Category: Building & Properties

THE Nigerian Institution of Environmental Engineers (NIEE) has called for the improvement of the environment through energy sustainability policies.

This was part of the communique issued after its 20th International Conference/Annual General Meeting with the theme, ‘Energy sustainability for an improved environment’ in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

The event was attended by stakeholders in the engineering sector and government officials.

Part of the communique stated that the country should “explore the energy mix to continue to make it clean and sustainable; there should be continued creation of more opportunities for local content to foster national development and a sustainable environment; strategic effort using energy mix to ensure more input into the national grid; ensuring reward for youth creativity; and need for paradigm shift to diversify into various sources of energy rather than relying on fossil fuel.”

NIEE stated the need for collaboration from other professional bodies in salvaging our environment; improving application of green technology from local materials; and that engineers should  champion the course to be the main solution provider for a sustainable pragmatic environmental issues.”

It added that “environmental engineers must continue to evaluate opportunity cost of not addressing this challenge to trigger sustainable action; and the private sector should support in providing a sustainable energy and environment while the government regulates.

The National Chairman, NIEE, Olalekan  Ajani, explained that the  energy resource potential was diverse for every state  but the principle for sustainability and having an improved environment remained universal.

He said: “In energy economics and ecological energetics, the lower the Energy Return On Energy Invested (EROEI) of a process, the lower the sustainability and the faster fossil fuel resources are depleted.

“The EROEI is the ratio of the amount of usable energy delivered from a particular energy resources to the amount of energy used to obtain that energy resource.

“This we must monitor closely to achieve sustainability while reducing the carbon footprint using all possible policy framework in actualising an improved environment.”

The Dean, College of Engineering, Covenant University, Ota, Prof. David Omole, who was the guest lecturer at the event, said about 50 million tons of fuel wood is used yearly by households in the country.

According to him, the household sector accounted for 65 per cent of energy consumed in Nigeria, which was largely due to the low level of development in all the other sectors.

He said 86 per cent of rural households in Nigeria depends on fuel wood as their sources of energy.

 

 

Governor Dapo Abiodun has launched the Ogun State Land Administration and Revenue Management System (OLARMS), an online portal, as part of efforts to enhance land administration and seamless land service in the state,  OKWY IROEGBU-CHIKEZIE reports.

IT’S not difficult to see why the implementation of a land management system is crucial to the growth and development of Ogun State. In its 2021 second quarter report for investment announcement, the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) put the estimated investment into Ogun at $500 million, making the state the preferred investment destination. The figure also represented 30 per cent of the state’s total investment in the quarter under review.

Since May 2019, the administration has committed to investing in infrastructure, technology, human capital and strong structural institutions as part of its investment drive. And, understanding that no one wants to live and/or invest in a place where land administration, acquisition and management processes are chaotic, the state has put in place a trustworthy and accessible digital platform, which will provide unparalleled quality in the administration of land products and services.

When it comes to land resources, Ogun is in an advantageous position. The state is close to Lagos, and bears a gateway status to the West African market through Benin Republic. Ogun also shares either land or water (or both) boundaries with five neighbouring. Thus, the meticulous management of its land resources is essential to its immediate and future prosperity and development. With the investment in the Ogun State Land Administration and Revenue Management System (OLARMS), therefore, it is easier to locate, plan, assess and obtain permits for land use in the state.

Speaking at the launch of OLARMS, Governor Dapo Abiodun explained what the management system was envisioned to achieve. “OLARMS has its primary focus on areas such as titles ratification module for those that have built properties on government land that is under acquisition. He explained that these applicants can utilise the portal to perfect property titles and obtain their certificate of occupancy, including those who had enrolled in the Home Owners Charter Programme. Our ambition is that applicants should receive their title documents within 30 days of full payment,” he said.

He said the launch of OLARMS demonstrated the commitment of his administration to continue to build an assured future with the people by seeking to improve how business is conducted in the state. Abiodun also told virtual participants at the Nigeria-British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) webinar that part of his administration’s efforts to boost investment and development in the state was to embark on policy and regulatory reforms, including the restructuring of land acquisition to remove bottlenecks and red tapes. He said then that the OLARMS was being implemented to digitalise land acquisition for ease and efficiency, with an upgraded Geographic Information System (GIS) for a more transparent land administration.

According to him, diligent management of the state’s land is an essential part of planning and development. He argued that to oversee the present and future wealth, well-being and prosperity of the people of Ogun, OLARMS is an effective land administration platform that will improve and simplify land administrative processes, the governor added.

He maintained that his administration believes that by making the process of registering property, obtaining government permits and establishing a single registry for transactions, it will improve the ease of dealing with the state regarding property and land. It will also make publicly accessible information on ownership of lands and properties centralised and easy to use.

With the core values of administering services transparently and efficiently; reducing waiting times; and improving revenue generation, OLARMS is set to address some of the perennial challenges in land acquisition and management experienced in the state. For instance, under its Property Registration Programme (PRP), the Ogun State government requires structures to be documented, licensed and registered to safeguard the community.

He said: “OLARMS portal will offer those who have encroached on the state government’s land in different parts of the state an opportunity to get title documents for such land via PRP, in an official pardon programme, which lasts till November 30, 2021.

Relevant agencies within the government are supposed to visit structures, allocate adequate resources, as well as enforce fees, taxes and fines. PRP is, therefore, set up to regularise illegal structures, ensuring that the state has an accurate assessment of structures and boundaries. It is further believed that PRP will also reduce cases of encroachment as the state uses the information to create a roadmap, allowing the government to plan development and conservation, as well as generate revenue for development.

Also, the Commissioner for Finance and Chief Economic Adviser, Dapo Okubadejo, said OLARMS will also cater for Certificate of Occupancy (CofO) applications submitted by property owners who applied through the Home Owners Charter (HOC) scheme of the previous administration upon full payment.

The HOC was a programme embarked upon by the previous administration to give the people a window of opportunity to ratify and regularise their titles, particularly on land that had been encroached on or properties that did not have approvals. However, bureaucracy, clumsiness in processing, corruption and litigation affected the scheme, he added.

“The state government recognises that landed assets are, arguably, the most beneficial asset any government or people have at their disposal to bring about prosperity. And that is why the state government has taken this step to ensure an enabling environment is put in place via the implementation of an effective land administration system that would support the aspirations of her people,” Okunadejo said.

OLARMS became necessary as a result of  the challenges associated with land acquisition, management and administration, some of which Okunadejo identified as: long and prolonged issuance  of C of Os; inefficient manual processes with largely 100 per cent human intervention; public distrust in land administration processes; judicial entanglement; indiscriminate and unapproved property development; inefficient and insufficient property ownership and title documentation; and inefficient management of the state resources.

Understandably, the ease of doing business has been one of the priorities of the government in Ogun. Abiodun emphasises that the state’s ease of doing business credentials must match its yearning for investment. “We continue to make efforts to improve the state’s ranking on the local and global ease of doing business index so as to promote and encourage local and foreign direct investment in the state,” he said.

One of the measures attributed to this continued improvement was the establishment of Business Environment Council in September 2019. The council has been implementing reforms aimed at harmonising and streamlining regulations for industrial development in the state.

And since it covers industrial, commercial and residential property, the ease, transparency and efficiency which come with OLARMS can only portend more investment and revenue for a state whose government is doing all it can to challenge the stereotypes around diversification and the economic viability of states.

A real estate firm, GodMade Homes Limited (GMH), has urged the federal and state governments to digitise home delivery to enhance access to home schemes and reduce housing deficit in the states.

Its Chief Executive Officer, Ayo Olanrewaju, noted that the process would bring convenience to all given that information could be accessed and exchanged between the ministry and the public.

Besides, he explained that the digitisation would bring about improved productivity and real-time data processing since the documents of prospective allottees and investors can be verified on-line.

He described digitisation as a necessary development, and that it is in response to global trends of increasing system proficiency and ease in work processes.

“The digitisation process will not only help to fast track processing of documents but also aid data collection, promote greater resource management as well as protect archival documents for future references,” he added.

He stressed that to achieve the SMART City project, there was the need to embrace global best practices automation of the database, insisting that the innovation would be needed for digital transformation, which he described as a necessity for businesses.

On the challenges, Olanrewaju,  an engineer,  said agencies saddled with building approvals, and survey permits should do more to stimulate the sector.

He regretted that the automation of the work processes of the relevant ministries and agencies  was not thorough and needed to be rejigged to serve its purpose, adding that documentation takes months  to be completed, thereby delaying construction.

Also GMH’s  Head of Sales, Okeowo Olasubomi, said the firm has experience in providing   housing solutions  for the middle and high income earners and in creating a world-class environment that transcends regional boundaries.

On the plans of the company, he hinted that more homes would be ready for delivery before the end of this year and advised applicants to obtain their forms.

An estate surveyor and values, Dayo Olaiya, urged development partners and other investors to collaborate with state governments in developing the sector, adding  that Godmade Homes was ready to partner government to deliver affordable housing.

Dradrock Real Estate Limited, a real estate developer, has delivered luxury apartments to some of its owners.

The Pacific Manor Apartments is within the Atlantic Nominees Estate in Ajah, Lagos. It also has 16 duplexes. Each apartment consists of three-bedrooms, a living room, and a maid’s room designed to suit the taste of its owner.

The firm’s Managing Director, Oladipo Agida, who handed over the  keys to the new homeowners, expressed joy that the company was able to overcome initial hiccups to deliver the apartments on schedule. He also said that Phase II of the estate was already selling.

“What makes us excited is that we did not fail to meet the deadline we promised our clients most of whom are in the diaspora,” he said.

“When we first set our feet here, we were taken aback by bushes around. It is hard believing what we see here. We stuck to the will that we can do it and that is what manifested in these beautiful structures we have here,” Agida added.

He described the delivery of the apartments as a feat, considering that Dradrock is relatively new in the real estate sector.

“This is our first building estate. We are young in the industry but we have done excellently well. It is a big feat. We are determined to continue to build homes that can last or stand the vagaries of our weather and soil. He thanked the buyers for believing in Dradrock right from the day they were taken to a bushy land that has morphed into their magnificent apartments.

One of the buyers, Felix Valentine, expressed satisfaction with Dradrock for meeting the set delivery deadline and quality. Valentine, who said he was also into the real estate business, added that he had no doubt that Dradrock would meet his taste of a luxury apartment.

AS  part of its third anniversary, RentSmallSmall, a property technology startup, has joined the Techstars Toronto Accelerator Programme.

Techstars is an investment firm that helps founders and early-stage entrepreneurs scale their vision into a thriving business. It provides mentorship, funding and access to the  network.

The 13-week programme, which has begun, provides entrepreneurs with skills, resources and connection to global talent and investors.

 RentSmallSmall Chiief Executive Officer Tunde Balogun, said: “We have stayed away from institutional investment for the past three years because we wanted to figure out a model that truly solves the rental problems, and one that we can scale. Now that we have good traction and our solution is loved by landlords and tenants, we need strong mentorship for our next growth phase. We believe that participating in the Techstars Toronto Accelerator at this time is right for us. Its network, skills and resources are what we will leverage as we expand.”

Managing Director,  Toronto regional startup ecosystem, Sunil Sharma, said: “One thing that unites Canada with Africa is the challenge in finding available and affordable rental living in major cities, particularly for people just starting on their professional careers.  When we met the team at RentSmallSmall, we immediately understood the problem that they are solving and even saw the parallels with our own situation here.

“If there is one industry that has captured the attention of Canadians it is real estate, and our belief is that our immediate network of property experts, landlords and tech and real estate investors will be of great value to Tunde and his team looking to make housing available to more people across Africa.”

RentSmallSmall, led by its co-founders – Naomi Olaghere and Pidah Tnadah – with a team of 20 has broken even in just three years.

Stakeholders in the industry said this was a remarkable feat for the young tech startup and a testament to the team’s effort to grow the business with very little financing while building a strong customer base with some customers using the platform from inception till date.

 

Activities at the Alaro City in Lagos State have received a boost with the completion of Universal One Homes, a block of apartments in the heart of the city.

Launched in January 2019, Alaro City was conceived as a 2,000-hectare mixed-income city with offices, homes, schools, healthcare facilities, hotels, entertainment and 150 hectares (370 acres) of parks and open spaces.

Alaro City, described as a model for Public-Private Partnerships (PPP),  is a joint venture between Rendeavour, Africa’s largest new city builder and Lagos State.

Universal One’s apartments feature open-plan living rooms with balconies, bedrooms and kitchens. The two-bedroom apartments (expandable to three or four bedrooms) are in a tranquil setting, powered by world-class amenities and Alaro City’s commitment to open spaces and nature.

Within Universal One are swimming pool, three-acre park, clubhouse, supermarket, gym, restaurant, basketball court, badminton/volleyball court,  playground for kids, jogging trail, lush landscaping and barbecue corner.

The Managing Director, Alaro City, Yomi Ademola, said Universal One was one of its offerings, which exemplifies their commitment to quality.

He said the facility was ready for visitors, giving existing and prospective buyers an opportunity to immerse themselves in Alaro City’s community of 576 contemporary apartments – the first of its kind in the Lekki Free Zone.

“As a mixed-use, mixed-income city, Alaro City is planned and built with a focus on allowing residents to live, work and play without the burden of commuting into and across congested regions,” Ademola said.

Universal One is also equipped with underground water storage, 24/7 electricity, 24-hour security with CCTV and key card access, well-lit common areas with solar powered streetlights and secure parking for residents and visitors.

“As the pioneer residential development in the Lekki Free Zone, Universal One aims to also serve as a model for modern living in Alaro City, Lagos’ new city.

“A key part of our strategy is the technology that we use; a unique form of building that results in our houses being solid concrete monolithic structures, thereby reinforcing quality and ensuring dimensional precision, something that is not achievable with the conventional way of building,” said Jason Horsey, Executive Director of Universal Home.

He added that Universal One’s accessible, quality, modern homes were ideal properties for discerning homeowners and investors.

Other features of the pioneer apartment in the city include kitchens with mosaic backsplashes and breakfast bars; polished Italian style granite worktops;           85kg security doors; wooden teak textured ceramic tiles; utility areas with washing machines;  100L solar water heaters with boosters; smoke detectors; air conditioning in all living spaces;     white UV wardrobes; Italian style stainless kitchen/bathroom fittings and rain showers, among others.

Stakeholders at the yearly professional development workshop of the Association of Private Practising Surveyors of Nigeria (APPSN) canvassed the entrenchment of mapping to ensure adequate planning and layout of modern cities, OKWY IROEGBU-CHIKEZIE reports.

Information about boundaries is necessary for many reasons. One of which is that it helps to determine the location for roads or buildings. What is more? It is a vital tool for proper planning of towns and cities as it leads to the creation of maps and also settles property line disputes.

This was the position of stakeholders, faculties and professionals, who participated at a workshop of the Association of Private Practising Surveyors of Nigeria (APPSN), a subgroup of the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS).

The theme of the workshop was: “Panacea to leadership & good governance: Surveyors perspective.’’

The guest speaker,  Clement Nwabichie of Imo State University, urged the public to patronise qualified surveyors as there were many benefits that could be derived from the patronage.

According to him, there was the need for land surveyors to be licensed before practising, considering the legalities and precision associated with the work.

He said the complexities in surveying were beyond the level of the non-  professionals who might be tempted to undertake such for gain.

He called for a mapping policy for the nation.  He stated that a surveyor performed research about the area or assignment, which in most cases might included seeking out the history of the property, gathering information by going into the field and observing evidence about the property.

He urged his colleagues to be aware of the challenges of technology and be proactive in addressing the fall out.

He said: “A surveyor gathers information via field work by going into the field and taking a survey of the area, which will then determine boundaries or create a topography.

“During a land survey, Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment may be used, because this equipment uses satellite data, it allows the gathering of accurate information with high efficiency. Once a land survey is completed, findings are recorded, often by creating official reports and maps. Land surveyors do a variety of tasks such as updating boundary lines and preparing sites for construction so legal disputes can be prevented. They produce plats of surveys and describe property.  As surveyors, we should be on top of our game, collaborate and continuously improve and update our  knowledge  to provided the much needed service to the public,” he added.

Nwabichie stressed that there were three challenges confronting the surveying community in using the opportunity of leadership to achieve good governance.

These are: the mindset, non-definition of an objective,  goal or destination and propensity for  too much talkshop rather than action. ‘’We  need more commitment, less apathy and more strategic visioning to move our profession forward,’’ he said.

He canvassed the need  to develop a roadmap, a strategic plan for surveying with opportunities for yearly reviews and amendments.

“The beauty of a strategic plan is that it is a bottom up things that would involve every surveyor both in the conceptual and implementation stages,’’ he added.

Calling for the diversification of the profession, he stressed that surveying was beyond cadastral, crime, land reform, signages, and business geographics.

According to him, surveyors must make effort to diversify their services to keep many members busy, liquid and happy.

He said diversifying survey practices would help tackle the insecurity, economic and social problems facing the nation.

He listed some countries, including Israel, using investigative mapping to fight and win wars, and stressed the need for Nigeria to adopt the counter-insurgency method. He called for a national mapping policy and the implementation of previous laudable initiatives by investigative associations and their regulatory bodies.

Nwabichie, pending his inauguration, said the diversification of investigative practices should go beyond the cadastral to capture crime, land reforms, business geography, signage, among others.

He said several laudable initiatives in the past had been scrapped, adding that survey mapping could be used to plan and reduce crime.

“We need to make conscious efforts to diversify our range of services to keep surveyors busy, liquid and happy.

“Can’t those high resolution cameras get us moving in Sambisa Forest? We need to restructure our mindset towards our profession. We need more engagement and less partying,” he said.

He stressed the need for APPSN and other professional surveyors to set goals to achieve its objectives. He called for collaboration among surveyors, universities and industries to boost the country’s economy.

President of the Lagos Chapter of APPSN, Mr. Ganiu Aderanijo, presented the achievements of the administration, including the welfare of members and the growth of investigative practices.

He said the workshop aimed to raise the bar of the profession to ensure compliance with standards, the elimination of quackery and respect for the ethical values.

Earlier, President of the Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN), Mr. Oyegbola Akinloye, urged investigators to implement the lessons of the workshops.

A nurse, Ms. Folakemi Adekoya, in her lecture on “Living and surviving stress in Lagos”, said the state was an overwhelming city to live in.

Presenting statistics on stress at work, she proposed solutions to manage various types of stress, including those related to the workplace.

TO curtail the menace of building collapse, the Lagos State Government has re-launch the issuance of the certificate for completion and fitness for habitation.

Launching the initiative in Ikeja, the state capital, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said it was was one of the moves to further reduce building collapse. He said the huge losses that accompany building collapse, called for the redesigning of a more holistic strategy that would nip the menace in the bud.

The governor said law-abiding citizens and those whose construction were done to specifications had nothing to worry about as the initiative would save them the stress of presenting documents to the monitoring and enforcement teams.

Commissioner for Physical Planning, Dr. Idris Salako, said over the years, only few buildings could boast of having been issued the certificate after satisfying the statutory requirements.

He stressed that buildings seeking the planning permit and buildings that have been detected to be distressed would be required to present satisfying results of non-destructive tests to ensure the structural integrity and prevent imminent collapse. He charged officers of the agency to ensure due diligence while carrying out their duties.

The Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), General Manager, Gbolahan Oki, noted that the decision to re launch the project is to enhance professionalism and expunge quackery from the industry. According to him, the agency is poised to take building control to greater heights through enhanced broad-based participatory planning and commitment to deepening building construction engagements with the citizenry, professional bodies and sectoral stakeholders.

He stressed that the agency is putting in place strategies that would serve as a pedestal for improved service delivery to its clients. This resolve, he recalled, was recently demonstrated at Ebute Metta, where a highly distressed building housing over 300 young pupils was pulled down to avert disaster.

Oki stressed that building construction would, henceforth, be monitored by officials of LASBCA from foundation to finish ensuring specifications were followed. He however requested the deployment of a specialised unit of police and paramilitary officers to be in the Office of the General Manager, LASBCA, to ensure protection of officers during enforcement.