The Nation Newspaper

Category: Building & Properties

  • Family petitions Ogun cp over land grabbing

    THE Molomo family of Elewa Village in Abeokuta, Ogun State has petitioned the Ogun State Police Commissioner, Bashir Makama, to save their lives and properties from land grabbers.

    In the petition signed by the head of the family, Mr. Moses Olayemi, said: “Some people who claim to be members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), led by its Ita-Oshin Chairman, Alhaji Akeem Bodunrin (a.k.a Iyeru) have been illegally occupying and allocating our lands to individuals, families and corporate bodies.’’

    The family said their efforts to stop  the illegality proved abortive.

    He added: “The parts of the land registered via our family surveyor, Alhaji Bashiru Durowoju via two registered survey plan: DAA/OG/96/131 and DAA/OG/98/128, with the remaining land un-surveyed till date due to financial constraints and challenges.

    He said in 2005, one, Alfa Kamoru (one of their son in-laws) took the registered survey plan of the land from  Mrs. Saratu Akanni, under the pretence of marketing. Since then, he claimed, Kamoru had been illegally selling the land, thereby denying families that have the legal right to the property.

    He further alleged that Kamoru and his group resorted to destruction of properties and extortion of  those that work on their land.

    The petitioner added: “We call on the government and other security agents to save us from these people as well as nullify the purported grabbing of our lands allocations which have all been done without due process.

    ‘’We also advise all those who allegedly acquired our family land through this illegality to vacate same as this land, being our sole property, will be fully protected within the ambits of the law.”

  • Ogun tops list of funded estates in Southwest, says FMBN

    Ogun State has the largest number of funded estates in the Southwest, the Managing Director, Federal Morgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), Ahmed Dangiwa, has said

    Dangiwa made this known at an enlightenment programme on the re-admission of Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) and members of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) into the National Housing Scheme in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

    Dangiwa, represented by Deputy General Manager, Field Office Coordination Group, Sunday Ogunmuyiwa, said about N500million has been refunded to 4,858 retirees who were contributors to the National Housing Fund in Ogun State.

    He said: ‘’Under the FMBN Home Renovation Loan, over N283million has been disbursed to 354 beneficiaries in the state. A housing estate project at Laderin Phase 1, in the state is funded by FMBN through the disbursement of loans to 171 beneficiaries, while the Ministerial Plots Scheme at Ajebo, is also funded by the bank. It is on record that Ogun State has the largest funded estate in the entire Southwest.

    ‘’Other estates include Rockview Estate in Abeokuta; Sparklight Estate, Ibafo; Davids Court, Arepo; Master Golden and Evangel Estates in Ofada; New Creation Estate and Noah Pavilion, Mowe; Oba Sikiru Adetona  Estate, Ijebu; and Metro Park, Abeokuta, among others.”

    He said the FMBN, empowered by law to manage the NHF, has the responsibility to provide long-term loans to contributors to buy, build and renovate residential accommodation.

    He stated that the bank would ensure that Nigerians who contributed to the NHF benefited more in the administration.

    According to him, the bank has scrapped equity contribution for houses costing not more N5million, and loan requests above N5million but not more than N15 million attracts 10 per cent equity.

    The Chairman, NUT, Ogun State, Titilope Adebanjo, commended FMBN for its achievements in the state.

    He, however, appealed to the state government to further reduce the cost of obtaining titles to facilitate the creation of more mortgages.

  • ‘How we are working for a sustainable environment’

    Environmental sustainability has been on the front burner for a while. This is why major businesses, whose operations affect the environment, are becoming more proactive. As the world celebrates the 2019 World Environment Day, Coca-Cola HBC Chief Executive Officer Zoran Bogdanovic, in a chat with journalists, says his firm has been focusing on environmental sustainability in its operations since the last decade. He also talks about steps towards safeguarding the environment. MUYIWA LUCAS was there. Excerpts:

    Waste has become a big issue globally, especially as it relates to how the planet is impacted, what step has Coca-Cola HBC taken to address it?

    I think the amount of waste littering our planet has rightly received a lot of attentions recently. I get annoyed when I see rubbish strewn in parks, beaches and our oceans. As a company in the business of bottling, selling and activating beverage brands in 28 markets, we, at Coca-Cola HBC, understand the problem and our role in addressing it. Last year’s World Environment Day theme was “beat plastic pollution”, one year on, we have this opportunity to reflect on what we have done to date to tackle this and what we can do better in future.

    As it stands, materials like plastics constitute a large chunk of wastes in the environment. Why don’t you just stop using plastic?

    The challenge is that it is currently the best of all packaging materials available. This is because it is safe, hygienic, durable, flexible, resealable and recyclable in terms of the environmental impact of its production and transport. The problems we are dealing with today arise mainly after use, either with plastics sitting in landfill or left as litter in the environment. However, this doesn’t have to be the case. If we can get enough of the bottles back, with the right level of quality, they become a valuable raw material, as we can recycle and reuse them. And as technology advances, we will get better at doing that.

    The “World Without Waste” is a campaign you recently initiated. Tell us about it and to what extent has this helped to change the narrative?

    The Coca-Cola company, together with its strategic partners, are embarking on a comprehensive, multi-year plan that directly addresses issues regarding packaging. This approach – World Without Waste – has a goal to collect and recycle the equivalent of a bottle or can for each one we sell by 2030. As a step towards this, we at Coca-Cola HBC, launched a set of commitments last year, to be achieved by 2025, and designed to ensure that we continue to drive sustainability through our entire business. The idea is to make our consumer packaging 100 per cent recyclable by ensuring that we source more of the total PET plastic we use from recycled PET and commits us to help collect the equivalent of 75 percent of the containers used for our drinks.

     How far have you gone in this regard?

    We have already made some big steps towards these targets. Take for instance, 99 per cent of our packaging is now recyclable and we’ve identified opportunities to improve this further by ensuring compatibility between our packaging and existing recycling streams, which are done through the use of the right colorants, additives and sleeves. In support of our efforts to use more recycled PET (rPET), we have teamed up with third parties to ensure better access to  rPET suppliers and technologies. For example, in Austria, we have invested in a PET to PET plant, owning 20 per cent, together with other FMCG companies, which has supported the delivery of our Austrian water brand Römerquelle in 100 per cent rPET bottles this year. We announced a few days ago that from now onwards, every bottle within our Irish water brand, Deep RiverRock, will also be made from 100 per cent recycled PET, with further water brands in Switzerland and Romania to follow this year. Additionally, we will increase the percentage of rPET used in our Coca-Cola and Coca-Cola Zero bottles in Switzerland and Austria this year to 50 per cent while continuing to build our capabilities in this area across our portfolio in our 28 markets.

    What is the level of success achieved since the system started the recycling and packaging initiative globally?

    I can say we have done extremely well. In 2018, we collected a group-wide average of 45 per cent of our packaging for recycling, in collaboration with our partners. In Nigeria, the Coca-Cola System in partnership with the indigenous company, Alkem, has been in the forefront of promoting environmental safety. During the period of the partnership, a total figure of 23,000MT of PET was collected. Also, in Nigeria, the Food and Beverage Alliance (FBRA) where we play a leading role was instituted to advance this cause and so far, the alliance has yielded significant results with a total of 109.11 tons of PET collected between July 2018 and May 2019. We have launched some great initiatives to increase this further in other markets. For example, we took an active role in Russia last year to establish, together with the industry, the first Packaging Recovery Organisation (RusPRO). In parallel, we supported the initiative ‘Separate with Us’, which seeks to raise awareness around recycling and collect more used packaging. Additionally, we work with other stakeholders to support various local collection schemes which, depending on local conditions, include packaging recovery organisations and deposit return schemes.

    We are part of 19 other packaging waste management schemes across our markets and we have a group-wide policy on packaging waste and recycling, which provides the framework within which our countries operate.

  • LAWMA begins clean-up

    SEQUEL to an Executive Order by Lagos State Governor Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu on refuse clearing, the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has begun an intensive waste evacuation operation tagged: “Lagos at 4am”, to tackle the menace of improper waste disposal in the metropolis.

    In a statement yesterday, LAWMA said it had begun the early morning operation to fast-track the process of restoring environmental sustainabi-lity in Lagos.

    “We have embarked on this operation to restore the state to the path of cleanliness and environmental sustainability. This early morning operation starts by 4am; we roll out our operational vehicles at strategic locations across the metropolis to sanitise the environment and mitigate waste challenges.”

    The statement said LAWMA will not leave any stone unturned in its quest to clean up black spots across the state. It urged Lagosians to support state government’s efforts by avoiding indiscriminate dumping of waste and patronise their assigned PSP operator.

    It reiterated its commitment to tackling environmental degradation in Apapa caused by the inaccessibility of the road for waste evacuation. It further stated that restoring the environment in Apapa was what the authority had to do to make the environment livable for residents and those who carry out their business transactions there.

  • ‘High property prices can’t be justified’

    High property prices in Nigeria, especially in major cities, such as Abuja and Lagos, cannot be attributed to any factor in the real estate sector. Rather, they seem to be driven by factors peculiar to the country than what obtains elsewhere in the world.

    A realtor and former President, Nigeria Institution of Estate Surveyors & Valuers (NIESV), Mr. Bode Adediji, said this in Lagos while reacting to the high property prices in Abuja and other major cities and the current glut in the market. He said before now property prices, by any definition in major cities, were artificial because there seemed to be an avalanche of free money to either build or purchase property unlike the current situation where there is a glut in the market.

    According to him, in the days of high rentals in Abuja, civil servants and low-income earners resorted to seeking accommodation on the outskirts such as Gwagwalada, Deidei and Mararaba while others went to Zuba , Karo, Nyanya and Kubwa.

    While in Lagos, people moved towards the Lagos-lbadan Expressway and Lagos-Abeokuta way; generally a large percentage of people became realistic with where to live.

    He, however, noted that the biggest drop in rental affordability over the past years are in areas such as Asokoro, Maitama, Wuse I and II,  Jabi, and Garki, where two-bedroom flat dropped to between N1.8 million and N2 million per annum unlike before when it was as high as N3 million.

    He added that areas traditionally seen as some of Abuja’s most affordable also recorded a significant decline compared to the rest of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    Adediji attributed the crash to the  abrupt stoppage of privileges, noting that some current policy measures of the government on property acquisition and requirements such as reporting the purchase of some certain class of property to the Special Fraud Unit (SFU), the Economic & Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), mostly for tax reasons.

    On why property prices are falling, he said property prices usually fall on election year as some people may want to dispose their property to pursue their dream property and may settle for any offer.

    He said all these put together may have caused the reported crash in property prices, which he said had no reason to be as high as they were before now.

    Adedeji said: “Ideally, real estate investments and projects are always seen in all countries as medium to long-term projects.  When you see that the rate of economic growth and the migration of people from certain income class to another is either not improving, but retrogressing in this scenario building, for that particular class of people, that may not be a wise decision.

    “They may be rightly referred to as endangered species because it is almost certain that in the nearest future you cannot foretell their ability to take–up such property. That in my mind is the main problem that we have had in Nigeria.”

    He maintained that so far, developers are building for a class of people, who are either expatriates coming into the country or people migrating from low to medium and high income areas to premium areas. For these set of people, as soon as there is recession there will be no effective demand for such products.

    Adedeji advised that to avoid this, developers should be proactive and futuristic in concept, planning, financing, development and construction. ‘If a developer goes to a bank to borrow money to build luxury estate for a class of people that are no longer available or dwindling, that is crisis from day one that you are courting,” he said.

    The former NIESV chief stressed that there are expectations from the government and real estate investors to ensure that whatever product rolled out by them, the burden of infrastructure development should be taken away from them.

    Unfortunately, Lagos, according to him, has not been of much help as the government seem to be largely interested only on the Lekki/Epe axis to the neglect of other areas such as Badagry, among others.

    However, Broll Property Group Nigeria Chief Executive Officer, Bolaji Edu, stated that following inflation and subsequent  re-adjustment, the real estate market is now on a more long-term stable footing.

    He said: “The market has begun to rebase itself down from a level comparable to the wealthiest cities in the world such as New York and the outskirts of London. This is most evident in the reducing rates in the commercial and retail sectors, which are now at more sustainable levels.”

  • Climate change tops $0.1m NLNG Prize for Science contest

    Twenty-nine scientists are set to find solution to erosion, droughts and desertification plaguing various parts of the country in this year’s Nigeria Prize for Science sponsored by Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG).

    The science prize first awarded in 2004 is worth $100,000.

    Details of the contest were revealed during the handover of the  entries to the prize’s Advisory Board signifying the beginning of the contest that will culminate in the announcement of a winner.

    Handing over the entries to the Advisory Board chaired by Professor Alfred Akpoveta Susu, in Lagos, NLNG’s Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Manager, Andy Odeh said: “The business of scientific innovation and research is not an easy task anywhere in the world. In Nigeria, it is even more difficult because of the paucity of research funds and the resulting increasing lack of interest.’’

    He said NLNG will continue, through the Nigeria Prize for Science to find excellence even if it is to be found “in the darkest corner,” saying the gas giant is committed to changing the narrative of the nation through scientific prowess through which many nations have excelled.

    Odeh pointed out that though Climate Change remains a myth to  many people, its impact could be seen on the environment and agriculture.

    “We have all seen the growing rate of desertification in the northern part of our country,’’ he said.

    He continued: “Climate Change is real and that is why NLNG believes that solution to this threat can be engendered through a competition such as The Nigeria Prize for Science. The prize is another opportunity for NLNG to contribute to the development of the country.

    “The Nigeria Prize is open to all irrespective of nationality. What is common to all past and prospective winners, is the focus on solving Nigeria’s problems through scientific endeavours. It does not matter who finds solutions to the Nigerian problems.

    “All that counts is that it helps to build a better Nigeria, in line with the vision of Nigeria LNG.’’

    The entries, which came in response to a call for entries published in the national dailies in February 2019, would be examined on their merits of excellence in advancing the frontiers of knowledge in or providing innovative solution to the issue of climate change in Nigeria.

    Susu said regardless of how large or small the number of entries is, the judging must hold and assured Nigerians that the Advisory Board will deliver their mandate based on integrity and excellence.

    He urged the judges to understand that “judging the prize goes beyond the prize itself. It is contributing to nation building and we must never compromise on excellence.”

  • Fashola promises completion of N120b Bonny project

    Minister of Power, Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola, SAN,  has said Bodo-Bonny road would be completed as scheduled. Fashola, represented by the Director, High Way Construction and Rehabilitation, Mr Yemi Oguntiminiyi said this while inspecting Bodo-Bonny/Port Harcourt-Aba road project in the state.

    In a tripartite agreement between the Federal Government, Nigeria LNG and Julius Berger Nigeria PLc (contractor), the decades-long abandoned N120b Bodo-Bonny was recently rejuvenated .

    Fashola said the project was one of the critical projects in the country that needed to be completed due to its economic importance. Tagged the biggest community social responsibility (CSR) initiative by a private company in Nigeria, the 34km road passing Bodo, Afo, Opobo and Nanabie to Bonny, is expected to contribute to the development of the Niger Delta region and open up opportunities for rapid socio economic development.

    Bodo-Bonny project, which commenced on October 20, 2017, is expected to be completed in August  19, 2022. The 35.68kilo metre project is being handled by Julius Berger at the cost of N120.6 billion. Agency reports have it that the company has put in 60 per cent of the work.

    The minister said the Federal Government would fund the project to ensure its speedy completion. Managing Director, Nigeria Liquefied Gas, Mr Tony Attah  said the company had contributed N60 billion to ensure execution of the project.

    He said the Executive Order of 007, signed recently by President Muhammadu Buhari, had encouraged the company to contribute financially to the project.

    Project Manager, Julius Berger, Mr Thomas Haug said the road had about seven kilometers in swampy areas of Opobo channels. He, however, said the company would ensure completion of the project as scheduled despite some logistic challenges

  • ‘Wrong housing policy threat to development’

    Wrong housing policies have been stalling the nation’s development, the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) President, Rowland Abonta, has said.

    Abonta, who spoke at the inaugural meeting of the 2019/2020 National Council of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) in Abuja, said housing should be incorporated into the development policy of the nation.

    He said: “Nigeria would become a better nation the moment stakeholders stopped playing politics with housing issues. I will honestly call on the government and policy makers to be honest with housing.  It is a human requirement ranked as number two among human needs. The day we stop playing politics with it, it will be a better nation.”

    According to Abonta, those brought up in squalors and indecent environment are upset with nature.

    “They are very reactive and aggressive to the public. If a census of convicted criminals is taken, one will almost be sure that they are usually from a poor background. It is, therefore, safe to say that Nigeria is breeding criminals with her national and anti- people housing policy, he added.

    According to Abonta, the biggest challenge in the sector is poor planning.

    To plan for housing, the government should undertake a survey to determine what people need.

    He added that adequate planning would bring other problems into  perspective.

    He said the more than 17 million housing deficit might not be correct as the figure was not backed by data.

    On social housing, Abonta said it would be difficult for low income earners to own houses without  housing finance.

    Abonta said a responsible government would insist that investors in the sector dedicate a  percentage of their earnings to low income people.

    He advised the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) against building big houses. ‘’I am yet to know when they will do the kind of thing they did in Lugbe called National Housing Programme, ‘’ he added.

    In another development, the International Real Estate Federation (FIABCI) Nigeria President, Mr. Adeniji Adele, said policy inconsistencies, delay in legal process, affordability and cumbersome title registration process, poor state of infrastructure, social amenities and inadequate access to finance were responsible for the little progress recorded in the sector. Commending the government for introducing reforms through the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) as evidenced by World Bank’s 2018 Ease of Doing Business Index where Nigeria ranked 145th out of 190 countries.

    He said there was need for effective collaborations among players in the private and public sectors to create an enabling path of growth for the sector and the  nation’s economy.

    He encouraged his colleagues to practise the core elements of property business with integrity – property rights, access to credit, effective governance, rational dispute, financial transparency and appropriate regulation.

  • ‘Why we are removing structures to fix roads’

    The Lagos State Government yesterday explained why structures had to be removed to fix roads.

    Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting at the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Alausa-Ikeja, on the reconstruction of Remi Oyefiade Street in Eti Osa Local Government, the Commissioner, Prince Rotimi Ogunleye, said such was necessary not only for the development of the state, but also for the upgrade of people’s standard of living.

    He said: “There is no way we will do road, drainages, walk ways and not remove certain aspects of the road, except you just want us to fill the road and we leave. But this is not government’s standard. We must have drainages at the sides and we must do standard work, hence the reason we have to remove structures on the right of way.”

    Represented by Permanent Secretary Boladele Dapo-Thomas, Ogunleye said there was no way they would do the road without removing structures.

    “For the contractor to actualise all they have planned, there is no way structures will not be removed because they are on the spaces the roads are meant to expand to.

    “To expand Remi Oyefiade Street, the structures to be removed have been marked. So there is no way the structures will not be removed because they are on the space for the road,” he added.

    The commissioner said the meeting is to sensitise residents to know if they are ready for the project.

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    He assured property owners, whose structures would be demolished, that they would be compensated.

    “We serve as consultants and as consultants we only deliver the right of way. We will require that you submit necessary papers, if there are any, on any of your structures that will be removed. We will forward the papers to the Lands Bureau because all of us have our mandate. Ours is to deliver the right of way, theirs is to enumerate, take inventory and arrange payment of compensation where applicable,” Ogunleye said.

    He urged residents to collaborate with the government and the contractor to actualise the project.

    The Project Coordinator of Alpha and Gold International Ltd, the contractor, Wale Logunleko, said the fixing of the road would begin anytime from now.

    He sought the residents’ cooperation to get the project completed.

    The Chairman, Remi Oyefiade Street Resident Association, Prince Matthew Ahianba, thanked the government for repairing the road, saying “it shows we have not been forgotten.”

  • Old Mutual, Afreal, others simplify home ownership

    It is not news that the housing gap is growing by the day. Although it still hovers around 17million less than what is needed to bridge the gap. The government has been asked to provide an enabling environment to allow the private sector thrive. In pursuit of liberalising home ownership, Old Mutual, Afreal and Newhomes.ng are collaborating not only to provide listing for properties, but mortgages to enable people achieve their dreams. OKWY IROEGBU-CHIKEZIE reports

    The easiest way to get people own houses is to have a viable and virile mortgage system. This is what happens in advanced economies where people pay mortgages for up to 30 years. To stimulate home ownership in the country, Old Mutual, an insurance firm with over a century history, Afreal Limited, a licensed mortgage brokerage firm through their delivery vehicle, Newhomes.ng have collaborated to simplify home ownership.

    In a chat with The Nation, Afreal Limited Chairman, Prof Chris Ugbechie said the idea behind the robust collaboration is to create liquidity to deliver affordable housing by creating equity deposit, monthly repayment and loan to value packages to Nigerians. He said though the growth of the real estate in Nigeria is notoriously slow, the firm through their SPV, Newhomes.ng, has created a perfect solution to prospective home owners, adding that the programme will ensure real estate distribution and financial solution to home ownership.

    Afreal Managing Director,  Maurice Okoli said though some developers are building houses on a daily basis the gap in the housing stock has not improved because they are not building for the need of the market.

    According to him, their product will bring potential home buyers to a pool of houses and payment options that will enable them own houses. He said the application process is tailored in such a way that a potential buyer will run a personal credit rating on himself and know the house he can afford depending on his income.

    Okoli revealed that they provide information to customers on the housing stock available and information on the off-take obligation.

    He said: “We match potential property buyers with off-takers. We also pass useful information to developers for them to know what is required in the market. If you visit major cities you will see many to let houses, but they are not taking up because most times what is built is not what the market required. It is packaged in such a way that when a buyer sees a house he wants, he will click the mortgage dialogue, check affordability status which is in line with the Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company (NMRC), that states that a repayment should not be more than 1/3 of one’s income”.

    Earlier, Old Mutual Marketing & Customer Experience Executive, Alero Ladipo said: “This partnership signals our strong commitment to Nigeria and her growing industries such as the real estate markets. As Nigerians invest their hard earned monies and investments in bridging the huge supply gap in the provision of housing for the citizens, it is imperative to recognise the risks that threaten these investments and put a financial protection plan in place. This is where Old Mutual comes in.

    “We have taken it upon ourselves, as insurers with over 170 years of experience, to enter into this exclusive partnership with Newhomes.ng, to provide innovative technology led solutions aimed at delivering the right insurance services for homeowners in Nigeria and at the same time bridge the gap of access to basic financial insurance.

    “Our partnership with Newhomes.ng provides the customers (whether individuals, investors or corporates) access to an array of property and home insurance products at just a click from a mobile device or computer. In other words, from the Newhomes.ng platform, Nigerians would be able to calculate their premium in seconds, complete seamless transaction end to end and obtain their policy certificate, all from the comfort of their homes or offices.”

    She added that the collaboration serves as an opportunity for Old Mutual to provide insurance protection for property owners and homeowners.

    “Through the newhomes.ng platform, Old Mutual will be providing a Premium Home Insurance package to existing and prospective property owners with benefits, including building fire and peril, household goods and personal belongings, burglary, fire insurance, alternative accommodation cost in event of home loss, personal accident cover and personal liability cover,” she added.