The Nation Newspaper

Category: Building & Properties

  • Former NITP president advocates Planning, orderliness to avoid scattered developments

    Former NITP president advocates Planning, orderliness to avoid scattered developments

    By Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie

    It was a time for sharing experiences in Lagos over the weekend when a former President of Nigeria Institute of Town Planners ( NITP) and also former Rector, the Polytechnic lbadan turned 70.

    In a short ceremony organised by his colleagues, a former Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development in Lagos, Toyin Ayinde who spoke on ‘Ethics in Professional Practice: The future of Town Planning,’ encouraged his colleagues to live above board.

    He canvassed that without ethics, professionalism cannot be achieved.

    He regretted that some professional colleagues are part of the problems that government is dealing with everyday as a result of compromise and failure to imbibe ethics in town planning regulations.

    He said for every compromise by a Planner the whole city pays for it in terms of scattered development and chaos experienced in the environment and by extension the creation of Shanties and squalors where the public occupy as their homes.

    He commended the celebrator, Waheed Kadiri for leaving above board which has been testified by his superiors, juniors and colleagues.

    Contributing a former Transport Commissioner in Lagos State, Prof Bamidele Badejo said Kadiri is a rallying point and a mentor to young planners.

    He said: “He looks to grow to improve himself as a person, professional, advisor and others from various climes”.

    Earlier in his remarks President, Town Planners Registration Council of Nigeria (TOPREC), lsyaku Muhtar Kura speaking on Dr Waheed Kadiri, said success do acknowledgement and with every decade lived comes countless cherished memories and accomplishments.

    “Finding just the right words to acknowledge someone’s success is important on behalf of the
    Council and the Planning Profession we celebrate and extend our heartfelt congratulation for his achievements, success and milestones in life which will make anyone feel special at 70”.

    He commended the former Ibadan Polytechnic Rector who used his birthday celebration to chart workable ways on how proper Town Planning can grow cities with livable experience.

    He called on policy makers to tap into the knowledge of town planners to have livable cities in the nation against the scattered development witnessed in most of our cities currently.
    Speaking on the birthday lecture; “Ethics in Professional Practice: The Future of Town Planning.”

    The TOPREC boss said good ethics is a fundamental requirement of any profession.

    He said: “It is integral to the success of any practice in view of its daunting challenges as well. Ethics is a system of moral principles governing the appropriate conduct of a person or a group. Maintaining good ethics is being consistent with the principles of correct moral conduct constantly.

    Our personal ethics are as important as our professional ethics; this means that as professionals we owe the public a certain level of integrity and objectivity as well as professional competence, due care, confidentiality and professional behaviour.”

    The TOPREC president said Dr Kadiri’s ambition and appetite for success have been driving forces in the life of many young planners.

    Responding Kadiri who was overwhelmed by the show of love his by his colleagues pledged that the rest of his life will be spent to advocate that government and policy makers imbibe the ethics of planning in order to achieve orderly cities and towns.

  • Court dismisses case against NIESV, official

    Court dismisses case against NIESV, official

    A Lagos High Court has dismissed the suit filed against the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) and Mr. Johnbull Amayaevbo by Olusola Enitan, who was expelled from the institution for alleged professional misconduct.
    Justice O.H Oshodi dismissed the suit in a 13-page judgement.

    Enitan had sued the institution and joined its chairman of Profession Practice Committee, Mr. Johnbull Amayaevbo, for what he termed denial of his fundamental human rights to a fair hearing before his unlawful expulsion.

    The case was filed on February 4, 2020 was determined by Justice O.H. Oshodi who delivered judgement on February 9 2021.

    Justice Oshodi, after listening to both the respondents and the claimant through their lawyers, said the claimant failed to explore the window of opportunity given to him by the professional body to be heard on the matter of his expulsion.

    Justice Oshodi based his judgement on the “route” traversed by the respondents to arrive at the expulsion of the petitioner saying, “What the applicant is challenging is the route traversed by the respondents to reach the destination being the expulsion. That is the crux of the matter the applicant brought to the court for determination.”

    He also declared there were no sufficient grounds to prove that Olusola Enitan was not given fair hearing while noting he failed to show up before the Professional Practice Committee of the Institution chaired by Amayaevbo at a stipulated date but instead was requesting for an “independent unbiased regulator” to attend to his matter.

    While quoting from a judgement in a 2014 case, the judge declared that members of associations are subject to the rules of their associations since joining such association is voluntary. He observed that a request for an independent unbiased regulator is not supported in the constitution of the Institution

    Oshodi ruled the proceedings leading to the expulsion of the applicant from the NIESV was not conducted in contravention of the constitution of the first respondent and did not breach any fundamental human rights of the applicants to warrant the grant of the prayers sought. In sum total, the respondents did not deny the applicant fair hearing.”

    He then dismissed the suit based on the conclusion the applicant was not denied a fair hearing.

  • Purple Group to deliver 1,000 homes

    Purple Group to deliver 1,000 homes

    By Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie

    As part of its contribution to the development of real estate in Nigeria and engender wealth creation, Purple Group has launched ‘Purple Living’.

    Purple Living is aimed at addressing the over 18million housing deficit in the country and create wealth and to deliver over 1,000 homes in first quarter.

    Speaking at the Nigeria Real Estate Market Outlook meeting in Lagos, Purple Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Laide Agboola, said the firm aims to provide Nigerians the opportunity to own affordable homes in  Maryland and Lekki with flexible payment plans.

    According to him, homes are an   essential and that the ongoing   COVID-19 pandemic has facilitated a reality where more white collar workers and entrepreneurs are spending more time at home.

    This has brought about the need to invest in new  homes   or   secure   their   savings in real estate investments   over other financial instruments.

    He said they were working to create homeownership and facilitate realestate investment while preserving the ultra-modern standard of living.

    He said: “With the rising cost of rents in a cosmopolitan city like Lagos, structured payments have also been created, which will offer maximum customer satisfaction and unbeatable long-term returns on investment. With Purple Living, investors have the  opportunity to make   fortunes   from   their   property   investment. Essentially, discerning   investors  could   generate huge returns  from  their investment in property as well as to create a portfolio of property investment with a view to building wealth.”

    He stated further that their initiative is to eradicate all the challenges of owning a house in different highbrow locations around Lagos and spread real estate opportunities to property lovers in a very subtle and convenient way.

    He pointed out that his firm is focused on providing top facility management and services while developing more properties that fit into future smart-cities.

    Developments are to follow an urban village model, mixed-use assets where residences are in close proximity to essential and entertainment facilities. Purple will help transform the landscapes of urban communities and place Nigeria at the forefront of development in Africa,” stated.

    He said the Purple Living comes fully serviced with proximityto   commercial  cities  and other   communal social amenities.

  • Oriba residents cry for help

    Oriba residents cry for help

    By Omobola Tolu-Kusimo

    Residents of Oriba Land, Epe Local Government, Lagos State have cried to the government to come to their aid in  developing the area.

    An ancient community founded, whose major occupation is fishing and farming, the residents said they lack access to road, drinking water,  healthcare centre and have poorly equipped schools.

    The community made the appeal when a real estate firm with more than 10 estates in Epe, Brit Property Nigeria Limited, hosted the community as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme. They lamented that despite voting for the government, they have been forgotten.

    The Oba-elect of Oriba Community, Yusuf Kasali Olanrewaju, Ajagungbade I, said there are bad roads in the community, and are urging the government to come to their rescue.

    He said: “This place is strategic to the development of new Lagos, but we don’t have any road. Majorly, we use water as our means of transportation. This is a town that has been in existence since 16th century.’’

    He urged Brit Property Nigeria to   link the community with the state government so that they could provide social amenities for the people.

    The Baale of Oribaland, Nurudeen Olowolayemo, also said the community have a public maternity hospital but it is not functioning.

    “We have about 40 towns under Oriba community and we voted for the government in power and supported them, yet they forgot the community. We want help and assistance from the government,” the Baale said.

    Meanwhile, Brit Property has given out medical care, palliatives, including rice and groceries, as well as books to children.

    The Managing Director/CEO, BRIT Property, Bright Chimezie, said the company embarked on the exercise because one of her goals is to give back to the community where it operates.

    He stated that Brit is a real estate and property management company specialising in managing residential and commercial properties.

    Chimezie, who noted that Brit has been in business for 10 years, said: “This is our 10th Anniversary and we have about 12 estates within this airport axis alone. This is the main village. The location is attractive. The proposed airport is close by; Dangote Refinery is not too far from here. The water here links to Ajah, Lekki, Victoria Island and Ikorodu.”

    He noted that the way the government was planning the axis, the water would link to Ikorodu and the Fourth mainland bridge which is not too far from Ajah.

    “If Lagos State government can build a bridge from here across to Badore, it will open up a lot of business opportunities here. Ajah is filled up, and we have free land here. The bridges along the roads were built by Jakande and he also provided electricity for them, Fashola also did some during his administration. This place is significant for the future of Lagos State. In the next three to five years, this place will open up significantly, and any land you buy from a real estate company is secured because we buy in bulk and acquire the necessary documents, he assured customers.”

    He said his firm was working to bridge the housing deficit in Lagos by building low-cost housing of N5 million for middle class on a convenient payment plan.

  • Divergent views trail planned sale of national assets

    Divergent views trail planned sale of national assets

    The Federal Government’s plan to sell national assets and some government-owned properties to finance this year’s budget has elicited mixed reactions from stakeholders in the built environment. Experts are divided on the planned sale, reports OKWY IROEGBU-CHIKEZIE

    To sell or not to sell national assets and properties? This is the question on the lips of practitioners in the built environment.

    The debate, occasioned by the Federal Government’s plan to offload national assets and properties to finance the N5.6 trillion deficit of the N13.58 trillion 2021 budget, has elicited arguments.

    Reacting to the planned sale of government properties, the Chairman, Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors & Valuers (NIESV), Lagos State Chapter, Dotun Bamigbola, said that the expected cash would be used fund the 2021 budget is not a bad idea, if it would reduce government’s borrowing.

    He said, however, that it was appropriate that due diligence was done on these properties earmarked for sale and/or concession using the appropriate professionals, to ensure that government realised the optimum value from either other income generation model of sale or concession as planned.

    He said: “It will also be interesting if some of the forfeited or seized properties during the anti-corruption campaign of the Muhammadu Buhari administration are included in the process to ensure that the government’s expenditure on them is reduced if they are not variously put to use for their highest and best uses. Those properties, which are critical national assets should be well-considered for concession and the terms of such concessions,  favourable to the country,” he added.

    President, Nigeria Institute of Town Planners (NITP), Toyin Ayinde said  selling public assets to fund the 2021 budget should be as a result of a cost-benefit analysis.  He wondered what good could be made of  wasting public assets,  if they were not in any use and could not be maintained, especially when it appeared the country had no need for such.

    “If we indeed have no need for them in the first place, then it might make sense to sell them. We must, however, balance this with the value of the component of the 2021 budget that we want to invest in. Will those components too eventually become wasting public assets? Are those components going to yield a higher value to the nation? So, the answer is not that simple. There are a lot of considerations and calculations that should precede that decision. Ultimately, it should be a win for us as a nation,” he added.

    But the President, Nigeria Institute of Building (NIOB), Kunle Awobodu, differs. According to him, the proposed sale is unusual, out of place and an aberration. He argued that such action suggests that the country is in a dire situation, which does not give a good impression of governance in the country.

    Awobodu regretted the various corruption cases that have been left unattended and wondered if the sale is not to enrich certain people at the expense of the whole country.

    In his words: “For several years, we have been speaking against the dangers of having a mono-economy, but, unfortunately, we are still in that quagmire. The much-touted anti-corruption stance of President Muhammadu Buhari has been compromised as a single man cannot fight corruption in any country. There is the need for a buy-in by his officials. Before now the NITEL building and other critical assets were sold but we cannot say that they followed due process. No doubt, the National Stadium and the National Arts Theatre have had years of management challenge, but one is yet to be convinced that selling them is the best option as the buyers and where the money to be realised is not guaranteed.”

    But a former Chairman, NITP, Moses Ogunleye, takes a mid-way position. For him, while an asset is what is converted at any time for financial gains or bail-out, however, plans to sell off public asset by the government might not come that easy owing to several factors. He listed these factors to include sentimental attachments, trust issues, the need to advertise in national newspapers and to have competitive bidding.

    He submitted that if indeed the government was thinking of financing the budget from such venture, the process should have started earlier, say last September.

    “They must follow due process and it takes time. This is to avoid the accusation of selling vital government assets to cronies. This has happened before where government officials sell government properties to themselves. I look forward to seeing advertisements in the papers for competitive bidding. If not advertised, it will mean that certain people are privy to the plan and are ready with their billions to buy. I want to believe that the public buildings in Ikoyi, Lagos will be the first casualty with 4,000 square meter going for between N500 and N1billion,” he stated.

    What impact would disposing of these national properties have on the built environment? The days ahead would give a direction to the real estate sector.

  • Stop sale of government land, Lagos warns Land grabbers

    Stop sale of government land, Lagos warns Land grabbers

    By Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie

    The Lagos State government has raised alarm over the unbridled and fraudulent sale of government land by Land Grabbers otherwise known as Omoniles in the State.

    Permanent Secretary, Land Bureau, Bode Agoro at a stakeholders’ forum on fraudulent sales of Lagos State Government land by Land Grabbers ( Omonile) Wednesday, lamented the activities of dubious elements in certain communities who are selling government land to unsuspecting members of the public in some parts of Lagos especially in Ibeju- Lekki, Eti-Osa and even Kosofe Local Government areas.

    He said: “These Land Grabbers have now taken their game to a new level as they have the audacity to erect signpost bearing Lagos State Government logo and excision application file numbers in their desperate attempt to deceive prospective buyers into believing that sales of such lands are genuine transactions and have government backing.”

    “This engagement is, therefore, crucial at this material time as we cannot afford to fold our arms while some dubious persons continue to take advantage of hardworking and responsible Lagosians by selling illegal lands to them.”

    Read Also: Save me from land grabbers, man begs Makinde

    According to him, if the Omonile syndrome was not nipped in the bud, it would fester and continue to prevent many well-meaning corporate organisations from making investment decisions due to the confusion, anarchy and avoidable conflicts caused by land grabbers’ activities.

    Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Lands Bureau, Bode Agoro(2nd right), Executive Secretary, Land Use Allocation Committee, Ololade Ajetunmobi (3rd right), Director, Finance and Account, Taiwo Ogedengbe (2nd left) Representative of the Director, lands Services, Murisiq Bombata (left) and Permanent Secretary/Surveyor- General of Lagos State, Olutomi Sangowawa at the Stakeholders’ Forum on activities of Land Grabbers in Lagos on Tuesday.
    Attachments area

  • Universal One unveils 576 apartments in Alaro City

    Universal One unveils 576 apartments in Alaro City

    By Okwy lroegbu-Chikezie

    Prospective homeowners in Lagos have received a boost in their options for modern, family-friendly homes with the start of sales of Universal One, a 576-unit apartment complex at Alaro City, in the heart of the Lekki Free Zone.

    Universal One’s developer is Universal Homes, an award-winning residential community developer with British, American and New Zealand investors. The company has developed 1,500 homes in Kenya at Tatu City. Universal One’s homes in Alaro City include: open-plan living rooms with expansive balconies, contemporary kitchens with polished granite worktops, wooden teak textured ceramic tiles, 100L solar water heating, smoke detectors and white UV wardrobes.

    John Latham, Executive Director of Universal Homes, said the firm chose Alaro City because of its experience with Rendeavour, the developers of Alaro City in partnership with Lagos State Government. Rendeavour is also the owner and developer of Tatu City in Kenya.

    “Universal Homes is bringing its high-quality, accessibly priced apartments to Nigeria, in partnership with Alaro City. We are pleased to play a role in advancing the housing agenda of Lagos State and to be a pioneer residential development in the Lekki Free Zone, surrounded by amenities like shops, schools and healthcare.”

    Launched in 2019, Alaro City was conceived as a 2,000-hectare mixed-income, city-scale development with industrial and logistics locations, complemented by offices, homes, schools, healthcare facilities, hotels, entertainment and 150 hectares (370 acres) of parks and open spaces. Alaro City is a partnership between Rendeavour, Africa’s largest new city builder and Lagos State, the economic and financial nerve centre of Nigeria.

    More than 35 companies are operational, designing or building their facilities in Alaro City, and 3.5km of initial road networks and a modular 50MVA power plant are under construction. Among the pioneering companies in Alaro City is Starium FZE, a subsidiary of BUA Group. Others include Mantrac Caterpillar, Ariel Foods FZE, the largest and most technically advanced ready-to-eat therapeutic foods producer in Africa, and HMD.

    CEO of Alaro City, Odunayo Ojo, said Universal One serves as a model for inclusive urban development in Nigeria, a representation of the kind of forward-thinking initiatives usually associated with Alaro City, which in itself is a demonstration of the Lagos State Government’s successful partnerships with private sector investors to address critical public infrastructural needs.

    “Going by the success of Universal Homes at Alaro City’s sister development, Tatu City, Universal One will serve as a model for international quality and accessibly priced homes in Lagos,” Ojo said. “We are thankful for the support of the Executive Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who continues to show the government’s commitment to the Lekki Free Zone project, particularly for the on-going expansion and rehabilitation works being done on the Lekki-Epe expressway, which will be transformational for the entire axis.”

  • PWAN Homes gets new Managing Director

    PWAN Homes gets new Managing Director

    By Okwy lroegbu-Chikezie

    It’s a new dawn for Property World Africa Network (PWAN Group) and its numerous clientele, following the appointment of Dr. Julius Olaniyi Oyedemi as new Managing Director (MD) of PWAN Homes.

    He takes over from Dr. Afam Okonkwo, who is the Group’s Executive Director.

    PWAN Homes is the mother of 21 affiliates firms under PWAN Group. Prior to his elevation, Dr Oyedemi was the Managing Director of PWAN Plus, which enjoys the reputation of being the star affiliate under the group.

    With his emergency as MD, PWAN Homes, Dr Oyedemi becomes the first among other MDs in the group; and the fourth in command after the Group’s Chairman, Dr Augustine Onwumere and the Group Managing Director (GMD), Dr Mrs Jayne Obioma Onwumere and Group’s Executive Director, Mr Afam Okonkwo.

    According to the GMD,” Dr Oyedemi has proven record of enviable accomplishments in Real Estate Development, Business Strategy and Corporate Governance, His marketing fecundity; outstanding training skills and exceptional leadership qualities speak eloquently.”

    “Hence, his new appointment is strategically intended to shore up customer satisfaction, which is the hallmark of PWAN Group. His coming will also demystify some existing challenges necessary to usher in a new dawn into every aspect of the group’s operations,” the GMD explained.

    Dr Oyedemi is an Electrical/Electronic Engineer from Madonna University, Anambra State. He joined PWAN Group as a Business Development Executive (BDE); he became the MD of PWAN Plus two years later, and rose to become a member of board of Directors of the leading real estate firm within the space of six years.

    With sound Information Technology (IT) background, Dr Oyedemi also created a paradise of service in the Nigerian vibrant media industry, having worked in different newspaper houses, including New Telegraph, National Mirror and the Nation newspapers.

    “My vision is to transform the entire organisation in 12 months, to an excellent service delivery organisation, he stated; adding: “In my three weeks of assuming office, some positive achievements have been recorded, such as physical allocation in four estate locations. and many more to be announced.

    “Our highly esteemed clients should be rest assured that my team and I are here to make them happy customers,” Dr Oyedemi added.

    He has several professional certifications to his catch of knowledge. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Diplomacy and Management; and an alumnus of the famous Lagos Business School.

    Recently, Dr Oyedemi decorated with the prestigious UN-POLAC Peace Advocate Award, courtesy of the United Nations Positive Livelihood Award Centre (UN-POLAC). He has also, won serial awards for his pacesetting innovations, excellence and impact in the real estate sector.

    Some of the awards include the Nigerian Property Merit Award, Real Estate Excellence Award 2017, and the Nigerian Real Estate Industry and African Child Prize for Impacting the Nigerian Child through Real Estate. In 2018, he became the recipient of the prestigious Real Estate Excellence Award for the Most Enterprising Managing Director of the Year.

  • NationalDaddi committed to helping Nigerians get affordable lands, houses

    NationalDaddi committed to helping Nigerians get affordable lands, houses

    Our Reporter

    Businesses mogul, Ike Bishop Okoronkwo has restated his commitment to helping Nigerians to get lands and houses of their own.

    To achieve this aim, Okoronkwo, who is popularly known as NationalDaddi, has floated his own estate to achieve this commitment.

    The estate known as Bishop Court Estate is situated in the city of Abuja and Lagos.

    Addressing newsmen in Abuja, Okoronkwo said, “I am committed to helping many Nigerians to get lands and houses of their own.”

    He also restated his commitment to helping other young Nigerians to grow in entrepreneurship and creativity, adding that his aim of going into different businesses, is to help build Nigeria and its people.

    READ ALSO:We will deliver affordable houses to Nigerians – FG

    According to his profile, “Nationaldaddi as his popularly known on social media is a man of different parts. He was one of the young Nigerians who won the President Jonathan you win program in 2012 and since then have ventured into so many businesses including IT, entertainment, hospitality, content creation, digital trading, and recently real estate.

    Bishop is currently the National Public relationship officer of Chartered institute of project managers of Nigeria and also the convener of operation Storm. A body that has empowered over one thousand youths and has given out over ten million Naira to indigent persons.

  • How GtextHomes widens coverage through virtual property inspections

    How GtextHomes widens coverage through virtual property inspections

    Our Reporter

    As part of its winning strategies, one of the leading real estate firms in Nigeria, GtexHomes, has widened its coverage through virtual property inspections, said it enables its customers to access the company’s range of properties at their fingertip.

    Speaking recently at the Annual Red Fest FunFair celebration, in Lagos, the Operational Manager, GtextHomes, Mr. Santosh Keswani, noted despite the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown, the real estate firm put in place strategies and policies to serve its customers better through virtual inspections and documentations.

    Keswani also noted that the Red Fest Fun Fair is an annual program to bring consultants and staff together to express love and greatness.

    “We are here to celebrate the Red Fest fun fair. The mission of the Red Fest is to bring together the consultants and staff together to wine and dine. Whether there is a lockdown or not, that doesn’t stop GtextHomes in any form. We have strategies and policies in place to survive and serve our clients better” he said.

    While others condemned the year 2020 for the Covid-19 lockdown that saw many company windups, the Business Development Manager, GtextHomes, Richard Ajayi, said the year opened the real estate company to a lot of opportunities to be more creative on how they can successfully drive the real estate industry to a higher level.

    “This is a Red Fest which is an annual event where we relate and connect with our clients, our subscribers. Simply put, it’s just like unwinding for the whole year.

    “For us, 2020 started as a film but we thank God for the year. It was in that year we swung into virtual inspection and we actually grew. While others were on lockdown we were still doing virtual inspections. For us, 2020 was a blessing in disguise because it helped us position ourselves properly in the real estate market. It helped us to expand and creative ways to get our plans to see our estates while on lockdown. No matter where our clients are we were able to get to them through our virtual inspection”.

    READ ALSO: Firm moves to resolve housing problem in Nigeria

    When asked about the business vision of the organisation for the year 2021 despite another lockdown threat for the second wave of Covid-19, Ajayi said: “For 2021, we are looking to do better than last year in terms of growth, expansion; opening new offices, structures and we are also working on completing our estates and starting new ones. The more we are able to sell, the more we are growing, creating more jobs. The more we grow, the better we are empowering people”.

    Meanwhile, the Admin Manager, GtextHomes, Amaechi Vivian, has urged the government to provide food for its citizens if eventually, the growing population of Covid-19 patients results in another lockdown.

    “We are here to celebrate GtextHomes. We are celebrating our vendors and consultants. It’s our simple way of telling them we love them. No one loves coronavirus, but we are also here to tell them why they should invest in real estate.

    “I don’t think the government should lock us for another wave without providing food and preventive materials. I think the coronavirus test should be free for everyone and not make it look like there is a war somewhere that awaits us” she said.