The Nation Newspaper

Category: Building & Properties

  • ‘Ruga settlement policy a failure of town planning’

    The former President, Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP),  Mr. Bunmi Ajayi, has said the suspended Ruga settlement programme is a failure of town planning rules and regulations and “government’s insincerity”.

    He spoke at the 40th anniversary of Molaj Consultants, a town planning consulting firm, where he was the principal consultant.

    Ajayi said Ruga should be private sector driven while the government should create an enabling environment for investors to set up ranches and run them profitably.

    He said the colonial masters provided cattle routes which herders followed and never destroyed farms or engaged in conflicts, citing the Obudu Cattle Ranch in Cross River State as an example.

    He wondered if the government would make the same provision for poultry and piggery farmers across the nation.

    Ajayi said the policy was ill-conceived, wrongly timed and in bad taste.

    Read Also: Ishaku: Ruga must be cancelled

    He said: “The failure of town planning is best illustrated by the failure of government to change the re- alignment of the cattle route to avoid conflict between herders and farmers as the population grew.  Agencies of government in charge of population also failed to note that population figure from the 70’s is not the same today and that some people with expansionist tendencies would want to create chaos in the country. Town planning practice in the last 40 years is not same as today, the technology has challenged,  if any planner want to be relevant he must grow with the times why is it difficult for the government to do right thing if colonial masters  thought of it decades ago.”

    Ruga Settlement, according to the government, seeks to settle migrant pastoral families in an organised place with provision of necessary and adequate basic amenities such as schools, hospitals, road networks, vet clinics, markets and manufacturing entities that will process and add value to meats and animal products.

    The benefits to the nation, the government said, include a reduction in conflicts between herders and farmers, a boost in animal protection complete with a value chain that will increase the quality and hygiene of livestock in terms of beef and milk production, increased quality of feeding and access to animal care and private sector participation in commercial pasture production by way of investments.

  • Sanwo-Olu to manufacturers: tackle plastic pollution

    Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has urged manufacturers to develop alternatives to plastic bottles and other non-degradable items, which are threatening the environment.

    Sanwo-Olu made the call at an environment forum in Lagos, with the theme ‘’The earth, our business, our future’’.

    The governor, represented by his deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, lamented that plastic waste constituted over 70 per cent of items polluting water bodies and blocking drains, with the devastating flooding.

    “Our administration is ready to collaborate with the private sector whose activities impact more on the environment to seek innovative ways of carrying on their activities without jeopardising people’s lives and the sustainability of the planet.

    Read Also: Sanwo-Olu declares Lekki, Admiralty toll plaza free on Thursday

    “These organisations must consider investing in new environmentally friendly technologies, especially in the areas of renewable energy, waste recycling, emissions and packaging.

    “For instance, plastic waste constitutes a major challenge to the environment, polluting our water bodies and blocking our drainage.”

    “We owe it as a responsibility to our future to promote policies, strategies and business models that will ensure the sustenance of an environment that will continue to provide support for our lives, our businesses and the future of humanity,” Sanwo-Olu said.

    Pan African Capital Holdings Chairman Mr Dolapo Atekoja said  the forum was to share ideas and proffer solutions to the menace of environment degradation driven by consumerism.

    ‘’As, a company, we   are    convinced that   issues   of   climate   change and environmental   sustainability  should   be   on   the   front banner. That  is why we  have been a leading voice, both internationally and locally, in promoting this very important subject; so, we are particularly glad that you are here to lend your voice because the issues of enhancing the environment is one of collaboration rather than isolation.

  • Work to resume on Lagos bridges

    WORK is to begin on the Alaka Bridge in Lagos, the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Adedamola Kuti, has assured.

    In an interview, Kuti said the materials for the replacement of its joints had arrived and were being cleared from the port.

    He said:  “Important materials for the repairs of the expansion joints have arrived and we are at the point of clearing them at the Wharf. We would look at the very critical expansion joints and change them. The contractor has replaced two of the joints.”

    Kuti said the materials were not available in the country hence, the delay in fixing the bad portions.

    On the damaged Long Bridge on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, he said the joints had been repaired.

    Kuti, however, said the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing were carrying out a “review” of the work done on the bridge to identify the new faults.

    He added that he had directed the contractor Julius Berger to speed up the repairs, noting that progress was being made on the reconstruction/rehabilitation of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

    He said: “Rain is slowing us down, but work is going on and we are making progress. As at the last report, section one which spans from Lagos to Sagamu Interchange is about 42 per cent completed.”

    On the trailer park in Apapa, Kuti explained that trailers were already using the park and the contractor was completing some of its facilities.

    He said: “We have finished one borehole and we are doing some electrical works also.”

    He said the entire trailer park project has achieved 98 per cent completion while the shoreline protection of the park was 70 per cent completed.

  • Pacific Lagos housing estate’s foundation laid

    A leading commercial and residential real estate development firm, Global Property Partners (GPP), has laid the foundation of its 14-floor tower, The Pacific Lagos.

    Located on 20 Ozumba Mbadiwe Street on Victoria Island, Lagos, The Pacific Lagos, according to the Chief Executive Officer of Cavalli Business and Investment Group, GPP’s parent company, Mr. Emmanuel Odemayowa, was modelled on mixed used property developments in some of the world’s leading economies and was designed to provide Nigerians with a “Live, Work and Play” environment “comparable with the best internationally”.

    He said The Pacific Lagos was the product of many years of research,  to build “a vertical mixed high-rise structure” that would meet the diverse lifestyle needs of its residents in terms of convenience, access to the commercial nerve centres of Lagos and premium facilities.

    Odemayowa also said the new high-rise project was in line with the Cavalli Group’s vision of helping to reduce Nigeria’s severe housing deficit through the development of real estate modelled on international standards, adding that the Group had completed various real estate projects across Lagos.

    GPP Chairman Gbenga Onabanjo, an architect, said The Pacific Lagos comprised commercial spaces, residential one and two-bedroom apartments as well as penthouse suites and a recreational area.

    He also said the building was designed to offer breathtaking views of the Lagos Lagoon and the Atlantic Ocean from its upper floors, adding that it would be equipped with a suspended mosaic-tiled swimming pool, round-the-clock security and facility management,  a recreational floor with gym, spa/massage facilities, games room, shopping mart as well as restaurant and bar.

    The projected completion period is 36 months (2022).

    A Director, Mr. Tunde Adaramaja, assured investors that the GPP had financial arrangements to ensure it would meet the completion date.

    Furthermore, due to the unique location of The Pacific Lagos, investors are guaranteed a good return on investment whether as rental value or capital appreciation of the property.

    Aside the foundation laying, GPP also opened the showroom for The Pacific Lagos where potential investors can access relevant information on the mixed used development as well as make enquiries on the property.

    Also launched at the event last week was the Pacific Mutual Investment Plan, a product introduced by GPP to offer flexible investment options for the Pacific Lagos from as low as N10 million.

  • Experts dispute 17m housing gap

    Is the 17 million housing gap true? No, says a fellow of the Nigeria Institution of Estate Surveyors & Valuers (NIESV), Mr. Ismail Gbenga.

    He spoke at an interactive session organised by the institution in Lagos.

    He argued that the figure could not be correct as there were many unoccupied houses in many cities, such as Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt.

    He said the institution had raised the alarm over the increasing number of unoccupied houses.

    He wondered if there were proper statistics of unoccupied houses. He  agreed with the immediate past  Works and Housing minister Babatunde Fashola, who also disputed figures.

    He said with the several housing estates built by the government and the private sector, the 17 million housing gap should no longer exist.

    According to him, what the cities lack are infrastructure, adding that with infrastructure, such as good rail system, good road, efficient waste management system and potable  water, many people could live outside major cities and commute to the city centres daily.

    He called for a housing policy that would make it possible for many citizens to afford decent accommodation. He however advised the government to build more housing estates, such as Festac 77 Housing Estate and Gowon Estate, Lagos in various parts of the country.

    Another expert, Biodun Olapade said only social housing could solve the challenge.

    He criticised the national development plan, which did not accommodate the various needs of states and people.

    He said, for instance, the type of houses needed in Lagos is not what is needed in Zamfara State because of various reasons.

    In Lagos, what the people need is transit accommodation, such that when a person’s social status changes, he moves to a bigger accommodation unlike what is obtains where one size fits all,, he added.

    On housing deficit, a participant, Ewenla Mustapha,  said the government should provide a level-playing ground for private investors. He urged Lagos State Governor Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu,  an expert in the built industry, to reduce the housing deficit.

    On incessant building collapse, he listed the causes as poor  foundation, lack of maintenance, and defects in design.

    He regretted that some people stay in buildings marked for demolition by the government.

  • Real estate group eyes big ticket jobs

    Seven real estate experts have formed a group to enable them handle big ticket jobs.

    Known as the Real Royal Professionals, the group has got the nod of Estate Surveyors & Valuers Registration Board (ESVARBON). With the approval, the consortium will operate as a body of experts in surveying and valuation.

    The lead consultant of the group, Chima Emele, said the consortium would fill the need for bigger firms in the profession.

    At the inauguration of the group in Lagos, Emele said it would promote the value espoused by ESVARBON, which is for firms to merge to successfully bid for large jobs from the government, companies and individuals given the the expertise in different fields each of the firm would bring to the table.

    According to Emele, this is because it is better for firms with expertise and core competencies various aspects to form a bigger body to pitch for accounts.

    He said: “Our group of seven members have various competencies as individuals and have agreed to work together to deliver services to our clients. We believe we will be more relevant as a group that we are now rather than individuals. We have fellows of the institute, associate members, lawyers, tax consultants, accountants and many more. The consortium is positioned to handle any job, indeed all that it takes to deliver competitive service rather than individual companies is in our kitty.”

    Emele said the institution has been urging firms to merge to have access to bigger jobs, adding “that the bigger the merrier.”

    The idea, he said, is that instead of individual firms that may not make huge impact on the society as units, coming together will enable the consortium to deliver better service.

    He said: “If a job is advertised and we give you our profile and you see the calibre of people there, you will not have any option but to consider us for the job because we have professionals in all aspects of agency management. The beauty of the team is that we cross-fertilise ideas, debate, fine-tune and come out with the best idea, process and procedure for our clients. For instance, I am a professional in plant and machinery; another member is a facility management expert, property valuation, agriculture valuation and agency. In essence, any job we prospect for, we have a specialist that will be in charge to ensure we deliver the best to our prospective clients. It is the best for the profession, the nation and also for the public who may need our service,” Emele said.

    He said there is a memorandum of understanding (MoU) binding their operational guideline on their actions and resolutions in all that they do.

    Furthermore, he said the consortium has an arbitration unit that can resolve issues and disputes including model for profit sharing.

    Head of Department of Estate Management, Yaba College of Technology, Pastor Benjamin Ajayeoba, while commending the consortium, hailed the firms for coming together as most of them are his former students. He encouraged them on professionalism, integrity and openness. Noting that that is the only way they can succeed.

  • Firm partners IOC’s cooperatives for estate

    A firm, Brains and Hammers Limited, has held the groundbreaking ceremony for the development of a three hectare private estate behind the NICON Town in Etiosa Local Government Area of Lagos State.

    The estate is in partnership with the cooperative society of International Oil Companies (IOCs), particularly Shell and Mobil.

    The initiative will produce 117 housing units in 24 months, from the day of the ground breaking.

    The estate will comprise four types of accommodation — three, four bedroom flats all ensuite with boys’ quarters; four semi-detached duplex all ensuite with boys’ quarters. The last category The King’s House, comprises five bedrooms, penthouse, a study, boys’ quarters and a guest house.

    The Director of  Sales for Brains and Hammers, Mr. Omo Osobase, said the firm was aware of the interest rate and its implication in getting mortgage in the country. It therefore opted to explore the concept of cooperative society for its funding model. For instance, he argued that this model ensures that the cooperative members stand to enjoy cheaper loans compared to the usual 23 percent interest rate from financial institutions and also get very attractive discount from the developer since  they buy in volume.

    This model, he further explained, remains one of the firm’s strategies, which it strongly believe could help address the ever increasing housing deficit in Nigeria. For this reason, he added, the firm decided to work in tandem with the vision of Shell East Staff Investment Cooperative Society to provide affordable and decent housing for their members. “This is our first push with a Cooperative society. We hope to deepen this relationship, hopefully create a working models for cooperative societies.  This is our contributory drive to ensure cooperative societies are able to harness their housing potentials in providing affordable housing for its members,” Osobase said.

    He said the company is eager to make a success of the Shell East Staff Investment Cooperative Society “Coopeast Resort Estate” to entrench its tradition of excellence in quality and affordable housing delivery. “It is a partnership that is very promising and we want to use this medium to reach other cooperatives .We are very hopeful that this will lead to a new era of advancement in housing infrastructure across Nigeria,” Osobase hoped.

    Coopeast Shell Cooperative President, Hyginus Onuegbu, said the project, which is already oversubscribed, would cost N7.5 billion in its first phase; the phase 2 will bring the total cost of the project to N15 billion.

    He indicated that it is first signature project for the cooperative in partnership with ExxonMobil (EMCOOP). The cooperative will be extending its total investment portfolio in real estate in Lagos within the next five years to N50 billion.

    Onuegbu, who said the group wanted to be part of the Lagos economic growth story, listed some of the group’s investments to include  the Lekki One Estate, to be commenced next month, the Oil and Gas City to be located in Ogudu and the completed Orange Island in Lekki.

    Stressing that the cooperative is coming big in Lagos because of its location and potential for quick returns on investment and urged the state to accord them of the necessary opportunities to thrive.

    Also, the chairman of EMCOOP, Mr Shola Sofolahan, expressed gratitude that the project is kicking off after some lags, stressing that a tripartite agreement will be drawn among the partners to ensure that the project is delivered in a record time.

    Similarly, the Chairman, Brains and Hammers, Mr. Adebola Sheidu, noted that the impact of absence of long term funding, coupled with high interest rate on the real estate sector in Nigeria, has been a great disservice to the sector. This is the reason that his firm has adopted a subscriber based approach to deliver its projects despite the challenges. According to him, the firm has delivered over 4000 houses in less than 10 years of its operation in Nigeria with 90 per cent of them sold off plan because it ensured there are subscribers for the project to bridge the financial challenge gap.

  • Landwey gives credit to subscribers

    The Landwey Investment Limited has instituted a financial credit service for its estate subscribers. It is accessible at a single digit interest rate within 48 hours, its Chief Executive Officer, Olawale Ayilara, has said.

    Ayilara, who spoke at a press conference  in Lagos, said in the firm’s continued quest to ensure that clients maintain their financial stability and see their investments reach fruition, it created this unique, customer-centric solution that furnishes the most convenient, and easy access loan facility for its subscribers.

    According to him, WeyMoney subscribers can access funding that helps them stay financially afloat, take care of business that cannot wait, and access loan facility in record time.

    He said: “The firm had discovered that many of our clients are business owners who are finding it hard to get quick loans from banks and they go through the route of low chart of 30 to 40 per cent interest rate in banks. We have a robust client base and we believe that we can add value to our clients.

    “Single  digit interest is extremely difficult to get in banks and we feel that our clients can leverage on the property they have with us and give them a single digit interest loan using their property that they have with us as the collateral. We have test run and the feedback has been awesome.

    “The WeyMoney Offering, variable rate loan, zero deposit required, loan terms up to 1 year, credit up to 70 per cent  of your property’s current market value, conditional pre-approval available, interest residual in single digit, quick payout and zero fees for early loan repayment.

    “Landwey is a real estate company that is new in the market but we are one of the biggest real estate firms in Nigeria. We are more into the blue ocean real estate and we have 24,000 realtors who are currently marketing our brand in Nigeria and abroad.

    “We are a development company. We have locations in Lagos, majority of them are on the Island. Lagos Island is like the new hub for the new generation real estate and the economy is viable. We provide infrastructure such as access roads and sell in plots so that our client can come and build. We are a forerunner in the market share.

    “The opportunity we are offering is more of a value-added service and not transactional. The interest rate is small so that we can benchmark our investment. We believe that if our clients make more money, they will come back.”

  • Lagos to spend N1.5b on wetland rehabilitation

    The General Manager of Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency (LASPARK), Mrs Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola has said that the state government will spend over N1.5billion in the next two years to revive the Gbagada-Maryland wetland.

    The wetland serves as drains for flood in the Lagos mainland area.

    Mrs Adebiyi-Abiola, who spoke at a conference in Lagos, said some developers were violating the bye laws which prohibited them and other persons from subverting the wetland.

    According to her, the wetland is not safe for human habitation, noting that those contravening the law would be sanctioned.

    She urged those buying the land from developers and others persons should desist from it, adding government would ensure the sanctity of the wetland.

    “It is understood that housing is in great demand in the state because land is very precious in the state, but it is illegal to violate the wetland by anybody.”

    She explained that the state government would create a park within the wetland and a four kilometer bicycle trail within the wetland to conserve it.

    Adebiyi-Abiola maintained that LASPARK is working in conjunction with some Non-Governmental-Organisations (NGOs) to put a framework for the project.

    She said the project is expected to be completed within the next two years barring delays and hiccups.

    Landscape architect, Seun Gbogboade, who spoke for Lagos Urban Network, a consortium of NGOs on conserving wetlands in Lagos State, said the idea behind the conservation effort is to keep the wetlands “alive” for the benefit of future generations.

    He said despite the government’s bans on wetlands, some people have sold such places like the Odo Iya Alaro at Maryland and the Gbagada to others.

    Gbogboade wondered how people could ever think of developing wetlands, which are perennially flooded during the raining season.

  • Why surveying should be rebranded, by Moghalu

    The presidential candidate of the Young Progressive Party (YPP), in the 2019 election, Dr. Kingsley  Moghalu, has called on  the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS) to reposition the institute by rebranding the profession to make it attractive to  the younger ones.

    Moghalu made the appeal recently while delivering a keynote address at the 53rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the NIS inAwka, the Anambra State capital.

    He said the institution needed to rebrand the profession from surveying to geo-spatial technologies to appeal to the younger generation who are digitally driven.

    “The surveyor has not much meaning to younger ones. Whenever it is rebranded to reflect the digital world, many youths will be attracted to the profession. Rebranding from surveying to geo spatial technologies will make more sense to them,” he said.

    He said the world is digital and surveying must move with the trend to attract younger brains.

    Moghalu described surveyors as a critical institution in the development of any country, because they provide necessary data for national planning and development.

    According to him, Nigeria cannot plan without data and data for monitoring of natural disasters are provided by surveyors.

    Earlier, the NIS President, Mr. Alabo Charles, advocated for surveyors to have offices at local government councils.