The Nation Newspaper

Category: Building & Properties

  • ‘Tackling housing deficit challenge’

    ‘Tackling housing deficit challenge’

    The Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Mrs Akon Eyakenyi, has given hope on house ownership to the low and medium income earners under the Federal Government’s housing schemes. In an interactive session with select journalists, she says the initiative will eradicate the pains of securing titles to landed properties. MUYIWA LUCAS was there. 

    Affordable housing for low income earners

    he  Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Mrs Akon Eyakenyi, said several factors are responsible for the rising cost of construction and housing units. She listed cost of land, building materials, titling, among others as militating against the smooth delivery of housing to Nigerians.

    Mrs. Eyakenyi agreed that the cost of rent in the country is high for the common person. “It is a fact that in Abuja, you see many buildings lying unoccupied because the rents are high,”. she admitted.

    giving reasons for this, the minister explained that it is usually hinged on the cost of building construction materials. Therefore, she is of the opinion that if the ministry is able to control, persuade and affect the stakeholders in the industry to bring down their prices for the cost of building materials, the end result, that is, rent, will be low.

    Besides, the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), is in place to assist more Nigerians get their own house.

    The government, she said, is aware of the financial requirement of this institution and that is why it is  taking its recapitalisation as very serious matter. Apart from FMBN, there are other Primary Mortgage Institutions (PMIs), who are also involved in mortgage financing aimed at providing affordable housing for Nigerians, a task she said, necessitated suport for the FMBN. “That is what led to the emergence of Nigerian Mortgage Refinance Company (NMRC). The NMRC is not to nullify or affect what FMBN is doing, but to serve as the clearing house of refinancing the PMIs.

    As the FMBN is undertaking the mortgage of a certain number, other PMIs are also doing. When they (mortgage institutions) defray what they have, NMRC’s responsibility is to refinance them. That’s the essence,”. she explained.

     

    Benef from govt housing schemes

    Mrs Ekayenyi explained that the mortgage for the “off takers” would be carried by the PMIs. The “off-takers” in this perception, are the civil servants firstly, because they are contributors to the National Housing Fund (NHF), through the monthly deductions from their salary. That is the money that goes into serving as down payment for their mortgage, usually either 10 or 20 per cent before the FMBN now take over the remaining amount to pay, and spread it over a tenor. So, she further clarifed, if they were contributors to the NHF, their money will be used to take care of the required 10 or 20 per cent and then the rest will be handled by the FMBN or PMIs.

    For the private sector, interested companies, she said, can approach the ministry to help initiate a housing estate for them. “We will go put up an estate for them and they will pay. The non-salaried people or the informal sector mortgage and housing development programme was launched in December 2011 and the intention is to address the housing needs of Nigerians that are not in formal sector, for example mechanics, drivers,” she said. These categories of Nigerians are expected to come through a cooperative society. There are two schemes in this category. The first is the cooperative estate development loan- that is, the loan that is given to the cooperative society itself to build houses. Then the second category is the cooperative mortgage programme. The first batch of this mortgage facility will be rolled out very soon. “We have about 200 housing units in this category that are being built by the First World Community. It is not just the private people that can do cooperative society housing initiative,”. Ekayenyi said. An example is that being done by the Federal Medical Practitioners Cooperative society, Abakaliki, who came together to do contributions, bought land on their own through their contributions, and started the construction of hosuing units with  the funds for the over 200 members. In addition they have also bought a land for another 100 people. The minister said the society have now  written the ministry, seeking how to get the FMBN to back them up to complete that structure.

     

    Portal for house ownership

    The minister disclosed that a portal  that will give Nigerians access to apply to own a home of their own, housingfinance.gov.ng on the website of NMRC (go www.nigeria.nmrc.ng), has been launched. On the protal is a form to fill by people interested in owning a house of your own through the NMRC process. “You will also have the choice to choose where you want your house to be. If you have a land already, the location may also determine where your house will be,”she said.

     

    Housing data survey

    Mrs. Ekayenyi said the ministry has  developed a framework for conducting a national housing survey with the overriding goal of establishing whether Nigerians are adequately housed or not. The survey will help to establish the actual number of housing deficit in the country instead of relying on forecasts. also, this initiative, she further said, will make government to know the quantum of investment needed to meaningfully address the housing gap as well as the capacity requirement for transforming the housing and urban development sector on a sustainable basis. One advantage of this process, she noted, is that it will also help the ministry of lands and housing to know how many people need a house, say for example, in Akwa-Ibom state. The survey will also show the gap as it will reveal housing under occupation and over occupation. Apart from that, through the NMRC, a website for people to register their needs for houses has been opened. “Again another thing the survey will help us achieve is to ensure that one person owns one shelter. We have a criterion that will detect all these needs and so we will be able to tackle whoever tries to be smart by not disclosing the whole truth. We are not saying we would do 100 per cent, but we will ensure that the people that we are targeting- the low income, the middle income have access to the buildings when they are ready,” she assured.

     

    Building code

    The minister explained that a building code specifies how to construct buildings, how to retain them, how to look after them, the specifications and everything, so it’s not a law. “Nobody is canvassing for it to be a law, the law we are asking for is a law to enforce it. So if you don’t follow the code, we can use the law to now get at you. You can be taken to court for not following building code. Building code itself is not a law because if you make it a law, you will have to go back to review it anything you desire to make an amended to building standards,” she said. This is in line with the fast pace of global development which transcend the  construction industry. So the building code is to be reviewed regularly, every two years, minimum. “We have set up a 12-man implementation committee on this. One of it is the improved land titling process committee. That committee has been assigned the responsibility of getting in touch with the state governors. I have also personally spoken, written letters to the state commissioners on land and housing matters, on the need to release land titles promptly.

    It is a fact that if you own a land without the certificate of occupancy (C of O) the title, you cannot have a real value for your house or for the land,” she said.

     

    Encroachment on govt properties

    Mrs. Ekayenyi cited as a classic example the FESTAC town, Lagos. she explained that government has  put a process in motion for the restoration of FESTAC town to its past glory. The same thing, she said, will be applicable to other government properties that have been abandoned and needs restoration. “We have identified that one major problem facing federal government landed properties, is that of encroachment,” she said. The minister further explained that when land is acquired and it is left for a long time, the indigenes of the community, get in to tamper with it not knowing that when government acquires land, it is not just for the now. “It is for the future projection for development, so you wouldn’t expect that a particular administration will complete developing the hundreds of hectares of land acquired; government will only cut a section, develop it, and then the next government that comes take it up again,” she said. Citing as example the occurrences during the Alhaji Sheu Shagari era, where mass area was acquired in almost all the states for construction of housing schemes, “Shagari estate”. “A section of it was developed. We have mass areas left which this administration will continue from there. Unfortunately, the indigenes, when they see the land lying idle for a long time, they get in to encroach. We’ve tried our best to ensure that we check that,” she said. For those who have encroached on government properties already, she said: “where we can demolish we will, where we cannot, we make them to buy into it for us to regularise then give title and get them to pay some penalties for moving into the land without permission.”

     

    Debts to contractors

    The minister though agreed that the ministry is indebted to contractors, however said in some instances, such debts were not deliberately owed. “You should also know that several factors could have led to that- maybe they (contractors) didn’t finish their work on time, or the money that was released was not enough. But we’ve started paying as the money is released. We owe some people, some dating back to 2010, 2012 and 2013,” she explained. Presently, Mrs. Ekayenyi disclosed that her ministry has secured funds, about N2 billion to pay debts relating to 2012. However, clarified that it is impossible for the ministry to pay all outstanding debts this year due to the allocation to the ministry. Also, another reason is that at the end of the year, funds that are not utilised are taken back to government purse and some contractors delay in completing their projects early enough and the money cannot be made to wait for them in the accounts.

  • Collapsed buildings: Ahmed urges sanctions for engineer, others

    The Kwara state Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, has recommended stiffer punishment for contractors, engineers and others in the construction of any building that collapses.

    The governor also wants a law that will criminalise those found culpable of collapsed buildings.

    Ahmed spoke at the 44th Builders’ conference/Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB).

    He said such punitive measures, if adopted, would reduce the menace of collapsed building.

    The conference has as theme: “Construction industry development: Collaborations, innovations and capacity building.”

    Ahmed, who was represented by the state Housing and Urban Development Commissioner, Olabode Olayemi, said for safety, economics and aesthetic reasons, a  policy, which includes a building code that will be binding on builders and others in the sector, be put in place.

    “I therefore recommend that a law be put in place to ensure that only trained professionals and artisans are allowed to construct buildings in the country, based on the proposed building construction code. This will ensure minimum construction standards across the country so that no matter where you are in the country you can be assured of the quality of your buildings,” Ahmed said.

    He said the sector is one of the most visible indices of measuring development, and a means to know the quality of life from the quality of houses that people live in.

    The governor emphasised the importance of developing the industry, saying it is a catalyst to improving the economy as well as enhance the welfare of the people, adding that the industry will be the first to suffer when an economy goes into recession.

    He said the spate of collapsed buildings is enough to stimulate the agitation for a robust construction policy, which should aim at reversing the trend. He charged the NIOB and other stakeholders to sensitise the public on the need to avoid engaging quacks for their building projects, ading that this will help them avoid wastage and tragic loss of lives.

    “I am convinced that these incidents are caused by untrained builders and unscrupulous developers, who jeopardise lives and properties while trying to cut corners,” he said.

    He lamented the poor quality of work being done at some construction sites.

    Ahmed said as part of his administration’s shared prosperity programme, the government was partnering with the private sector and the body to provide low cost housing to the citizens through a public-private partnership (PPP) initiative backed by cheap mortgage services.

    Already, a committee has been put in place to work out the modalities on mass housing in Kwara State.

  • Ogun to enforce physical planning laws

    Ogun to enforce physical planning laws

    THE Ogun State government has said it will keep a tab on the physical development and environmental activities of industries in the state.

    To this end, the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development (MPPUD) is to ensure consistency and compliance with the policies and laws on physical development and control of all lands.

    The Commissioner for Urban and Physical Planning, Mr. Gbenga Otenuga, spoke during a visit to Sagamu.

    He advised developers to ensure environmental stability based on quality environment which is made possible by physical development orderliness.

    “The Government of Senator Ibikunle Amosun is industrial- friendly but at the same time due process must be followed in putting up any structure in the interest of both the developer and the citizens of Ogun State,” Otenuga said.

    Similarly, the Special Adviser to the Governor of Ogun State on Physical Planning, Mr. Femi Ogunsola, who was also part of the monitoring team, advised the industrialists in the state to properly document any ancillary development in their building plan and forward it to the ministry for approval.

    This, he explained, was to enable the ministry monitor the activities of the developers vis-a-vis the industries, to forestall environmental hazard which can be caused by neglect of comprehensive land use plan or physical planning.

    Some of the developers met on sites promised to obey the state physical planning laws.

  • Firm to unveil products

    Emel Building Materials, a member of the Emel group, is set to introduce three new productsinto the market.

    The products – Stanley Commercial Hardware and Security Systems; Associate Decor Chipboard; and Milano Sanitary Ware – would be on display at the company’s pavilion at the upcoming Archibuilt Exhibition in Abuja.

    The introduction of these products may be a mark of the firm’s  efforts at providing world-class, innovative and affordable building material products and services.

    According to its Managing Director, Mr. Mahesh Asnani, the introduction of the products form part of the firm’s strategy to become leading one stop shop for building materials.

    Besides, it is believed that the effort will also reaffirm the manufacturer’s commitment to introducing top-quality products aimed at advancing the Nigerian construction industry.

    Asnani said it is because of the group’s desire to plug all loopholes in the market – a situation which hitherto created a vacuum, making it possible for the preponderance of substandard products to hold sway in the market.

    “That is why we decided to plug this vacuum by providing high quality, yet affordable products for the benefit of Nigerians,” Asnani said.

    The Emel International Pavilion will also showcase premium roofing and door brands, including Tilcor Stone Coated Roof Tiles from New Zealand, Formet Steel Doors from Turkey and Krosswood Real Wood Doors from the USA.

    Emel Building Materials recently won ‘The Most Trusted Quality Building Material Company Award’ at the Africa Quality Achievement Awards.

  • West African Ceramics gets award

    The Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA) Abuja Chapter, has conferred the West African Ceramics Limited (WACL) with a special recognition award for its contributions to the building industry.

    The award was bestowed on the firm at the Biannual General Meeting and 30th Anniversary of the professional body in Abuja.

    The immediate past chairman of NIA Abuja Chapter, Mr. Stanley Kolo, said the institute recognises the immense contribution of the tile manufacturer in alleviating some of the challenges facing the profession and its footprint in the tile production sector of the industry.

    “The company has modern state-of-the art machinery to produce tiles that will adequately serve the needs of architects, so we are of the opinion that there’s no reason to import tiles from China or other countries,” Kolo said.

    General Manager, WACL, Mr. Bhaskar Rao, thanked NIA for recognising the contributions of the company. He said the company considers architects and builders as partners in progress.

    He emphasised that its strategic partnership with architects was fundamental to its product design development and through consumer insights generated from working with practitioners, the company’s flagship brands namely, VIT Porcelain and Royal Ceramic tiles.

    “I would like to express appreciation for this award and use this platform to reiterate our unwavering will to continue to support the NIA because we consider the professional bodies of architects, builders, and developers as our strategic allies.

    ‘’We would be relentless in our research and development, particularly in consumer insight to ensure that we produce products that meets the trends and satisfies the needs of our allies and the property owners,” Rao stressed.

  • ‘Why we adopted 42.5 cement grade’

    ‘Why we adopted 42.5 cement grade’

    The Chairman, Technical Committee on cement standards, Prof Innocent Onyeyili, has explained why the committee opted for the 42.5 grade of cement.

    He said it is better than the 32.5 grade and could reduce building collapse.

    Onyeyili, a professor of Structural Engineering, spoke with reporters in Awka, the Anambra State capital.

    He also said quackery was another factor to be eliminated if buildings are to last long like those built during the colonial days.

    He lamented the failure of regulatory bodies to keep unqualified builders out of their jobs, and the non-use of professionals to execute construction jobs, poses a bigger challenge for the industry.

    “All sorts of people have come into the building industry because of the money, but it takes a registered building engineer to interpret designs and to discover mistakes in a design and to use cement and other materials correctly,’’ he said.

    Noting that there is a preponderance of quacks in the industry, Onyeyili said the development is thriving because those saddled with  checking projects or construction sites, have neglected their duties.

    “We have regulatory bodies but the people should not sit in the office dishing out instructions; they should be on the field to check. The government has set up its machinery for the industry; the problem is  follow-up. The Federal Government official in Abuja is not the one to follow-up the execution of projects in a local government’s jurisdiction. The local government should ensure that projects in their area are done to specifications,” he said.

    Onyeyili regretted that artisans, who might have worked on many  projects, sees themselves as structural or civil engineers, and therefore believe that they are can determine the right mix for building materials, such as concrete. He said  artisans recommend a bag of cement for eight head pans of sand and 12 head pans of gravel to give a reinforced concrete. He said this is wrong, adding that the minimum grade of concrete for reinforced concrete is one bag of cement to four head pans of sand and eight head pans of gravel.

    “That’s why you touch some beams and some columns (the so-called reinforced concrete structures) and you see them peeling off. Why won’t such building collapse?” he asked.

    He defended his committee’s recommendations on the 42.5 grade of cement as having been made only in the national interest.

    He argued that the decision of his committe was based on the fact that  when the 42.5 grade of cement is used, the incidents of building collapse would reduce.

    He said the 42.5 grade of cement could be an export money spinner.

    “If we produce the 32.5 grade, other countries won’t buy it from us, but if we produce the 42.5 grade, they will buy and when they buy, the manufacturer will be able to increase his production; to employ more people and the more people have jobs, the more people are rich. So, export of cement will bring in more wealth for distribution among Nigerians, ” he said.

  • Tejuosho market raises bar in shopping

    Tejuosho market raises bar in shopping

    Seven years after it was gutted by fire, the Phase One of the Tejuosho Market, Yaba, Lagos has  been reopened by Governor Babatunde Fashola.

    The market  has metamorphosed into a mega shopping complex.

    The complex, a sprawling four-storey, comprises 4,000 lock up shops, 1, 251 K-clamps units, banking spaces, 14 food court spaces, eight lifts, two escalators connecting the four floors, 600 parking lots, steady electricity and water supply,  equipped fire station, two rams to assist the physically challenged   and a crèche.

    Addressing traders and guests, Fashola said the edifice was a fulfillment of the promise of the government to Lagosians to create a better and enabling environment for trading.

    He said: “This is to fulfil a promise made to traders and entrepreneurs, to market men and women, such as our dear mama who daily drives our state and national economy that they will get a bigger, a better and more modern market. What we hand over today is only phase one of the redevelopment of Tejuosho market. By the time we open and handover Phase 2, which is also completed, their combine capacity will make them the biggest retail outlet in the whole of Africa.”

    He explained that the need to put in place a bigger and better market  made the administration to increase the shops. “We see that those small outlets were important to traders, the enumeration we did at that time showed that there were 533 of those, K-clamps created within the old parking area but we have purpose design in this new market and we have provided 1, 251 instead of 533 that was in the old market,” he said.

    Fashola said the design for the Red line light rail project, which will run parallel to the rail at Yaba, from Iddo to Ogun State, had been completed, while the Blue line, which is under construction from Okoko-maiko to Marina and work on the red line would soon start to make Tejuosho an accessible destination where people can arrive the park by rail, do their shopping, and also leave by rail.

    He noted that the government would continue to enhance the radical renewal of infrastructure as it is a long-term plan driven by a vision  of the public service.

    Thanking the leadership of FirstBank for providing the support for the construction and for agreeing to the government’s request to provide mortgages for small owners to pay for their shops gradually and over time, the governor urged traders to maintain the facility, noting that no illegal extension will be accommodated.

    The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr. Toyin Ayinde, noted that the edifice is a good example of how the public-private partnership model can be deployed in driving the much-needed infrastructure and promote rapid economic growth and prosperity.

    “It is to our pride that in spite of all challenges, this market is opening ahead of  others in the neighbourhood and that’s the discipline that comes with project implementation and finance that First Bank brought to the table,” Ayinde said.

    He praised the deal between the Lagos State government, Stomberg Nigeria and FirstBank, which culminated in “the shopping facility, which will completely redefine shopping in Lagos as a larger economic hub and its occupants will enjoy unprecedented level of shopping experience”.

    Similarly, the Property Manager, Stomberg Engineering Nigeria, Mr. Babafemi Onasile, praised the financial institution, without whose effort the market might have remained an illusion.

    He said: “All the efforts to make this a success wouldn’t have happened if not for the doggedness of FirstBank, led by Mr. Olabisi Onasanya and with several meetings with the executive governor and the executive council to find solutions to different that we got on the project.”

    The Iyalode of Tejuoso market, Mrs. Dosunmi Sekete, appealed to the governor to ensure that old occupants of the market returned to the small outlets provided for them operate their businesses.

    She said traders, who occupied stalls in the market before the fire incident, had not been given the opportunity to repossess their stalls, despite several government’s directives.

    Meanwhile, Fashola has commiserated with the families of those who lost their lives in the fire, as well as during the construction of the building.

    “Mr. Dolapo Atinmo, who was alter ego of that company, sadly passed on. Madam, we sympathise with you and we thank you for coming. We know that you cannot hold your husband in your arms again but we believe that you will hold the memory of what he committed to building in your heart and that God will continue to console you. Our government salutes his contribution and we salute his partnership,” the governor said.

  • Lagos roads get September date

    The reconstruction of Sari Iganmu and Gaskiya College Roads in Apapa-Iganmu Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos State will commence next month.

    Contract for the reconstruction of the two roads was awarded earlier in the year. The  roads measuring about 3.13km are planned as 13.4 metres width dual carriageway with service ducts, asphalt pavement, pedestrian walkways and two new bridges.

    The Special Adviser to the State Governor on Works and Infrastructure, Ganiyu Abiodun Johnson, made this known at a stakeholders’ meeting.

    Johnson said barring any disturbances from the community, the project, awarded to Messrs Julius Berger Nigeria, would be delivered in 20 months. He, therefore, urged the community to embrace the project, which he reckons would impact on their lives, warning that anything to the contrary will stall the project.

    He implored the contractors to ensure that residents are given opportunity for employment and supplies to bring democratic dividends to the community. Besides, such gesture would ensure cooperation from the community, whose residents would  serve as security for the equipment and workmen on site.

    For owners of buildings that may be affected by the project, there is no cause to worry. According to Johnson, the government will pay compensation where there is an evidence of building approval title, while those without title documents will also be assisted based on the merit of their case as presented to the Ministry.

    The Council boss, Dr. Adesola Adedayo, expressed gratitude to the state government for its determination to impact on the Council Area. He noted that the construction and the features of the road would free the council’s commitment on the road for other areas.

    He assured of the Council’s support for the  government in its quest for development of the state’s infrastructure.

    As a palliative, the alternative road on Fadaini Street is to be rehabilitated. The project, when completed, would address flooding and create another bypass that allows linkage with Lagos-Badagry Expressway and other parts of Apapa.

  • Ebola: Lagos begins public enlightenment

    The Lagos State Ministry of the Environment has moved to sensitise the public on the dangers of Ebola disease.

    According to the Commissioner, Mr. Tunji Bello, “our environment is ours, Ebola is an alien and we must eject it out of our land, through clean and hygienic ways of life”.

    At the “Train the Trainers Programme” organised by the Ministry for Environment Health Officers, known in local parlance as Wole Wole across the 57 Local Government (LGs) / Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), and Scientific Officers in the State Areas, Bello urged residents to desist from  pollution, such as defecating and urinating in the public, and embrace proper environmental hygiene standards to curb the spread of the disease.

    The theme of the seminar was “Creating an army of advocacy to curb Ebola Virus through effective enlightenment at the grassroots.”

    Bello, who said the state government had embarked on actions to control the spread since the announcement of the outbreak, especially in the state, explained that  the ministry, was concerned that an unhygienic environment and healthy sanitation practices by the public could further aggravate the situation, decided to organise the training.

    ”To complement other efforts of the government, the Ministry of the Environment has packaged educative programmes for Lagos residents starting with the training after which an army of those trained  would embark on mass public enlightenment campaigns to markets, motor parks, and schools in all the 57 LCDAs to create awareness on how to prevent the spread of the dreaded disease,” he said.

    The Commissioner noted that as Lagos is home to all with a population of over 21 million constituted by diverse tribes across the country, the state government needs the support of the health workers who are professionally trained and scientific officers to act as health and end environmental police to assist in maintaining hygienic environmental standard across the state. He therefore charged the citizenry to cooperate fully with the state government and take necessary precautionary measures to contain stop Ebola virus Disease in their communities.

    “EVD is considered an international public health emergency according to world Health Organisation (WHO). Ebola is a very terrifying disease, a killer,” said Bello. According to him, the only way out of this is for the public to embark on preventive measures which is what all environmental health officers and scientific officers will be preaching across the state.

    “This message to Lagosians is that we should embrace strict personal hygiene not only for ourselves, we should extend the message further to the grassroots, other members of the public, our families, our friends and colleagues. If they are safe, we are safe; if they are not, we are not,” Bello charged.

    An epidemiologist and a Director in the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Olubunmi Enigbonkan, said it was impossible to identify an infected person at the early stage as the incubation for the Ebola Heamorrhagic Fever takes about 21days to manifest. He advised Lagosians to ensure basic sanitary hygiene as these could help to prevent the spread of the disease, adding that Ebola uses medium, such as sweat, saliva and blood to spread faster.

    Similarly, Toyin Awosika, director Public Enlightenment Department, state Ministry of Information and Strategy, highlighted the importance of public enlightenments as a tool for sensitising the people on the dangers of the disease, stressing that the environmental health officer/scientific officer must adopt use of simple language in communicating and where necessary to communicate in local language. He urged them to be patient, friendly and see themselves as agents of change.

    Other speakers were Jonathan Godonu Ogun, retired Head, Environmental Health Unit, Office of Environmental Service, Ministry of the Environment and Dr.  Abiodun Denloye, a lecturer at the Department of Zoology, Lagos State University (LASU).

    They recommended the following steps to curb the spread of the disease: imbibing the practice of good handwashing with soap and running water/use of hand sanitiser; ensuring personal hygiene and proper sanitation and cleanliness of sanitary facilities such as hand washing with soap and water after visiting the toilet, not urinating and or defecating in open places, disposing of solid waste, do not discharge water/feaces into public drains, and being careful when using railings, door knobs, and other public facilities.

    Others were regular fumigating and disinfecting the environment; ensuring that contaminated materials, such as blood, sweat, emesis, faeces and body secretions are well handled; avoiding eating of bush meat and desisting from discharging faecal effluent into the drain or the ground.

  • Nigerians scramble for Ghana’s Ambassador Heights

    About 50 per cent of Ghana’s Ambassador Heights in Accra, the country’s capital has been bought by Nigerians.

    The estate, a high-end residential development adjacent to the Moevenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra, Ghana is due for completion  late next year.

    It is an extension of the five-star luxury hotel meant to complete the Third Phase of the complex and deliver the ultimate in luxury living.

    Prospective owners will enjoy a fully serviced lifestyle experience, which include pool, spa, fitness, restaurants, retail, and meeting and event facilities.  In addition, the luxury services of the hotel will be extended to the residences to allow homeowners enjoy housekeeping, in-room dining, laundry, valet services, and much more.

    The Sale Manager, Robert Davis, said with 18 exclusive homes, Ambassador Heights offers an attractive investment opportunity for those seeking the potential to make solid appreciation and yields.  Homeowners, he said, would have the flexibility of renting long-term or through the hotel on a short-term basis.

    He said: “Fifty per cent of our residences have been sold to Nigerian buyers, who are attracted by our location and design, association with the Moevenpick Hotel, and the high level of quality. They are confident that we will deliver.

    “These individuals are further excited about the prospect of allowing the hotel professionals to fully maintain and manage their residence. Ambassador Heights has realised a complete sell-out of its initial phase of inventory and has a limited number of homes remaining through a Phase II release.”