The Nation Newspaper

Category: Building & Properties

  • Fed govt partners Academy on mortgage, real estate

    To boost mortgage and real estate business in the country, Mortgage and Real Estate Academy (MOREAcademy), in partnership with Centre for Management Development (CMD), a parastatal of the federal government, has concluded plans to hold Mortgage Industry Stakeholders Luncheon on September 19, 2017.

    Its Chairman  and  Western Atlantic Corporations Managing Director, Prince Ade Akinfolurin, made this know during the week in Lagos. According to him, the luncheon is meant to coincide with the historical outing of MOREACADEMY, an establishment of the Federal government in public-private-partnership (PPP) with Western Atlantic Corporation Limited.

    “The luncheon will flag-off the entire training programme of the Academy, and also secure the interest of the participating public in the development of the nation’s mortgage and real estate industry,” said Akinfolurin,  adding that it is meant to further instil public confidence in President Muhammadu Buhari’’s Administration that through MOREACADEMY, a new horizon in delivery of the much needed human capacity in the mortgage and real estate industry could be achieved.

    It is also expected to buttress the importance of MOREACADEMY and its trainings for the nation’s economic interest, taking into consideration the Federal Government’s mandate to various stakeholders in the discharge of their responsibilities. Most  importantly, Akinfolurin said it is a demonstration of the fact that  government is desirous of genuine partnership with the private sector to develop the economy.

    Akinfolurin assured participants of an exciting and top quality training sessions. MOREACADEMY,  he pointed out, “will provide first class trainings and workshops that are structured for the Nigeria economy; hence its relevance . The training programme is expected to draw participants from the banks, primary mortgage institutions (PMI) ; real estate developers, real estate practitioners, state governments, Federal Housing Authorities and  housing corporations in Nigeria.

    MOREACADEMY, a public-private-partnership project between CMD, a parastatal  of National Planning Commission and Western Atlantic Corporations Limited (an investment management, corporate consultancy and training company),  is said to offer courses in both Real Estate and Mortgage Education for mortgage loan originators, mortgage loan processors, underwriters, mortgage brokers, mortgage lenders, real estate brokers/agents, property managers, appraisers/valuers, and real estate inspectors/developers.

  • Rotary: Why we harp on tree planting

    Rotary: Why we harp on tree planting

    ROTARY International (RI) has explained why it harped on annual tree planting and made it a part of its core programmes the world over. Its District 9110 Governor Dr Wale Ogunbadejo said the group believed that humanity would suffer if the earth’s contents were not sustained.

    Speaking at a tree planting forum sponsored by the Gbagada South Club at the Oworoshoki School Complex in Lagos, Ogunbadejo said Rotary had foreseen a long time ago that unless the earth’s resources were replaced by greenery, the world would face a major crisis.

    Rotary Gbagada South President Ademola Olutusin said 33 trees were billed for planting at the event. He said RI has 1.2million members worldwide, adding that if they planted trees, they would make an impact. ‘’That means we would plant 1.2million trees. Every Rotarian must plant a tree to combat climate change,’’ he said.

  • Ambode: 500,000 e-waste bins, compactors imported

    Ambode: 500,000 e-waste bins, compactors imported

    Lagos State Governor Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode has lauded the contributions of Visionscape Sanitations Solution Limited to the current efforts of his administration to evolve international best practices in the management of the environment, under the Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI) scheme.

    According to him, under the scheme, over 500, 000 new e-waste bins and compactors have been brought in by Visionscape, which is yet to be paid any money by the government. The company is also transforming the transfer loading stations at Simpson, Oshodi and Agege.

    He further revealed that a modern engineered sanitary landfill was being constructed in Epe by Visionscape, while an exercise tagged “Operation Deep Clean,” a stop gap for the full take off of the CLI, is simultaneously going on across the state to evacuate waste and ensure every part of the state is clean.

    Justifying the rationale behind the new waste management initiative, the  Governor said: “In the last two years, we have found out that Lagos generates one of the highest volumes of waste in the world. At the last count, documented waste in Lagos was estimated at 13,000 tonnes per day. Considering undocumented statistics, we can add an additional 4,000 tonnes per day to that figure.”

    He explained that for the government to be revolutionary in her approach to achieving a clean environment, and to be globally competitive, there is the need to accomplish a clean, safe, and prosperous Lagos, which the old environmental template cannot guarantee.

    “Cleaning Lagos and keeping the environment clean has nothing to do with environmental sanitation and putting your economic productivity at a standstill for three hours every month. That will not clean Lagos. Cleaning Lagos means we should give Lagosians scientifically treated land fill sites, transfer loading stations, functional dyno-bins, functional compactors, brand new materials and also be able to employ more people,” the governor explained.

    This thinking, Ambode further said, made his administration to embrace the private sector for a partnership that will lead to the introduction of 500 brand new compactors, employ more than 27,000 street sweepers across the various wards in Lagos and create 200,000 indirect jobs.

    The Governor stressed that he was not oblivious of the concerns of the people who have been cleaning Lagos in the past years, and that the new policy was not intended to send them out of jobs, rather it would help scale up their businesses.

    He said the new model is a win-win for all stakeholders in the waste management sector, adding that his administration has offered the private sector participants (PSP) operators a 100 per cent income from the commercial enterprise of the waste management initiative, as this will ensure that the PSPs can gain capacity and also get more capital to do more work. The governor noted that there are over 5,000 companies in Lagos, which he said are enough to go around all the PSP operators, with a minimum of 15 companies to each PSP, said the government can support them to make their contract with those companies bankable.

  • Stakeholders canvass standardisation of real estate agency practice

    Stakeholders canvass standardisation of real estate agency practice

    Except there is a reversal in estate agency practice, its practitioners will continue to feed on crumbs. This is because of the lack of standard in estate agency as being practised in the country. The lack of standardised practice, it is believed, explains why Nigerian estate agents are not getting juicy deals, especially from multinationals.

    “Can any of you here claim he is managing any outlet in Shoprite, or in any other multinational facility? Except you improve and up your standard, you will never play in the big league of estate agency. The best of transactions now are going to multinationals,” said Tope Ojo, guest lecturer at the Lagos State Real Estate Transaction Department (LASRETRAD) stakeholders’ conference, held  in Alausa, Ikeja, last week.

    The theme of the conference was “Standardising Real Estate Agency Practice in Lagos State.”

    According to Ojo, there is an urgent need for the review of certain provisions of the law governing estate agency in the state and country. For instance, he explained that under the Lagos State Estate Agency Regulatory Authority Law 2007, the practice is open to anybody from the age of 18 years, including having a minimum of educational qualification of secondary school leaving certificate or a proof of sufficient experience in estate agency practice.

    Other requirements under this law include evidence of registration of estate agency business under Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), including but not mandatorily being a member of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) or any other professionally recognised body or any registered association of Estate/rent/commission agent.

    However, the guest lecturer riticised the 18-year-old clause, arguing that it is very unlikely that any investor will be willing to hand over a N50 million asset to an estate agent of that age to manage on his behalf.

    Ojo regretted that the features of estate agency practice in the country are characterised by lack of adequate regulatory framework; free entry/ free exist, which requires no training nor certification; and are laden with high market risk. Others, he said, include small size of offices; lack of information on transaction; poor public perception; large presence of non-professionals; unorganised market; multiplicity of local agents association; fraudulent transaction; lack of standardisation; and largely unregulated. These features, makes the profession have perception issues among the public.

    Proffering solution, Ojo, therefore, called for a national/state body; effective regulatory framework; establishment of a licensing authority that will register all certified estate agents; professional indemnity by way of insurance of estate agents.

    There should also be categorisation of licenced estate agents into principals and ordinary agents, including creation of a state estate agency board in conjunction with NIESV.

    “This will give confidence to the profession. If a client knows an agent has insurance for professional indemnity, then he can be rest assured that if anything happens to his money the insurance will pay him back. For now, estate agents are traders and not professionals,” he explained.

    Explaining how the practice works in other climes such as South Africa, Ojo said an aspiring practitioner will first complete further education and training certificate in Real estate; undergo a 12-month internship mentored by a professional; write and pass Professional Designate Examinations (PDE); and register with the country’s Estate Agency Affairs Board. To be a principal of a firm, such person will also have to write and pass another examination. Over  40,000 Estate Agents are registered with the board.

    Earlier in his keynote address to the gathering, the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Housing , Mrs. Aramide Giwanson, observed that over the years, the activities of estate agents have been a source of concern to government because of the several unsavoury tales people have had to tell about the sharp practices of the practitioners, which usually leads to people being defrauded.

    Ambode agreed that unethical practices has thrived in the profession because it is largely unorganised, unregulated and unprofessional. This has been further buoyed by the by the lack of a central professional / regulatory body that will set minimum standard and code of ethics for practitioners, leaving the door open to all comers including those who do not have the basic training and qualification.

    He explained that with the establishment of LASRETRAD, government hopes to redress the situation, by not only guiding the real estate agency through rules and regulations, but by also ensuring that violators of these rules are made to account for their actions.

    “We believe that this will ensure protection for citizens and reduce the tendency for fraudulent practices. In addition, it will also enable government to adequately capture data on property transactions on a regular basis as it is being done in most developed parts of the world,” Ambode said.

  • Mixed reaction trails Lagos demolition

    Mixed reaction trails Lagos demolition

    •Agency identifies 114 buildings to be pulled down

    Mixed reaction has continued to trail the demolition embarked on by the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA). The agency, on Monday, began the demolition of buildings it alleged were prone to collapse within the state. So far, the agency has identified 114 buildings to be demolished. Approval for demolition of 57 of the buildings in the first phase of the exercise has been given by governor Akinwunmi Ambode.

    For Mrs. Adijat Adekunle, a 72-year-old fish seller on the Island, the demolition of a three-storey building at 152, Adeniji Adele Street, Lagos Island, belonging to the Aroba family is a welcome development, given the danger it posed to people in the area. She said the tenants have vacated the building a long time.

    Also, a student at kwara state polytechnic, Mr. Babatunde Afolabi, of 3, Ajanaku street, Lagos Island,   commended the state government’s effort on the demolition. He told The Nation that the demolished building was “too weak and could pose a danger to the lives of the people on the street.”

    A retiree, who pleaded for anonymity because he resides on the same street housing the demolished building, said the structure, built in the 1990s, belonged to the Adeseye family. According to him, it was clear from the time of construction that the building had structural integrity issues. Hence, according to him, it was a welcome development that the building was pulled down by government.

    At 54 Aroloya street, Lagos island, a 40-year-old barber and father of one, Mr. Bolaji Abdulahi, who has lived in the area for 15 years, explained that the house, belonging to the Olokodana family, had long been vacated by the tenants because of the state it was in. He revealed that entreaties by the community to the children of the owner to either renovate the house or pull it down fell on deaf ears. So, the LASBCA initiative of pulling down the house was a welcome development for him.

    But it was not all praises for the agency. Some residents and perceived owners were bitter with LASBCA, asking them to pay for the demolition of their properties. Although they refused to be identified with their buildings for what they termed “security reason”, but they said the cost charged for the demolition was on the high side.

    A man in his late 50s,  who identified himself as ‘Sesan’, however  described it as ridiculous when government expected him to pay to reclaim his family land after losing a property. To him, it amounted to double losses “How can they expect us to come and pay N250,000 to get the land back?” he asked rhetorically. Findings by The Nation revealed that the payment for the demolition starts from N100, 000, depending on the type of building.

    According to Sesan, such money was ridiculous and unkind, given that all LASBCA did was to use hammer to break the buildings in bits and pieces and not pulling them down completely. “As you can see, the buildings they claim to have demolished are still standing; they only used hammer to break them in bits. So, is this what they expect us to pay such amount for as demolition? They are simply after generating revenue. If they had brought tractors to level the buildings and asked us to pay such amount then it would have been a different ball game,” he said amidst bitterness.

    The demolition exercise, which began last Monday, according to LASBCA General Manager, Lekan Shodeinde, will be done in phases as soon as funding is available to the agency. “We have approval to pull down 57 houses, but we are starting today with 13 out of the 34 buildings we have identified on the Lagos Island and which we have fund for. So, as we get more fund we will continue with the exercise,” he said.

    Explaining the process leading to demolition, he said before demolishing any building the agency will require the owner to conduct a “Non Defective Test”, which will be done within three weeks with the result sent to the agency. Non compliance with this will be deemed to mean that the building is distressed. “And we as an agency seeks approval to come and remove it,”he said.

    The LASBCA boss explained that the choice of starting the demolition on the Lagos Island was premised on the preponderance of more distressed structuresalready identified in the area. He regretted that owners of such buildings have ignored advice by the government to remove the structures themselves, necessitating the agency’s proactive steps to avoid a disaster, which may result if the buildings fall off by themselves.

    Commenting on the cost implication of the demolition and the ownership of the land occupied by a demolished building after such exercise, Shodeinde explained that the land still remains the property of the owner. The property owner, he said, is however required to pay the state government for the cost of demolition, which will be communicated to the property owner in writing.

    “We are rendering a service to the property owner and not to confiscate the land because the building has not collapsed. We just remove the structure and communicate the cost to you, if you refund the cost to the government within 90 days the land is still yours; but if after 90 days of demanding for the refund of money and there is none, or we do not get a correspondence from the land owner, the land then stands forfeited to the  government,” Shodeinde explained.

    Findings by The Nation revealed that the agency opted for the breakage of the buildings instead of outright demolition using bulldozers because of the location of most of the structures. According to sources close to the agency, using heavy duty machines to demolish the buildings may affect houses beside the ones demolished.

  • Invest in real estate now, firm urges Nigerians

    Invest in real estate now, firm urges Nigerians

    The recession presents an ample opportunity for Nigerians to invest in real estate. This is because in every adversity, there is an opportunity. This is the submission of the Managing Director of Richlife Estate and Gardens, Mr. Bankole Oluwaseyi.

    Oluwaseyi told The Nation during the sixth Richlife Mega Promo and Empowerment Summit in Lagos at the weekend, that investing in real estate had gone beyond building and living in one’s personal home. This, he said, was why his firm is encouraging people to real estate like acquiring land for long term dividend.

    “Every individual should endeavour to own a property and invest in real estate; there is no need to wait on government because housing for all cannot be guaranteed by government. Such investment guarantees an assured return in no time,” Oluwaseyi said.

    The firm’s Executive Director, Administration, Mr. Sunday Ezekiel, explained that aim of the empowerment initiative of the company is to open the eyes of Nigerians to the opportunities in real estate. For him, Nigerians need to take the bull by the horn and secure their future through investment in the real estate sector.

    “The moment you do this, then you are assured of a definite return on investment. If you buy an iPhone 7 today, the value has depreciated immediately you take it out of the store; but for real estate, the value can only go up,” Ezekiel said.

    This thinking, Ezekiel said, informed the intervention of the firm to proffer solutions for Nigerians desirous of owning their own homes. Ezekiel explained that one of the ways the firm is doing this intervention is by going into places where people don’t think can be developed and buying large expanse of land, cutting into several plots and start developing. These plots, he emphasised, are then sold at reduced price. “Somebody has to decide that he wants to solve his own housing problem by saving money monthly or contacting us to work out a flexible payment option,” he explained.

    Executive Director, Marketing, Mr. Oladunni Adeyemi, explained that the firm is able to assist Nigerians by simply reducing the costs that is associated with house ownership. Some of these  costs, he said, are things that the firm has looked for a way to average it. For instance, to process the documentation of a land is undertaken by the firm. Equally, the problem of land grabbers (known as Omo onile) has been taken care of by Richlife; hence, a prospective buyer has nothing to lose sleep over.

    Adeyemi said Richlife offers the cheaper land in the country ranging from N100, 000 to N10 million. Besides, he said its flexible payment system is unbeatable anywhere in the country. “We are very flexible with our payment structure. When there is a default on the part of our customer, we still try to restructure the payment for them,” he explained, adding that empowering the people to own properties is the focus of their operation, including providing solution to housing deficit challenges, having known that the land mass is not increasing but population of people is increasing. The properties, which are basically in Lagos and Ogun states, are located in Ibeju-Lekki, Atan, Abeokuta.

    At the end of the summit, two people won a plot of land each. The winners commended the organisers of the event.

  • Lafarge Africa to bridge skills gap, embrace clean energy

    Lafarge Africa to bridge skills gap, embrace clean energy

    Cement manufacturing and building solutions firm, Lafarge Africa Plc, has said that its investment in the Cement Professionals Training Programme (CPTP) is aimed at training youths toward bridging skills gap in the cement  industry and increasing local content of her operations in the country. It is also aimed at forging strong ties with its host communities as well as a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme.

    Lafarge’s Communication and States Relations Manager, Mrs Titilope Oguntuga, disclosed this at the weekend while receiving reporters at the firm’s 3. 5 million metric tonnes capacity Ewekoro plant in Ogun State.

    She explained that about 27 students drawn from the company’s area of operations are on a three- year training with the cement manufacturer. On completion, some of the successful trainees will be absolved into the company’s workforce, while the others will form a pool of skilled personnel needed in critical areas in the industry.

    One area the company says it is emphasising on in its production process is to ensure a viable socioeconomic and environmental development of the country. This, the Environment Manager, Ewekoro Plant, Mrs Olufunke Madojutimi, said, accounts for its commitment to using renewable energy to enhance sustainable development of the construction industry and protection of the environment.

    Explaining the company’s operations, the Plant Manager, Ewekoro Plants I and II, Mr Olusegun Soyoye, said the firm’s strategic plan was to conduct business with zero harm to people and the environment through developing solutions that optimised natural resources for power generation.

    This, he said, made the company to look into substituting its usage of fossil fuel with the use of renewable energy to generate electricity; it also helps its production process to mitigate disruptions arising from unstable power supply and gas shortage to the industrial sector.

    “We are using palm kernel shells to produce biomass that fuels our plant and 134 hectares of trees have been planted for this purpose,” he said.

    According to Soyoye, Lafarge  produces 90 megawatts (MW) of electricity to power its operations, with plans to increase this to 220 MW in future. When this is achieved, the country will benefit from a 30 MW to be injected into the national grid by the firm. This represents the excess from its requirement. It will however come at a cost to consumers.

    The planned injection to the national grid is in fulfilment of Lafarge’s Country Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Michel Puchercows’ promise to support the country in solving her energy problem.

    “We realised last year that dollars was scarce and energy was scarce in Nigeria. So, the company reacted very strongly. Ogun State, being an agriculture hub as well, made it possible for us to produce 50 per cent power from biomass in 2016, which we can grow up to 70 or 80 per cent. We aim to roll out the scheme in other plants; in Cross River State, and in Ashaka, Gombe State,” he explained.

  • Hubmart redefines retail market with new outlet

    Hubmart redefines retail market with new outlet

    The space in the shopping mall sub-sector of the property industry has continued to experience a boom, notwithstanding the lull in the built environment. Last weekend, there was another addition to the sub-sector with the inauguration of a shopping mall, Hubmart Stores, Ikeja, Lagos. This brings to two the number of Hubmart stores in the state – one is on Victoria Island.

    The new outlet, located in the heart of the Ikeja G.R.A., has been described by shoppers and architects as a “masterpiece of retail-purposed civil engineering, exquisitely designed to give customers the ultimate shopping experience and set to take shopping to a whole new level.”

    The new outlet, built on 4,500 square metres of land, boasts of ultramodern facilities designed to create exquisite shopping experience for customers. Here, shoppers are able to choose from an exquisite range of products ranging from household items to dairy, confectionaries, toiletries, groceries and a host of others. For instance, on the first floor is the Hubmart food court which boast of a Deli and several other exciting offers. This is for those seeking for a quick bite and a relaxing atmosphere to enjoy their meals. There is also considerable parking space in the compound to ensure ease of entry and exit of vehicular movement.

    Hubmart Stores Managing Director, Mr. Murat Bektaslar, explained that the Ikeja Hubmart store, has been immaculately designed, with every detail carefully implemented with delightful and exciting customer shopping experiences in mind. For him, the store is a one-stop shop for all grocery, cleaning, fresh and household needs.

    Bektaslar explained that while the mall may not be bigger than those of its competitors, it is good enough to give customers a good shopping experience. According to him, in the modern world of shopping, it is no longer about size but giving service. This, he said, is why the store is would have an edge over competition as giving the quickest and best service remains its target.

    “We have created an environment where customers can find everything they want under one roof, get the best quality of ultra-fresh produce, and have a delightful, fulfilling and exciting shopping trip,” Bektaslar said.

    Although the promoters of the firm kept mom on the cost of the business, the Assistant Vice-President, Marketing, Hubmart Stores, Mr. Cheng Fuller, disclosed that the store is a fully-owned Nigerian retail chain.

    He explained that more additions to its services will come introduced based on feedback received from its customers. One of such feedbacks, Fuller revealed, led to the inclusion of the “Kiddies corner”.

    The store, Fuller said, would provide employment to over 150 Nigerians, 60 per cent of whom would be sourced from the local community. Besides, the firm plans to introduce a retail academy where trainings of skilled personnel in retail service will be carried out., as well as addressing local production capacity in the retail sector.

    “Manufacturing and local production are major challenges to the growth of the retail sector. We should encourage local manufacturers to produce more so that retailers can reduce importation,” Fuller said.

  • In support of Cleaner Lagos Initiative

    In support of Cleaner Lagos Initiative

    To capture the essence of the all-encompassing Governor Ambode-engineered Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI), one has to take a critical look at the challenges faced by one of the fastest -owing cities in the world – Lagos. The first is an ever- exploding population, conservatively put at about 21 million. The other is that Lagos generates the largest mass of waste in the world. The amount stands at 13,000 tonnes daily compared to that of New York of 10,000 tonnes. That, indeed, constitutes a clog in the wheel of the machinery already set in motion and being well oiled by this government for Lagos to assume the status of a smart, safe, sound and appealing 21st Century city.

    Yet, with not a few residents caught in the web of sheer apathy, lukewarm approach to sanitation and ignorance of the health and economic benefits to their livelihood, driving home the message of a more comprehensive and holistic cleaner city has therefore, become imperative.

    Add these factors to the deficient, previous waste management system which left out the  fringe parts of the city such as Epe, Badagry, Badore, Ijegun, Ikotun-Egbe and the picture is complete. With the potential to generate some 27,500 jobs, including drivers and waste generators, spread all over the 3,950 wards in Lagos CLI is a most welcome development. What more, each waste manager goes home with N27,000 monthly salary as compared to N12,000 in the past. This is a dream initiative that must see the light of day. So glad too, that those still in the employment of the outgoing management would be retrained and retained. What a good-hearted governor Ambode is!

    Yet, unknown to good Lagosians insinuations are rife that a few unpatriotic elements, greed-driven profiteers who have been milking the state through the institutional loopholes of the outmoded system are hell-bent on frustrating the genuine efforts of the current administration. Too bad, one would say!

    Yet, it triggers the pertinent, burning questions: Are they aware, for instance, that Governor Ambode’s drive to provide a cleaner, safer and healthier environment falls in tandem with the wave of the Green World concept now sweeping across the globe? Do they realise, that “it is aimed at promoting a harmonised and holistic approach to the challenges; and as a result, improving operational efficiency”?

    Do they, in their silent moments reflect on the fact that if the CLI does not kick off now, the deleterious effects would negatively affect the health status of future generations? And that,  it will come back to haunt them too as they may not find Lagos, or any part of the country for that matter,  a safe haven to enjoy their illicit gains? The timeliness of the Initiative is therefore, highly commendable.

    For instance, for a first-time visitor to Lagos city the sight of the Olusosun Waste Deposit, which stinks is an unwelcome embrace. It was built during the administration of Brigadier Mobolaji Johnson (rtd) and ought to have been relocated long before now. Governor Ambode has  rightly identified it for shutting down, treating it with the most modern chemical mechanisms available and converting it to another edifying bus terminal, befitting of a smart city.

    As in New York, Dubai, India and Singapore to mention but a few, Ambode’s CLI aims at distinguishing between household and industrial wastes for more effective treatment and management. For instance, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) regulates waste streams produced by residents, businesses, and other organisations. Reuse, recycling, and other ways to reduce waste go a long way toward saving money and are always preferred to direct disposal.

    Also, individual consumers are prohibited from disposing any electronic waste by the municipal sanitation department. There, NetTech Electronics Recycling provides solution when it comes to recycling of electronic equipment and computers in a responsible and environmentally safe manner.

    Similarly, in Dubai efforts in waste management include converting waste to energy, treating wastewater and controlling the movement of hazardous waste. There are new technologies for  improved waste separation and collection systems.

    As for India, waste management methods include material recycling, waste processing (Resource Recovery) and  waste transformation.  There is a clear distinction between municipal (residential, institutional, commercial), agricultural, and social (health care, household hazardous waste, sewage sludge). Waste management is intended to reduce adverse effects of waste on health, the environment or aesthetics.

    In tandem with such listed modern practices, CLI is geared towards addressing, enforcing and regulating the challenges in the solid waste management systems within the state. In specific terms it would focus on efficient waste collection process as well as efficient street, highway, drainage and waterway cleaning process.

    Besides, a new environmental law with the aim to change the way waste is collected is in place. Enforcing new rules will be the function of the Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), with the evolution of the Kick Against Indiscipline (K.A.I.). What more, the Lagos Waste Management Agency (LAWMA) has been empowered to regulate the sector. Also, the Lagos State Environmental Trust Fund (LSETF) has been created exclusively for environmental related expenditure and activities. There is also the state-of-the-art waste management fleet, with fully kitted operators and appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).

    All these laudable features would facilitate the sustained drive of Lagos becoming the greenest city in Africa by 2025. They  encompass the improvement of  the quality of water by addressing treatment of wastewater and sewage. The environmental remediation projects will take good care of degradation, reducing the accumulation of solid waste, promoting best practices, including reducing, reusing, and recycling.

    Also, there will be the drastic reduction in the emission of greenhouse gases and air pollutants. A deliberate prevention of public littering and improper disposal of waste will no doubt reverse and reduce the impact of climate change. Ultimately, Lagos is working towards the attainment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs.

    With Caleb University agreeing to partner the state government on environmental issues, all hands must be on deck for its sustenance. Proper and modern waste management disposal will guarantee the people’s health and wellbeing, create jobs and put food on the table.

    Ambode should, therefore, not capitulate to the sheer blackmail of the self-righteous traducers and enemies of the people but focus fully on achieving the aims and objectives of CLI. They are salutary, noble and praise worthy. As the wise ones say, ‘cleanliness is next to godliness’.

    • Baje, a media consultant and public affairs analyst, writes from Lagos.

  • NRMC, Alpha Mead sign MoU on affordable housing

    To improve access to affordable homes and deepen the  mortgage market, the Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company (NMRC) and Alpha Mead Development Company (AMDC), a subsidiary of Alpha Mead Group, in Abuja, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

    The  deal will allow AMDC and NMRC to work together on housing finance, training, research, advisory and project structuring to increase the stock of affordable housing in the country.

    It will also provide and permit technical support and advice to Alpha Mead in the  residential part of the estate market.

    It will make it easier and faster for customers pre-qualified by AMDC to access mortgage from the member- financial institutions of the NMRC.

    NMRC Managing Director/CEO Prof. Charles Inyangete described the MoU as remarkable.

    He explained that the NMRC decided to partner Alpha Mead because of its innovative and technology-driven approach to increase affordable housing stock in Nigeria and to leverage its expertise in facilities management which he believes will come in handy to maintain the projects after construction.

    “The combination of these capacities that Alpha Mead bring to the partnership will give the market the assurance that property prices can be sustained, going forward; and we can all deliver to the specific needs of the customers,” he said.

    Besides, he said the mortgage refinance firm chose the partnership because of the desire to see the Alpha Mead model succeed.

    This, Inyangete said, is because of the firm’s believe that the model will allow for increased transactions in the housing development value chain and providing its member institutions with more projects to finance.

    The Group Managing Director of Alpha Mead, Femi Akintunde, expressed delight at the partnership, which he described as a great demonstration of NMRC’s commitment to reduce housing deficit; and recognised Alpha Mead’s innovative approach to delivering quality and affordable housing to Nigerians.

    “It is becoming obvious that the conventional building methods cannot bridge Nigerian housing gap, especially in the face of the myriad of challenges that face the affordable housing value chain. So, what we bring to the market are the possibilities of addressing the challenges of affordability and quality; which are two critical issues that are inhibiting the nation’s affordable housing market,” Akintunde said.

    He noted that the structure of the market makes is a tall order for people in the middle-income bracket to own homes because of the high entry barrier.

    He listed other challenges as lack of skilled artisans,  high cost of building materials, and lack of standardised building and quality processes, which all combine to have adverse effects on the quality of building in the market.

    “So, on the one hand, we are addressing the issue of quality by using technology that guarantees repeated quality, straight edges and structural integrity; and on the other hand, we are addressing the challenges of affordability by using our technology to achieve up to 15 per cent savings for our customers,” Akintunde explained.