The Nation Newspaper

Category: Property

  • Experts push for local options in housing

    There are several figures touted as the nation’s housing gap. As at today, the housing gap is believed to be about 21 million units but nothing serious is being done to address this sectoral issue. Analysts have criticised the current administration for not giving the housing ministry a separate ministry, saying that it proves that they don’t have much regard for the housing need of the people.  Experts have asked the government to revive the various ceramic industries that operated in the country some decades ago, noting that they contributed in no small measure to ensure some government owned estates were delivered as almost everything in a house is derived from ceramics, reports OKWY IROEGBU-CHIKEZIE.

    Former Director-General, the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Dr John Isemede has urged the Federal Government to give development of  the housing sector a top priority. He made the  call in an exclusive interview with The Nation. He said the housing sector can be  developed by reviving the ceramics industry which in turn, would grow the economy. According to him, ceramics can be used in almost all the sectors of the economy. He called for the discontinuation of reliance on oil and gas but support  the development of other sectors.

    A Professor of Ceramics Engineering, Patrick Oaikhinan, lamented the large ceramic imports worth 900million dollars yearly out of which ceramic tiles imports is over US$500 million yearly and is projected to reach US$2.1 billion by 2025. He said ceramics play an important role in the sustainable industrialisation of any nation as a result of its strategic applications in numerous industrial sectors such as building and construction, aviation, automobile, defence and security.

    Nigeria remains a nation with great growth potentials for ceramic tiles and other products despite the economic downturn, he added. Oaikhinan said if moribund ceramics companies can be revived, the nation’s ever growing housing gap will be narrowed in no distant time as the huge import of foreign components used in housing would have been eliminated.

    He regretted that the vibrancy of ceramics manufacturing witnessed in the 1950s and 1980s was eroded when five international ceramic manufacturing companies, namely: Richware Ceramics, Modern Ceramics, Nigergrob Ceramics, Ceramic Manufacturer, and Quality Ceramics located in different parts of the country went moribund.

    He said the shift of focus by successive administration on ‘buy local’ directive to oil production proved a death knell on the industries. “Currently, there are nine operating ceramic companies in Nigeria of which eight are for tiles and one for sanitary ware, and they operate under various capacities. Ceramics (Royal) is the oldest major manufacturer of ceramic tiles and is closely followed by PNT. The average production capacity is 40,000-45,000 square metre per day for the eight manufacturing companies combined.’’ I thank the Chinese for 100 per cent investment in six out of the eight ceramic tiles companies, and the Indian with investments support for the remaining two tiles companies,” he added.

    READ ALSO: FMBN seeks N500b recapitalization to address housing deficit

    On the limiting factor for ceramics development in the country, he lamented that the sheer pace of technological change has caught the ceramic industry in Nigeria unawares including the absence of adequate skills.  He canvassed for employees with generic and technical skills to create innovative ceramics manufacturing in Nigeria.

    He disclosed that Nigeria occupies eigth position among the top 18 emerging economies for ceramic tiles trade but the only country in the world without significant ceramics export despite the enormous solid mineral resources in her soil.

    Increasing home renovation and modular kitchen projects is one of the significant global ceramic tableware market growth drivers with one of the key end-users of ceramic tableware products being the residential sector.

    On a good day, the increase in household numbers in Nigeria is expected to augment the demand for ceramic tableware in the coming years. Regrettably, there is no single ceramic tableware industry in Nigeria and the government seems not to be concerned. Except there is a serious investment in this sector, the nation’s housing sector will continue to diminish.

    Sadly, there is only one ceramic sanitary ware industry serving a population of 200 million people in Nigeria. It simply shows the government is not committed to the nation’s housing sector.

    He said: “The global ceramic sanitary ware market reached a value of US$ 40.4 billion in 2018 and is projected to reach US$ 64.8 billion by 2024, registering a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about eight per cent during 2019-2024. Sanitary ware is one of the basic requirements in residential, commercial and public spaces hence growth in the global real estate market is a key market driver. There is only one ceramic sanitary ware industry serving a population of 200 million people in Nigeria.”

    According to the don, a recovery in construction expenditures across all market segments will be the primary driver of gains as the brick, block, and paver market continues its improvement from declines related to the 2006 collapse of residential construction and subsequent economic recession if the government looks in the direction of driving growth through ceramics technology. He said this will also aid the anticipated rebounding new housing construction if there are reforms in the sector.

    Presently, there are 43 federal universities, 48 state universities, and 79 private universities; making it a total of 170 universities in Nigeria. None of these universities offers ceramic science, ceramic technology and engineering programmes.

    On other sectors of the housing sector that the ceramics industry can deal with, he said growing investments in the refurbishment of aging grid infrastructure and the growing adoption of smart grid technology will stimulate the global electric insulators market size.  He canvassed for sizeable expenditure toward modernisation of electrical infrastructure along with rapid urbanisation to further drive the housing industry.

    Furthermore, Oaikhinan advised policy makers to patronise the ceramics industry as it can also be used to build bricks  for housing development that can last 150 years but he regretted that Nigerians have no significant interest in using bricks, which is heightened by government’s lackluster interest in the sector.

  • Lagos, Access Bank partner to improve Oniru road network

    Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie

     

    In recognition of the revenue status of the Lekki axis, which accounts for over 50 per cent of the state revenue, the Lagos State government and Access Bank Plc under a public private partnership (PPP) is set to redevelop its road including seven junctions.

    At a stakeholders’ meeting on the upgrading of Victoria Island-Lekki axis held in Alausa, Ikeja, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Olujinmi  Hotonu, an engineer, said the  scope of work include right of way acquisition and delivery, site clearance, relocation of public utilities,  construction of dual carriageway, provision and installation of street lights as well as traffic signals, among others.

    Representative of the Consultants to the project, Planet Project Limited, Emmanuel Oyenuga, said the project was conceived to provide solution to the traffic gridlock along Iru-Victoria Island axis, adding that the duration of the project is six months.

    READ ALSO: Sanwo-Olu flags-off 1.8km Victoria Island-Oniru road network

    The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development,  Dr. Idris Salako,  in his remarks, said the successful take-off of the landmark project, which would upgrade Oniru network of roads covering Muri Okunola Extention, Ligali Ayorinde, Akinbolagbe and seven major junctions to ease traffic was imperative as the axis was the hub of investment activities in the state.

    He said in view of the importance of the axis and as a result of the commercial activities and investment in the area, it ought to experience continuous infrastructural renewal as a way of improving the ease of doing business in Lagos State.

    His words: “It is our fervent belief that by taking development to every nook and cranny of the state, we will not only improve our rating on the ease of doing business in Lagos State’’. He said the idea is to ensure effective interconnectivity within the state while helping investment to thrive to ensure sound health and employment opportunity.

    Salako,     who was represented by the Director, Development Matters in the ministry, OladimejI Animashaun, said the collaboration with Access Bank Plc underscored the importance of the Public-Private Partnership model in delivering public infrastructure for socio-economic development of the state.

    According to the commissioner, the major import of the stakeholders’ interactive forum was to secure mutual understanding of stakeholders for the smooth and successful take-off of the project. “This is in line with the inclusive governance initiative of the administration of the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide  Sanwo-Olu, which is hallmarked by bottom up approach to development,” he said.

    He enjoined the people to give their unalloyed support to the project by cooperating with the staff of the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development and other agencies of government during the execution of the project.

    “The project will as a matter of fact make demands on our ability to persevere and make necessary sacrifices for development to berth in our domain so that together we can achieve the agenda of making Lagos a 21st century economy of our administration,” he said.

    Stakeholders at the event include Mobil Producing Nigeria, Megamond, Four Points, Munchies and residents of Iru-Victoria Island.

     

  • The changing fortunes of Ilubirin

    Once a squalor and unfit for human habitation, Ilubirin is gradually being turned into an abode for the young, upwardly mobile Nigerians. It is fast becoming an economic hub with an exciting new water front district on the shore for the middle class, OKWY IROEGBU-CHIKEZIE reports

     

    IT may not have been listed as one of the top nine slums in the state, but Ilubirin, located on Lagos Island, occupies a space in the over 36 slums that have been identified in Lagos State. Areas like Agege, Ajegunle, Amukoko, Badia, Bariga, Bodija, Ijeshatedo/Itire, Ilaje, Iwaya, Makoko, Mushin, Somolu and Ikorodu remain high on the rankings in this category.

    A slum, as defined by a United Nations agency, UN-Habitat, is a run-down area of a city characterised by substandard housing, squalor, and lacking in tenure security. According to the United Nations, between 1990 and 2005, the percentage of urban dwellers living in slums decreased from 47 per cent to 37 per cent in the developing world. However, due to rising population, especially in urban areas, the number of slum dwellers is rising. An estimated one billion people worldwide live in slums and the figure is projected to grow to two billion by 2030. This is why countries are striving to improve the lot of their housing sector.

    Ilubirin before the change obviously was one of the areas designated as slum and unfit for human habitation. For those familiar with the area, it used to be a dark spot on the Third Mainland Bridge axis. The area was home to miscreants, who indulged in all sorts of social vices, creating serious security issues for the state.

    But, the fortunes are changing for this once-dreaded area. The Lagos State Government, in its quest to turn slums around, is partnering  with the private sector, to push its the smart city project.

    Located on the northwest coast of Lagos Island, the development is centrally positioned between the Mainland and the core districts of Victoria Island, Isale-Eko, Obalende and Ikoyi, Ilubirin is being transformed into an exciting new water front district on the lsland. It is gradually being positioned as the city’s first affordable luxury mixed-development. Central to the vision of Ilubrin is creating a truly vibrant and inclusive community with world-class shops, concerts and dance, restaurants and cafes, places to work, live and play. Stunningly landscaped with garden, wetlands and lagoon-side promenades, this engaging and dynamic new community will set the standards for urban living.

    Ilubirin sits on a 29-hectare piece of land. The middle class abode is a joint development between the Lagos State Government and First Investment Development Company (FIDC). The estate specifically targets Lagos’s vast emerging middle class – an affordable solution for people who wish to be close to central Lagos without the burden of high-end gated communities.

    Reaffirming the positive progress to-date, the Commissioner for Housing, Moruf Akinderu-Fatai, said: “We have a solid plan to deliver the first phase of the project in the third quarter of 2021 and the first residential in 2020. Ilubirin is a critical important development for the city that will rejuvenate the area. We have a duty to ensure that more Lagos residents become homeowners and that the homes themselves are built to the very highest standards.“

    He said the estate was hinged on the new thinking of the current administration to partner with the private sector to re-engineer the state through urban regeneration.

    FIDC Managing Director Wale Bamgbel, reiterated the collective determination and commitment to the timely delivery of Ilubirin, which will set a new standard for mixed use projects.

    He said: “Ilubirin will create a benchmark for future community developments in Lagos, anchored on the concept of ‘Live, Work and Play’, with not only a residential offering but with schools, offices, mall, hotel, medical centre, leisure facilities and a brand new marina for the lagoon.A revised masterplan has been recently completed that optimises the marina positioning and creates a new shopping spine through the new neighbourhood”.

    On the details of the development, Bamgbelu said it is a premier collection, with 108 spacious apartments across five blocks, consisting of 20 studios, 64 two-bedroom and 24 three-bedroom apartments. It incorporates modern medical facilities, schools, sporting facilities, chic shopping boulevards and spacious public squares, a hotel, performance and leisure spaces.

    He said Ilubirin provides a unique community for families, couples, and individuals, adding that the community would set new lifestyle standards in that part of the city.

    On the fears of the public of possible flooding of the estate in future, Bamgbelu explained that they carried out hydrodynamic studies to determine the movement of the lagoon in the next 100 years.

  • Sanwo-Olu pledges to complete abandoned projects

    Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie

     

    AGAINST the backdrop of  Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s pledge to complete all abandoned housing projects, Housing  Commissioner Moruf Akinderu-Fatai has said the ministry is ready to partner  with core professionals to deliver on the promise.

    He said Sanwo-Olu reposed confidence in professionals, especially estate surveyors &valuers, to deliver on his pledge.

    He spoke when members of The Nigeria Institution of Estate Surveyors &Valuers (NIESV), Lagos State branch visited him.

    The governor appointed Abdulhakeem Ayodeji Amodu, a surveyor into the Housing ministry as a Senior Special Assistant on Housing.

    Akinderu-Fatai said: “With over 4,000 uncompleted projects, the Governor has directed that there is no new projects; we must finish the old ones and we are on top of it. We have done 492 units, we are moving to 360 units that will be ready in Igbogbo, 700 units in Sangotedo in the next six months, 600 units in Epe. We are also thinking to create two more estates in Egan by next year.”

    He said the current administration continued with programme it met on ground.  According to him mortgage is not something people can easily key into.

    Akinderu-Fatai said: “If we ask for 30 per cent how many can bring it but government has reduced it to five per cent in its Rent-to-Own policy, meant for first-time buyers. The idea is to pay with 33.3 per cent  of your annual salary at the rate of six per cent over the course of 10 years. Every month as you pay, you have it at the back of your mind that you are owning the house. We will continue and consolidate on the programme,” he said.

    Responding, NIESV Lagos Chairman AdedotunBamgbola said: “We are here to stretch our hands of fellowship to the Commissioner, SA and SSA in order to help them fulfill the vision of the Governor for housing. We perceive that you are ready to achieve the goal. We have our people within and outside the ministry. What we can achieve collectively will boost your efforts.

    We have a Research and Development Committee with members from public service, academia and private practice. We have skills in various areas, from valuation to property development to agency, to project management, and facility management. We will make ourselves available for whatever request you demand from us.”

    Amodu commended NIESV for the visit and reiterated that the governor had interest in developing housing. He pledged that as a government they would ensure that affordable housing became a  reality.

     

  • Developers, financiers decry financing gaps

     Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie

     

    REAL estate developers and financiers, have identified financing, regulations, multiple taxation and access to land as major constraints to property development.

    The professionals, who spoke at the just-concluded West Africa Property Investment Summit, under  the theme, ‘Uncovering the next real estate investment cycles,’ in Lagos,   said except something was done urgently, the housing gap would widen especially in the low income bracket.

    Participants were unanimous that it had become imperative that operators and asset managers should unlock real estate potential in Nigeria and West Africa.

    Managing Director, RCI Atlantis, Raymond Ihuoma, said though he operated in the middle-to-high income sector, he was worried about the huge financing gap and how to bridge it. He said this is made worse by the high construction cost and materials as those in his segment import almost every thing to meet the taste of their clientele.

    He called for a strategy that would enable local manufacturing for construction to check the high cost of housing. According to him, it is difficult for the majority of the people to own homes because of the inclement investing climate and dearth of mortgage institutions.

    CEO, Kairos Capital, Sam Chidoka,  spoke on project finance and  asset management. He advised developers on the need to operate effective debt structure in the  development and operational cycle.  He advised on the utilisation of short-term finance, bonds and development space.

    On the place of loan in property development, he said it depended on the ability of the asset to pay back.

    According to him, it is a company’s cash flow that will determine how it operates and the ability of an asset to pay back its debt.

    He, however, decried the situation where funds are accessed at double digit interests. He noted that the sector would not grow optimally because of its long gestation period.

    Group Head, Real Estate, Ecobank Capital, Kunle Osilaja, spoke on the need to create a sustainable city, be it residential, commercial or mixed development.

    Citing examples with Victoria Island, Lekki, Ikoyi  which were residential areas before the influx of oil and gas firms from Port Harcourt, he said developers had no choice but to take advantage of the influx and the taste of the target market  to commercialise a greater percentage of the areas.

     

  • Remodelled Pacific Lagos to be unveiled soon

    The Pacific Lagos will be bigger, better and offer more value. In place of the former design, there are two distinct luxury towers – one with 10 suspended floors of premium office space for commercial use and 12 floors of exclusive hotel apartments for residential purposes”.

    The remodelling, which is ongoing, will be completed on schedule, given the resources already committed and the progress in preliminary engineering, procurement and construction works on the project.

    Its owners, Global Property Partners (GPP), a subsidiary of Cavalli Business & Investment Group, said: “ We have assembled a team of experienced, world-class professionals to ensure the Pacific Lagos met the standards envisaged by our clientele in terms of quality, expertise and the cutting-edge facilities we have outlined for Pacific Lagos,” said GPP Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel Odemayowa.

    He added: “The modifications are made in line with the company’s vision of developing a best-in-class mixed-use development and the specifications of some subscribers to the iconic Twin Towers. He further acknowledged that the market reception to the project has been enthusiastic.

    Read Also: Pacific Lagos housing estate’s foundation laid

    Among the already remodelled facilities are the recreational floor which has been expanded and moved to the third floor to enhance the “Work.Live.Play” Concept of Pacific Lagos.

    “Also, the 10-office floor are designed for optimal efficiency, functionality and convenience,” said Odemayowa, adding that the 12 floors of residential space comprise one and two-bedroom ensuite hotel apartments modelled on five-star hospitality accommodations.

    Located on Victoria Island, the project is in line with the Cavalli Group’s vision of reducing the severe housing deficit in the country through the development of real estate modelled on international standards.

    Odemayowa said the group had completed various real estate projects across Lagos.

    The group said it had designed a number of innovative packages for investment in Pacific Lagos, among which is the Pacific Mutual Investment Plan, a product that offers flexible investment options for from as low as N5 million.

     

     

  • 4.7m Nigerians live without toilets

    Franca Ochigbo, Abuja

     

    Minister of State Ministry of Environment Sharon Ikeazor, has said an estimated 4.7 million Nigerians live without improved toilet and many still practise open defecation.

    The minister said they use the bush and water as their regular means of human waste disposal which is very unhealthy.

    Ikeazor spoke at the 2019 World Toilet Day in Abuja, with the theme: Toilet for All.

    She said many institutions did not have sanitary facilities and where they existed, they were either not functioning or misused.

    “According to the National Demographic and health survey, access to improved sanitation is very poor below 36 per cent for majority of the populace.

    Read Also: Open defecation: Oyetola, wife take sensitisation campaign to Osogbo

    “It is worthy to note that absence of adequate sanitary facilities in schools constitute a great threat to school enrolment, particularly for the female child.

    “Provision of sanitary facilities in schools must go hand-in-hand with other efforts to achieve basic education in the country. One of the consequences of poor excreta disposal is the high rate of diarrhoea disease which is a second cause of high morbidity and mortality amongst children under the age of five.

    “Sanitation crisis if allowed to continue will undermine the overreaching ambition of the 2030 agenda, to build safe, more resilient societies on a healthy planet and this means failure to attain the Sustainable Development Goal”.

     

     

  • FMBN boost housing delivery for Lagos workers

    Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie

     

    THE Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) has put modalities in place to ensure that Lagos State civil servants  access affordable and decent shelter.

    FMBN Managing Director Ahmed  Dangiwa gave the assurance at a sensitisation workshop organised by FMBN, Ikeja Distrit for the workers last week in Lagos.

    Dangiwa, who was represented by the Executive Director, Business Portfolio and Development, Umar Dankene, said the bank would collaborate with Lagos State Government, to achieve the high target objective.

    The FMBN boss posited that with the rapid increase in population in the country, the need to boost housing delivery cannot be over emphasised.

    On the modalities, he said the bank has evolved products that would suit the needs of Lagos workers at a single digit interest rate.

    “The products would afford workers the opportunity to buy, build or renovate their houses.” he said. “Our process is now automated, our contributors can now get alert for National Housing Fund (NHF) deductions made from their monthly salaries,” the FMBN boss said.

    He revealed that the FMBN has been undergoing transformations and  now in a strong position to deliver its mandate effectively.

    The Branch Manager, FMBN Ikeja District, Mrs. Yetunde  Sowande,  commended the Lagos State Government for considering befitting housing schemes for its workers.

    She said the NHF was established by the NHF Act 3, 1992, as a mandatory scheme for employers of labour, which permits them to deduct and remit  2.5 per cent of the basic monthly salary of its workers earning above minimum wage.

    She said there was provision for the private sector to benefit from the scheme.

    To show the commitment of  the agency, she added that despite  the non-compliance status of Lagos State Ministries and Agencies, some public servants still benefited from  a special product of the bank  Home Renovation Loan – up to the tune of N131.6 million .

    The Head of Service, Lagos, Mr Hakeem Muri-Okunola lauded the FMBN boss for placing Lagos workers on the priprity list.

    Muri-Okunola, who was represented by Foluso Adebayo, urged the participants to use the opportunity extended to them by FMBN  to own homes.

    The state Chairman, Trade Union Congress (TUC) of Nigeria, Lagos Council, Comrade  Gbenga Ekundayo, said  the  TUC  would seek ways the scheme would benefit workers maximally.

    “This is what we have been praying for, I task all of us  to  make  use of the opportunity on time,” Ekundayo said.

    Over 200 Lagos state workers participated in the workshop.

  • Tackling the scourge of noise pollution

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) has revealed that noise is a dangerous agent that affects human health and the environment. This is why Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government, through various policies and pronouncement, seek to check the effect of noise pollution in the metropolis to ensure a healthier populace, OKWY IROEGBU-CHIKEZIE reports

     

    KAZEEM Kukoyi, a resident of Ijora Badia, a suburb of Lagos State, has battled with hypertension for several months. Upon diagnosis at a government hospital, his condition was said to have been triggered by the sleepless nights he has had to endure over a long period of time. Kukoyi blames this on the noise from different directions and sources in his environment, especially from blaring music boxes of stores close to his house.

    “I have complained to the shops’  owners about the disturbing effect of their loud music on my health, several times, but nothing has changed. I just hope the government can implement its laws against noise pollution in the state, at least, for us to have peace and for the sake of our health,” Kukoyi said .

    Indeed, from the loud music in churches, to the mosques, honking from vehicles on the road, airplanes flying above homes, construction machines in the neighbourhood, and industries in urban areas, noise pollution appears to have remained a hydra-headed problem that has defied solutions.

    Noise is referred to as an undesirable sound that results from the activities of man – that is anthropogenic environmental degradation (human impact on the environment). It also remains a nuisance which impacts negatively on the physical, social and psychological wellbeing of man, aggravating chronic illnesses such as hypertension and cardiopulmonary diseases.

    Unfortunately, increased activities from industrialisation and technological transfers and drifts have tumultuously led to increased noise pollution in most of the cities hence, the need for concerted efforts in monitoring and regulating environmental noise.

    This was why the Lagos State Government read the riot act recently to operators of night clubs, bars, karaoke centres, churches and mosques. In a statement, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tunji Bello, said the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) would  sanction offenders. He added that LASEPA officials would be going round such centres and homes and anyone found to have exceeded the allowed level of sound output would be punished. He said the action became necessary because he had been inundated with complaints and petitions from many residents and associations across the state about the obnoxious noise around them.

    He regretted that many of such leisure centres and religious homes, after being reopened by the government, usually returned to the same noise pollution for which they were axed. Bello added that this prompted the involvment of residents’ associations.

    He advised the leisure centres to buy sound proof equipment which would reduce the decibel of sound that would go out when such leisure or religious homes are engaged in business.

    According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, noise that exceeds 80 decibels are detrimental to health. Any noise that dwarfs normal conversation between two persons is most probably above 60 decibels and, according to the agency, children are affected by noise above 60 decibels.

    The agency said high-intensity sound waves cause unnecessary ripples in the ear canal, disturbing the fluid that aid communications between the ear and the brain. This disturbance destroys the tiny, very delicate, hair follicles that send signals to the brain when sounds enter the ear.

    It stated further that being exposed to noise pollution for 10 years or more raises the chances of suffering from at one cardiovascular disease later in life by 300 per cent.

    About a decade ago, scientists from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden found that high noise levels affect an individual’s pulse rates and cause constriction of blood vessels, thus making him or her vulnerable to heart attacks or high blood pressure. Being exposed to such noises for more than eight hours daily could be worse, they stated.

    An Environmentalist, Chudu Ikole who commended the Lagos government on her efforts to control noise pollution said its control is very important in the workplace and in the community. Noise-control ordinances and laws enacted at the local, regional, and national levels can be effective in mitigating the adverse effects of noise pollution, he stated.

    He called the attention of both the Federal and State Government to the increased pollution at the parks across the states and its implications. He reiterated the need to also check on leisure houses and markets where loud speakers are hung outside to either blast music or some messages.

    He said: “If you have ever lived in a noisy neighbourhood, you know how irregular sleep can get on a noisy night. The danger of not sleeping well at night is that your day gets boring, you get tired early, and you are forced to forego most energy-draining activities.

    Experts warn that noise is more than a mere nuisance. At certain levels and durations of exposure, it can cause physical damage to the eardrum and the sensitive hair cells of the inner ear and result in temporary or permanent hearing loss.  In addition to causing hearing loss, excessive noise exposure can also raise blood pressure and pulse rates, cause irritability, anxiety, and mental fatigue, and interfere with sleep, recreation, and personal communication”.

    Kunle Alabi, who runs a barbing saloon in Mafoluku, Oshodi said though he was earning income daily, the noise from airplanes was not palatable. He said sometimes he feels the airplane would  land on his roof. He confessed that he does not sleep well as he is constantly conscious of that something may go wrong.

    Fausat  Kazeem, who resides in Olosa, Mushin said she has got used to the noise from the market, Okada riders and Danfo drivers who blare there horn as if there is no tomorrow. She, however, called on the government to implement a policy that will regulate noise as she believes it is affecting many Lagosians and possibly causing some internal health challenges that may lead to future stress.

     

     

     

     

  • Sanwo-Olu to engineers: work hard to gain govt’s confidence

    By Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie

     

    LAGOS State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has called on engineers to work hard to gain the confidence of government and attract contracts in place of the foreign firms.

    The governor said the nation can not rely on foreign nationals for projects and that the state believes in inclusive governance and patronage of the local market as it helps in capacity building and reducing flight and brain drain.

    The governor said: “Lagos State believes in inclusive governance and patronage of the local market as it helps in capacity building of our work- force; reducing capital flight and brain drain.”

    Sanwo-Olu made this known at the the Association for Consulting Engineering in Nigeria (ACEN) conference in Lagos. It had as theme: Integrating Nigerian engineers into national development.

    In an address read on his behalf by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Olujimi Hotonu, Sanwo-Olu declared that the government has strong belief in the competence of engineers that they could hold their ground among their peers outside the country.

    The governor, however, said there was the need to involve them in the design and execution of major projects that in all the aspects of engineering. He added that it is only by so doing that engineers would acquire the needed impetus, skills and experience to be updated and globally competitive.

    Sanwo-Olu disclosed that his administration was developing the necessary condition and framework for the state to transit to a Smart city in line with the vision of the founding fathers, adding that stakeholders in the industry and other sectors would be encouraged to participate in the design and the execution of major projects to realise the dream of a new Lagos that is safe with aesthetic value.

    Read Also: Sanwo-Olu’s wife disowns ‘Health Trust NGO

    Noting the role of engineers in national development, he said: “The role of the construction sector in our life cannot be overemphasised. Virtually all other sectors rely on the construction industry to provide and maintain their accommodations, plants and infrastructure. With the application of digital technologies, the role of the construction sector is bound to become even more important owing to various global megatrends.”

    He urged engineers to abide by the new Public Procurement regulations in their projects execution, the governor stated that,  the passage of the Public Procurement Act (PPA), which emphasised competence, appropriate pricing, structured funding, usage of standard and quality materials, amongst others, was meant or designed to entrench quality, efficiency and safety, in line with global best practices.