platform. We should structure this forum and partner with various institutions and schools to deepen the Build Safe, Live Safe campaign,” he said.

    Amobi assured that Lafarge Africa will strive to create more value for customers and end-users by providing them with the highest quality products and solutions.

    Indeed, the rate of buildings collapse in Nigeria has become alarming, with its attendant loss of lives and destroying properties. Concerned by the number of lives and properties lost to collapsed buildings, many civil, structural engineers as well as other practitioners many property owners have been left homeless to the scourge.

  • How to protect Ozone layer, by experts

    How to protect Ozone layer, by experts

    Statistics on e-waste shows that approximately 100,000 tonnes are being illegally brought into Nigeria every year through Lagos and other ports, the United Nation Industrial  Development Organiation (UNIDO) Country Director Dr David Tommy has said. Some of the wastes, he said, came from used refrigerators, computers, television sets, mobile phones and others.

    Tommy, who spoke at the just concluded National Environmental (Ozone Layer Protection) Regulations 2009 and best practice for the management of e-waste held in Lagos,  pledged UNIDO’s support for government in promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialisation development without compromising the environment. He said the review and amendment of the law would further chart a way for a sustainable solution to Nigeria’s environmental management problem.

    The ozone layer is a protective blanket in the stratosphere that protects humans from harmful radiations from the sun particularly the ultra violet (UV) rays which are electromagnetic radiations.

    To this end, he said, it has become pertinent for Nigeria to reflect on its laws on the disposal of Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) waste in order to conform to product stewardship where the extended producer responsibility initiative is effected and manufacturers/ distributors of ODS containing equipment would initiate buy-back programmes to ensure that products are recycled and disposed satisfactorily.

    Tommy, urged the government to come out with a sound and comprehensive national e-waste management strategy to eliminate or reduce to the barest minimum, the adverse effects of e-waste to environment and socio-economic life.

    Indeed, there has been rising concern over the depletion of the  ozone layer. This has further made stakeholders to canvass for stiffer measures  against erring persons, groups or governments.

    This was the submission of several experts that spoke and made presentations in Lagos last week, at the National Environmental (Ozone Layer Protection) Regulations 2009 workshop. The two-day event, which held at the Lagos office of the British Deputy High Commission and Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja, saw stakeholders canvassing an upward review of penalty to ensure strict compliance to the laws in Nigeria.

    Other stakeholders at the event include a representative of the British Deputy High Commissioner, Mr. Ray Kyles; Chief Executive of Hinckley Associates, Clews Arian; officials of National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), scholars, environmental experts, banks and other stakeholders.

    To achieve this, and as a way forward, it was noted that there is an urgent need for a review and amendment of the National Environmental (Ozone Layer Protection) Regulations 2009 of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This is because several factors such as inadequate training on identification of ODS, shortage of information from relevant stakeholders, absence of cooperatives on handlers, inadequate tools to facilitate effective training as well as monitoring and enforcement, including insufficient information on strategies for ODS destruction and inadequate compliance and monitoring. These have been known to constitute hinderances to effective control of ODS.

    In his presentation at the workshop, the Director-General of NESREA, Dr. Lawrence Anukam, listed standard qualities for ODS destruction as best practice for safe disposal and destruction schedule, specific roles for each of chemical, best practices in emission control, guidelines for extended produces responsibility programmes, alternative to ODS and upward review for penalty to ensure compliance as best ways forward for environmental management in the country.

    An environment expert with UNIDO Regional Office, Mr. Oluyomi Banjo, speaking on “Green Industry: Demonstration Project for Disposal of Unwanted Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) in Nigeria,” said its objective was to set up a financially self-sustaining scheme that would contribute to reducing Green House Gas (GHG) emissions. The scheme, he further explained, centres on the replacement of old units with energy-efficient appliances, pointing out that new appliances were sold to consumers at discounted rate. Model for appliance replacement scheme, he said, included sale of scrap metals and plastics from dismantled fridges.

    Sharing his experience on “Nigeria ODS Destruction Pilot Project: Collection and Aggregation of ODS(CFC-12),”  the Managing Director, Beautaug-Thermo Limited, Augustine Atasie, said his team did not find chlorofluorocarbons (CFC- 12) in the oil industries as specified in the initial survey report. According to him, those who agreed to speak to the team denied the existence of  CFC-12 in their facilities, while some said their organisations had decommissioned their old equipment.

    A presenter with Voice of Nigeria (VON), Ms. Nkechinyere Itodo, in her presentation on:”The Role of Media in Ozone Layer Protection and Environmental Protection,” listed wrong content alignment in news, poor capacity of media practitioners and organisational issues as some of the challenges weighing down mass media reportage of environmental matters in the country.

    She urged government to champion environment programmes and projects, including funding of media’s participation in environmental conferences to boost media capacity. She tasked journalists to always highlight environment-related matters as developmental issues in their reporting and analysis.

    But there have been some giant strides by the UNIDO in this regard.  Tommy said UNIDO, as an implementing agency for the Montreal Protocol of 1992, had implemented over 1, 200 projects in the country, assisting more than 98 countries to phase out more than 70,287 ODS tonnes for world’s total consumption of ozone depleting substances.

    He added that UNIDO had worked with Nigeria in successfully achieving the ban on importation and production of chlorofluorocarbons. Presently, he said UNIDO was working with the country in the identification, aggregation and disposal of CFCs, review and updating legislations on ODS and technological application of methyl formate as an alternative to HCFCs.

    “Training of air-conditioners and refrigeration practitioners and installation of 30 clean and up-to-date low pressure foam machines worth about $1million have just been completed. We also distributed an additional 45 machines across the country,” he said.

    He noted that the machines, if well utilised, would maximise productive time, ensure the use of cleaner and safer alternatives to chemicals with high ODPs, increase production and improve product quality.

    The implementation demonstration project for the disposal of ODS had commenced in November 2013 after the Multilateral Fund of the Montreal Protocol had approved some funding for the country with the objective of aggregating and disposing 84 metric tonnes of CFC  -12 already identified with oil companies and chillers.

  • Senator rebuilds restroom for council

    Senator Yahaya A. Abdullahi of Kebbi North Senatorial District, Kebbi State, has reconstructed  a modern toilet facility at the Argungu Local Government Secretariat of the state, left in a state of disrepair for decades.

    The reconstruction of the toilet facility, estimated to have cost about N500, 000, will bring succour to workers of several Federal Government agencies, including the Federal Road Safety Commission, (FRSC), the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, (NSCDC), the National Identity Management Commission, (NIMC), the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency,(NDLEA), who are said to be the users of the facility

    In a related development, the lawmaker has also decried the number of people that has been electrocuted in Kebbi in recent times. No fewer than 11 people are said to have been electrocuted over the last three weeks, leading to fears and anxiety among the people in the area.

    The lawmaker however assured that he has discussed the unfortunate incident with members of the Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Power, and will soon present a formal memo to them on the matter.

    According to him, there is every indication that his colleagues will work with him to call on for a comprehensive overhaul and re-strengthening of power lines, across the country, to withstand the impending increase in national power output, particularly as President Muhammadu Buhari sets about tackling the issue of infrastructural decay in the power sector.

  • Nigerian Realtor wins U.S award

    Nigerian Realtor wins U.S award

    The Managing Broker from Centurion Realty and  Estates.Mr. Ola Sanni,  has emerged Realtor of the Year” at the 5th Annual Awards Gala hosted by the United States (U.S) Congressman, Danny Davis.

    The ceremony was put together by the seventh Congressional District’s Multi Ethnic Advisory Task Force (MEATF) at The Meadows Club in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, Chicago, U.S.

    According to Dr. Tapas Dasgupta of The Meadows Club, the “Relator of the Year Award” is bestowed on an individual who has not only excelled in his field, but has also made a difference in people’s lives.

    “The Annual Gala showcases our community heroes and reinforces that the various ethnic communities play a significant and integral role in the progress of our society,” Dasgupta said.

    MEATF was established in 2010 as a platform to acknowledge and appreciate leaders who are giving back in their respective communities.

    Sanni, who entered the American real estate industry in 1994 after his university education at Truman College and University of Illinois at Chicago, in July 1995, won the “Top Listing Award” and ranked among the top sales agents out of 750 sales associates. In April 1997, he broke into the million rank and earned US$1 million month certificate as part of Mattz Group.

    Sanni, who hopes to return to his home state, Lagos, to play a part in the socio economic development of the place, however said “America is blessed with tons of talents and I believe I can better utilise all my trainings and expertise to help my people. The problem with Nigeria is not corruption but leadership. If you eradicate corruption without good leaders, you are just scratching the surface. My generation has what it takes to move Nigeria to the next level,” he said.

  • South African bank raises N50b for property development in Nigeria, others

    FirstRand Bank Ltd said the property unit of its investment banking arm has raised $203 million (about N50billion) for its Real Estate Development Fund (REDF) aimed at developing real estate assets in Nigeria and other West African countries.

    Rand Merchant Bank (RMB), a division of FirstRand Bank Limited, is a leading South African corporate and investment bank and part of one of the largest financial services groups in Africa.

    Aside Nigeria, RMB Westport is also looking at Ghana and Angola as key jurisdictions in which to develop retail and commercial property going forward.

    Commenting on the development, Director of RMB Westport, Michael O’Malley, said: “We believe in the African growth story. Over the past decade‚ African economic output has more than tripled‚ which is one of the many reasons we think that Africa today holds the greatest overall investment potential for all frontier markets globally.”

    RMB Westport opened its doors in 2008 when Rand Merchant Bank (RMB)‚ through its Real Estate Investment Banking division entered into a joint venture with the Westport Property Group to combine west African property development skills‚ capital and investing expertise to enable the construction and development of high-grade retail‚ commercial and industrial property assets in key growth nodes of sub-Saharan Africa.

    According to Africa Property News, an increasing proportion of Africa’s population is moving into urban areas as economic growth quickens, with houses and malls being built in major cities including Accra, Abuja and Luanda, the capitals of Ghana, Nigeria and Angola respectively.

    O’Malley who has spent the past 20 years working on retail and mixed-use projects in 12 African countries, says the discovery of oil in Ghana will likely lead to a further increase in investor interest and subsequent demand for office and industrial space.

    RMB Westport is no newcomer to Africa. Some of RMB Westport’s biggest projects (at various levels of completion) include: Icon House and Accra Financial Centre (A-grade buildings in Ghana); Ikeja City Mall (the largest shopping mall in Nigeria); Osapa Retail (Phase I) and Project Wings (Office and retail property in Nigeria) and recently the Junction Shopping Centre (retail property in Accra‚ Ghana).

  • Perm Sec inspects ‘high end’ estate

    Perm Sec inspects ‘high end’ estate

    The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Housing, Mr. Olatunji Odunlami, last week, embarked on an inspection tour of housing projects in Gbagada area of the state. Accompanied on the tour by some workers, the team visited the “Baba Omojola” housing estate, which was commissioned on June 12 last year by former Governor Raji Fashola.

    Baba Omojola housing estate shares fence with Gbagada estate,  but has a separate entrance. The estate consist of 11 blocks of 88 units of four and five bedroom masionnette,  while the road within the estate is well paved with interlock bricks.  Other facilities there include 24- hour security, water, among others. Already, about 45 of the units are now being occupied. The estate is a high end income estate built for high income earners who are ready to pay fully for the cost of the units. Odunlami however declined to disclose the cost of acquiring a unit. High end income estate is a public private partnership initiative which is meant to deliver houses to high profile individuals

    Odunlami said the visit is part of the routine check to ascertain the level of compliance in the use of facilities provided at the estate, and to ensure that all necessary facilities are intact before full occupation.

  • Palms Villa Estates berths in Lekki, Ikorodu

    A real estate firm, Chattel Reality and Investment Company says it has introduced a land ownership scheme that will eradicate owning a land in Lagos State as being the exclusive reserve of the rich and the powerful. One of such schemes with which the firm intends to achieve this is the Palms Villa Estate in Ibeju Lekki and Ikorodu,  which the firm has started selling.

    Aside from its 10 per cent discount offer on all land payment plans, the company is spreading payment options for purchased land up to four years. This, it says, is to give all low income earners an opportunity to be landlords in Lagos. For instance, to own a plot of land at Chattel Reality’s Palms Villa Estate in Ikorodu, an intending buyer can pay as low as N22,000 monthly and N83,000 monthly for land in the Palms Villa Estate in Ibeju Lekki.

    Its Managing Director, Mr. Ifeanyi Okafor, explained that such initiative is one of the company’s strategies to get more Nigerians to invest in properties and own their own houses. “We must as a matter of urgency always look for incentives to encourage people to own their homes. Things are pretty difficult at the moment and many people might not be able to afford a huge sum of money to purchase a land not to talk of building a house. So for us, we are more interested in empowering people and helping them to achieve their dreams of becoming a landlord,” he explained.

    Chattel Realty and Investment Company limited is an innovative real estate development company that engages in the development of master-planned housing estates. The company’s objective is to provide cutting-edge real estate solutions to the huge Nigerian real estate market, which yearns for affordable housing as well as other real estate investment products.

  • Presidential monitoring visit boosts FESTAC Phase 2 project

    The A seven-member Presidential project monitoring team led by its director, Mrs. Sandra Fadeyi, has vistited FESTAC Phase 2 project located in Amuwo-Odofin Local Government area of Lagos State.

    The visit was a boost for the concessionaire, the New Festac Property Development Company Limited (NFPDCL).

    Also on the inspection tour were some officials of Federal Housing Authority (FHA), led by its General Manager, David Kpue, the concessionaire with their consultants led by its Managing Director, Mr. Goody Egbuji. The FESTAC Phase 2 estate sits on 1, 126 hectares of land.

    Before the commencement of the tour, officials of the NFPDCL, had at a meeting with the government team, made a visual presentation of the project, detailing all aspects of the project, including already completed site investigation studies and preliminary works , the status of ongoing reclamation work  and some legal challenges that were standing as impediments to the advancement of the project. Several structures, mainly said to be illegal since they were built without the necessary approval from the FHA, were noticed by the team, especially a massive building erected directly on the main road and on a drainage channel, thus blocking some access routes, and causing disruption to the original masterplan of the area.

    At one of the sites, a member of the team, who declined to be mentioned because he is a civil servant, said the concessionaire has a an pu hill task ahead. Presently, the NFPDCL has commenced development works on the land, especially the sand filling and land reclamation aspects of the land. This is the second phase of development in the bigger land mass of Festac Town, whose entirety sits on a total land area of measuring 2, 024 hectares. The first phase was developed in 1977 and served as home for visitors to the second World Black Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC) hosted by Nigeria in 1977.

    Consequently, the concessionaire has assured the investing public of good return of investment (RoI) as the development would make the estate an investment haven. Already, the concessionaire explained that the estate would be second to none and for the discerning investor, FESTAC Phase 2 would be an unprecedented estate because of the planned facilities to be put in place. For instance, the serviced plots to be realised through the concession will be complemented with green areas, off street parking, power supply, petrol stations, shopping malls, hospitals, hospitality centres, well laid roads, water  works, street lights, sewage disposal systems, and all necessary support infrastructure.

    “FESTAC Phase 2 has attracted strong interest from savvy investors who see beyond today in their investment decisions; this is why it is an investors’ and investment destination. There is an excellent location in here; the large population of Festac Phase 1 also makes for a ready market for any form of investment including schools, shopping malls, banks, eateries, and small and medium enterprises,” Egbuji explained.

    Real estate operators have also expressed optimism that the development of the FESTAC Phase 2 will transform the entire axis into a modern city and yield great benefits both in the infrastructural and socio economic development of Lagos.

    In September 2014, the federal government approved the concession of the Phase 2 of the FESTAC scheme to NFPDCL under a 30-year build-operate-and-transfer (BOT) lease agreement. Based on this agreement, NFPDCL, is  undertaking land reclamation, sand filling, infrastructural development, marketing and sale of the over 7, 000 plots of land to be created from the reclaimed land.

    Also, from the project, the Federal Government is estimated to earn N25.765 billion as premium and an additional N150 million ground rent annually for the 30 years of the concession.

  • LSWRC begins licensing of borehole drillers

    Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LSWRC) is set to commence the licensing of all borehole drillers in the state according to the guidelines for drinking water quality regulations as scheduled for the last quarter of this year.

    Its Executive Secretary, Mr. Ahmed Abdullahi, spoke during the inaugural meeting held with members of the Association of Water, Well Drilling, Rig Owners and Practitioners (AWDROP) in his office, last week.

    According to him, there is need to have a database of all borehole drillers within the state, in order to intimate them of the content of the regulations guiding the state water sector, and also ensure that those engaging in the act of borehole drilling are professionals. While the government is ready to implement the water sector law to the letter, it would first create sufficient awareness and enlightenment for all stakeholders to understand its implementation process as ignorance of the law would not be an excuse once enforcement commences.

    He disclosed that a 100 – man team would be set up to register and conduct free water quality tests on all boreholes in the state and any information gathered from the exercise would be imputed into the Commission’s database. He also said all existing boreholes would be regularised and subjected to periodic checks to curb the occurrence of water borne diseases.

    Admonishing the association to look into the development of its members as a way of curtailing the activities of quacks within the industry, he appealed for the co-operation and vigilance of the association and its members and urged them to cooperate with the State Government by providing technical expertise to fix water related problems where they exist and make positive impact in the state.

    Abdullahi urged the Association to register as a recognised body for the development of AWDROP, stating that the people of Lagos State will benefit immensely if members operated as professionals.

    National President, AWDROP, Mr. Michael Ale, expressed satisfaction with the plans of the government in licensing all drillers, saying it is in the best interest of the drillers to operate with decorum and professionalism. He promised that the association would cooperate with the state government on the exercise.

    Water Sector Law was promulgated in 2004, to protect the long term interests of consumers with regard to the quality, price and reliability of services received from service providers whether government or private owned.