The Nation Newspaper

Tag: bridge

  • Kiama bridge on East-West Road: Disaster waiting to happen

    Kiama bridge on East-West Road: Disaster waiting to happen

    The East-West Road remains a sad reminder of the failures of former President Goodluck Jonathan. He left the Presidency without completing the road adjudged as the most critical gateway linking the Niger Delta region to other parts of the country.

    Ironically, the most deplorable part of the abandoned road is the axis criss-crossing Bayelsa, the home state of Jonathan. Kaima bridge is the worst hit. The bridge is a ticking time bomb. Unless something urgent is done to temporarily repair it, the bridge may one day become a scene of death and blood.

    The failed bridge is located in Kaiama, the hometown of the popular late Ijaw hero, Maj. Isaac Adaka Boroh in Kolokuma-Opokuma Local Government Area, Bayelsa State. Initially signs that all was not well with the bridge emerged when the connecting rods and concrete linking the road to the bridge began to show disconnections.

    Then road users took solace in a fathom hope that they would soon be diverted to the bridge at the other side of the dual carriage way, which was then under construction. But it has now become a long way to freedom as all work on the second bridge has been abandoned. Nothing was also done to close the widening gap that emerged at the entry and exit points of the existing bridge.

    Now the gap has widened into a gulf and vehicles find it extremely difficult manipulating the bridge edges. The road is always busy because all kinds of vehicles including articulated trucks ply it in torrents. The daily weight of the vehicles has further worsened the fate of the bridge.

    For regular users with mastery of the road, the collapsing bridge poses little danger because they apply tact and care to manipulate the dangerous zones. But for persons plying the road for the first time, the danger is ominous. It becomes a death trap if darkness meets the unsuspecting new user.

    Recently, the bridge was a scene of chaotic traffic snarl. Hundreds of vehicles queued to pass through it. The passengers had their hearts on their hands as their vehicles maneuvered the dangerous areas. Some screamed, others kicked as their complaints saturated the atmosphere.

    A passenger of one of the vehicles who identified himself as Simon decried the silence of the Federal Ministry of Works on the plight of the road users. He said in the spirits of the change mantra, the Federal Government is expected to wade swiftly into emergency situations.

    “This is a disaster waiting to happen. We have been crying and lamenting over the nature of this bridge because we know one day it will cause a heavy accident. They do as if they don’t know that this problem exist. When people die now, you will see them sending condolence messages”, he said.

    An indigene of Kaiama, who refused to give his name, said though they’re were disappointed in Jonathan’s administration, the present government should fix the abandoned road.

    “Jonathan failed us. We know but government is a continuum. The present administration should hasten the construction of the East-West road. They should first treat the case of Kaiama budge as an emergency. We don’t want our town to be a scene of death”, he said.

    A motorist, who gave his name as John said he had suffered at the bridge and wondered the fate of persons plying the road for the first time especially at night. He said it was pathetic that such danger was allowed to linger for a long time.

    He said: ”It is unthinkable and worrisome that the major expressway linking the people of South-South was allowed to degenerate to such a pathetic level. From the look of things, the way the bridge is now, if nothing is done quickly to fix it, we will soon be cut off from other states.

    ”One expects that there should be people going round such sensitive asset, but as it were, nobody seems to care. Maybe they do not want us to travel to other places again. I do not want to know who is responsible for what, what the people want is that the bridge should be repaired to save us from an impending catastrophic danger.”

    Also Patricia, a commuter, said East West road had become a major stumbling block to the people of the Niger Delta region.

    She said: ”The Bayelsa State section of the expressway has remained unattended to for a long time. The contractors handling the road rehabilitation have been dilly-dallying. I do not intend to lay the blame completely at their door because in Nigeria, anything goes. As we speak, maybe they have not paid them their money.

    ”It is a pity that a road that should be rehabilitated with a bias is allowed to deteriorate in such a pathetic manner. This is no time for buck-passing. We urge the government to come to the rescue of road users and fix the bridge quickly.”

    Responding to the matter, the Bayelsa State Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) Mr. Wobin Ayuba Gora, said he had written to the Federal Ministry of Works in the state about the development.

    He said: “We have written to the Federal Ministry of Works. I believe that they will soon do something. The last time something like this came up, we wrote and they did something.

    “They piped some iron to reduce the gap. But now that the thing is expanding, they should do more than piping irons. Something needs to be done urgently and I am sure something will be done”.

    Gora said he would send a reminder to the ministry to alert them on the need to address the situation urgently.

    But the Bayelsa State Commissioner for Works, Mr. Lawrence Ewrhudjakpor, said Kaiama bridge is a federal government’s responsibility and had nothing to do with the state government.

    He said, “My duty is to inform the Federal Controller of Works in the state and I have duly informed him. He is aware of the problem on Kaiama bridge.

    “Bayelsa State has spent over N40bn on federal roads in the state without any refund from the Federal Government. As for us, we have done the needful by informing the relevant federal authorities”.

  • Tinubu, a bridge builder

    Tinubu, a bridge builder

    Former Chairman of ‘Conference of Executive’ Secretaries of Local Governments in Lagos State Hon. Kolade Alabi pays tribute to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who he describes as a bridge builder.

    Writing this tribute on Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the indefatigable and enigmatic leader seems so difficult. No word or phrase seems adequate to aptly describe him.

    Describing Asiwaju needs no colouration or embellishment. Say it as it is, he is a gold fish in a glass bowl.

    Perhaps, what makes it more difficult are the multifarious personalities embedded in just one man. Call him a born leader, you are right, call him a business guru, you are on course, call him a financial wizard, you are correct, call him a grassroots mobiliser, a great warrior, an exemplary mentor and teacher, a mighty pedagogue, an administrator par excellence, a scholar and a genius – you cannot be far from the truth.

    How do you begin to describe such a great politician, a colossus whose sagacity is unparalleled in this clime at this time, whose fame and popularity transcends the shores of Nigeria?

    What vocabulary could I possibly employ to describe this magnanimous, compassionate and ebullient person without being accused of exaggeration and embellishment?

    I, therefore, have resorted to the simplest of dictions devoid of sentimental attachment to avoid being tagged Asiwaju’s apologist, thus robbing a man of substance the accolades he rightly deserves.

    Yet, I find it repugnant and absurd to do injustice to myself by sacrificing objectivity on the altar of jealousy just to soothe the egos of envious adversaries. Nay, I must say it as it is careless about whose ox is gored.

    Asiwaju Tinubu is a courageous leader who could not be intimidated by any form of threat as he practically demonstrated in his stand-off with former President Olusegun Obasanjo when he created additional local government areas in Lagos State in 2003. While other governors backed out, Asiwaju remained unshaken and undaunted. He stood out and became outstanding. He is an untiring advocate of a just, progressive and equitable Nigeria. A course he pursued vigorously from NADECO days (1994) till the Progressives came to power in 2015.

    Asiwaju is a detribalised person who seeks power not for self aggrandisement but for the betterment of the people and development of Nigeria. Today, Asiwaju remains the most versatile, most reliable and most consistent political leader in Nigeria. He never deviates from what he believes in.

    Asiwaju is a man I greatly admired for his vision and tenacity, for his determination to doggedly purse a set goal, for  his generosity and compassion. Above all, for his intellectual capability coupled with his managerial ingenuity and his knack for discovering talents, grooming and mentoring them to become achievers.

    This statement by Lao Tzu, a Chinese author aptly describes Asiwaju, he wrote:

    “The best of all leaders is one who helps people so that eventually they don’t need him. He doesn’t say much but what he says carries weight. When he is finished with his work, the people say, ‘It is natural.’ That is Bola Tinubu for you.

    What more can I say, Asiwaju, your footprints are already indelible on the sands of time. Your name is already written in gold.

    I wish you the best of health, long life and more glorious service to the fatherland.

    Congratulations Sir.

     

    • Alabi is the immediate past Chairman, Conference of Executive Secretaries of LGs/LCDAs, Lagos State

  • Work stops on Third Mainland Bridge repair

    The Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) has been criticised for abandoning  work on the Third Mainland Bridge and other adjoining roads.

    Last month, the agency began repairs on both carriage ways, scrapping asphalt on some sections, but vacated site for over two weeks.

    Motorists attributed several accidents on the bridge in recent times to the uncoordinated method in which FERMA was carrying out the repair.

    Investigations showed that though N10billion was voted for FERMA in the 2016 Budget of the Federal Ministry of Works, the contractor was yet to be mobilised.

    With the March 31 deadline for the implementation of the 2017 budget fast approaching, FERMA hurriedly moved the contractor to site. But its failure to mobilise led to work being stalled.

    Some motorists are calling on Minister of Works Babatunde Fashola to rise up to the challenge and ensure that the agency completes the repair.

    A motorist, Babajide Kasali, who plies the axis daily, decried the long hours of traffic occasioned by the slow pace of work, saying  it was gradually taking a toll on his health and productivity.

    Another motorist, Mrs. Abidemi Otegbola, said FERMA’s inability to carry out its duties was due to lack of proper monitoring by the parent ministry.

  • A crackdown on overhead bridge hawkers

    The Federal Capital Territory has taken steps to ensure that hawkers steer clear of overhead bridges, GRACE OBIKE reports

    The daily tragic drama on the roads is coming to end. Pedestrians often shun the overhead bridges and enact a sprint across the busy expressways at a huge cost to themselves. Many have been hit and injured or killed by fast-moving vehicles.

    The administration of the territory had long warned of the dangers of not using the bridges but many residents would not. Now, the administration is enforcing the order, by clearing the bridges of hawkers and the destitute.

    The FCT administration on its part has attempted on several occasions to implement laws that will force residents to use such bridges, in some cases, fences have been built in places like Nicon and some strategic locations in Abuja to prevent residents from crossing the road but such fences are in most cases pulled down.

    To prove the administration’s readiness to curb street hawkers and enforce the use of the overhead bridges, Minister of the FCT Malam Muhammad Bello visited the pedestrian bridge in Ludge, a village along the Airport Road.

    There, he reiterated that such bridges were constructed for easy movement and passage of residents crossing the highways but not meant for hawking, begging or for other nuisances and therefore a stop must be put to it forthwith.

    He directed the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) and the FCT Task Team on Environment to as a matter of urgency stop hawkers using pedestrian bridges for their activities in the Federal Capital Territory.

    Deputy Director/Chief Press Secretary FCT, Muhammad Sule made the revelation in a press statement where he credited the minister with warning warned that hawking and other activities are not acceptable on the Pedestrian bridges across the Territory and called for strict enforcement.

    He quoted the minister saying, “The Administration is not prepared to take excuses anymore; saying that they must carry out their statutory duty.

    “Malam Bello also instructed that the AEPB and the Task Team must also get rid of herdsmen still grazing in the Federal Capital City; noting, “you must find a way in dealing with that bizarre situation”.

    “He seized that opportunity to talk to the crowd gathered around the pedestrian bridge on why people should not use such places as shopping malls.

    “He told them that pedestrian bridges were also not constructed for miscreants and further warned that all activities must be very far away from the expressway ways.

    “These expressways are the gateway into the Federal Capital City and the seat of power of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and therefore everything must be done to keep Abuja clean from all environmental nuisances in line with the vision of its founding fathers,” Malam Bello stressed.

    The Director of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Olanipekun and the Chairman of the FCT Task Team on Environment, Squadron Leader Abdullahi Adamu Monjel, accompanied the Minister on the unscheduled visit and promised to implement the law.

     

     

  • Community, school relish rebuilt bridge

    Community, school relish rebuilt bridge

    For 15 years the only bridge linking Phase One and Three  of  Jikwoyi  community  in Abuja  was abandoned after flood waters washed it off. Now, it has been rebuilt, much to the joy of the community as well as the Cheery Field College, which contributed to the construction effort.

    While the bridge remained unusable, commuters suffered greatly. The bridge served over 3,000 people.

    The Chairman, Board of Governors, Cheery Field College Ajune Emmanuel said the college  contributed to the  construction of  a new bridge  to link the two communities  because it wanted to help the host community following its request for intervention.

    Emmanuel said the move to embark on the bridge construction project was the only way to give back to the society which he described as partners in progress.

    He said, “I am happy to see that vehicles, okada and pedestrians now move freely from one end to another because of the new bridge.”

    Emmanuel who spoke at the 7th graduation   ceremony of the college on the school’s achievements in the ending academic year of  2016, disclosed that Cheery Field  since inception  in 2004 has continued to  maintain  a good relationship with the host  community and has  left no one in doubt of his developmental  projects for the people around.

    In the area of security, the college has also received commendation from the residents as it has mounted 24 hours security check point and streetlights to compliment the effort the security men.

    Emmanuel urged corporate bodies to always give back to the society as a way of complimenting government effort.

    Emmanuel explained that the school will continue to touch the lives of people living within the school and that the school has visited some orphanages homes in Abuja   and donated food items and learning materials for the less privileged.

  • Should pension funds be used to bridge housing gap?

    Should pension funds be used to bridge housing gap?

    The pension fund stood at N5.9 trillion last March, provoking calls for its investment in housing. About N59 trillion is required to bridge the 17 million housing gap. But, should the accumulated pension fund be so used? Stakeholders are divided over the issue, reports  MUYIWA LUCAS.

    Stakeholders in the housing and pension sectors are divided over the propriety of the deployment of the huge pension funds to close the housing gap in the country.

    The National Pension Commission (PenCom) Director-General, Mrs. Chinelo Anohu-Amazu, said the 2014 Pension Reform Act, as reviewed, provided opportunities for increased investment of pension funds in infrastructure and housing development. The act, according to him, also allowed for a percentage of contributing workers’ Retirement Savings Accounts (RSA) balance to be used as equity contribution for mortgage.

    Represented by Mr. Ibrahim Kangiwa, at a Mandatory Continuous Professional Development Programme of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers, Lagos State Branch, the DG, however, noted that investment of the fund in housing was limited by the cumbersome nature of housing investment.

    Presenting a paper titled: An overview of the Pension Reform Act 2014 and the provision for investment outlets in real estate sector, Mrs Anohu-Amazu said as at last May, the total value of pension fund assets under the management of the licensed pension operators stood at N5.6 trillion.

    The DG explained that there was an effort by PenCom to increase pension investment in infrastructure and housing, and consequently urged stakeholders in pension administration to utilise the provisions of the Act for the provision of more infrastructure and real estate development in the country.

    She explained that the new Pension Reform Act (PRA 2014), has made provisions for states and local governments to embark on pension fund investments in the housing sub-sector, a sharp contrast from the 2004 Act, which only included the Federal Government service. Pension contribution rate has since increased from 7.5 per cent for the employers and 7.5 per cent for employees to 10 per cent employers and eight per cent employees respectively.

    Though she said the pension fund may not be used for real estate investment, Mrs Ahonu-Amazu expressed the readiness of PenCom to support mortgage financing as this will create more jobs, urging stakeholders in the real estate sector to device means of ensuring massive investments in housing provision, since the Act made provisions for increased investments in infrastructure and housing development.

    “Direct investment is currently not allowed due to liquidity and valuation issues. Traditionally, real estate is complex; when you need to get your fund out, real estate may not be easily disposable,” she said.

    The Association of Estate Agents in Nigeria Chairman, Mr. Chudi Ubosi, in his presentation, titled: ‘Investment of pension Fund and idle funds in housing development: The estate surveyor and valuer’s perspectives’’, argued that with about 17 million housing deficit, and the demand for housing put at 10:1 for demands and supply, about N59 trillion would be required to bridge the gap in housing. He said the sector contributes about 1.3 per cent to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

    Ubosi regretted that housing is still low,  saying that Lagos State, which has been described as the most vibrant property market in the country, still has home ownership at less than 20 per cent, and about 1, 500 net settlers daily in the state. He argued that all limiting laws and regulations preventing deployment of pension funds as well as direct investments in housing infrastructure be repealed without further delay.

    “Nigeria is one of the few countries in the world with no mortgage. Funds may just be in the banks; there is the need to create financial products and mortgage backed securities,” he said, adding that the investment in housing should also focus on the lower end of the housing pyramid, while regulations should be amended to allow the PFAs put money in the Fund to enable them invest in housing.

    However, the Managing Director, Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers Limited, Mr. Eric Fajemisin, disagreed with Ubosi, stressing that pension funds have not been idle.   The majority of the funds, according to him, are being used for infrastructural development in the country.

    Fajemisin, who spoke on: “Challenges and benefits for investment of pension fund in housing development in Nigeria and global approach, said one of the challenges in pension administration is that of about 180 million Nigerians, only a meagre seven million, representing four per cent, as at last March, are registered in the scheme.

    The Stanbic IBTC Pension managers chief stressed that if Nigerians participate in the mortgage sector, it could contribute between 30 and 70 per cent to the nations’ GDP, reduce poverty and improve standard of living in the country.

    He said the Federal Mortgage Bank (FMB) estimated that about N56 trillion would needed to meet the shortfall in Nigerian housing need, but the sources of housing finance are not adequately equipped to fund the supply deficits.

    “The housing sector is supported by favourable demographics, but fraught with a huge supply deficit and ineffective demand. It can play a special role in the economic dialogue in Nigeria as it generates employment, increases productivity, raises standard of living and alleviates poverty,” he said.

    NIESV, Lagos branch Chairman, Mr. Offiong Ukpong, said the pension fund, if well utilised, could solve the country’s housing needs and be a secured investment for the future. “If N20, 000 can buy a transistor radio for a worker now and instead of buying it, he decides to invest that money into pension fund, by the time he would be exiting the fund in 30 years, would that same money buy him the same appliance or furniture? Obviously not,’’ he argued.

    The chairman of the occasion and a former president of the institution, Mr. Yinka Sonaike, said housing has been a recurring decimal in the country and that efforts should be geared towards reducing its deficit.

  • How to bridge housing deficit, by Fed Govt, stakeholders

    How to bridge housing deficit, by Fed Govt, stakeholders

    The Federal Government may have found an answer to the housing problem. It is considering the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model on the provision of affordable housing. OLUGBENGA ADANIKIN reports that the government is eyeing pension funds, dormant bank assets and unclaimed dividends to fund the sector.

    Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.”

    The above is the acceptable minimum according Article 25 (1) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations (UN).

    Nigeria, being a signatory to the declaration, recognizes housing as a basic right but the country has not been able to meet the housing needs of the citizenry. Uncomfortable with the situation, the President Muhammadu Bughari administration is leaving no stone unturned and it has taken the provision of affordable housing as a challenge.

    Some of the issues the government has to contend with are: access to land for sustainable and affordable housing delivery; access to capital market to finance the provision of housing units; granting of concessions and incentives as tools to galvanise the provision of affordable housing and the development of skills and technology.

    The Federal Government is giving priority to the housing sector as part of ways of creating job opportunities.

    Since his inauguration as Minister of Power, Works & Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, has been trying to adopt a sustainable approach to tackling the nation’s housing challenges to reduce deficit.

    He has at different fora, stressed the importance of planning and research. Observers say Fashola is being cautious to guard against the pitfall of the past in which the various national housing policies failed to satisfy the needs of targeted beneficiaries.

    According to the minister, about N100 billion would be needed to develop a new housing strategy and that adequate attention must be paid to research and effective planning.

    Fashola said: “If we can spend N10 billion in each state and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on housing alone every year, subject to the capacity to raise the money and the capacity to utilise the funds, having regards to our current construction methods and the time it takes to complete construction, the ministry intends to change this by research and industrialisation of housing.”

    He assured Nigerians of an aggressive intervention to increase housing supply, by undertaking construction of public housing and formulating private sector participation-driven policies that will lead to and ownership of houses.

    But available statistics have shown that with an increasing population of about 180 million people, Nigeria has to upscale its efforts at providing cheap and available housing. It is believed that the country has a housing deficit ranging between 17 to 20 million.

    Experts, have however, disputed the figure, which they described as unreliable, demanding for an official statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) to determine the nation’s exact housing dearth.

    The minister acknowledged this fact when he disclosed that the Federal government “was mindful of some figures about the size of housing deficit. Those figures need to be verified and we will undertake a process of scientific assessment to determine the accuracy of that data as well as the actual demand. But what those figures do for us, no matter how inaccurate they are, is that they define our journey for us.”

    Stakeholders wondered why the successive administrations had spurned their different proposals to offer a helping hand to actualise it vision.

    But the stakeholders may have used the just-concluded summit on affordable housing to convince the government on why everyone in the built industry must be brought on board in fashioning out a people-friendly policy.

    The all-inclusive plan involved engagement with German Development Cooperation (GIZ), alongside stakeholders such as Shelter Afrique, Trademore, Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), Federal Housing Authority (FHA) and Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN) among others in the housing sector.

    The focus of the summit was on the type of housing Nigerians will prefer, taking into cognisance their cultural diversities; the definition of affordability; which cadres of Nigerians actually need government-assisted housing, the starting point and the choice housing.

    In search of enduing solutions

    According to the minister, solving the summit’s focus would require extensive research and surveys, which he stated had commenced, the outcome of which would fast-track a reduction in the deficit.

    The expected policy would awaken the agencies under the ministry to their responsible on the provision of affordable shelter. The FMBN, which, hitherto, failed in its duty sourcing funds from insurance companies, banks into the National Housing Fund (NHF) will be alive to its role of providing affordable housing.

    FMBN’ mandate among others is to ensure constant loans’ provision to Nigerians for the purpose of building housing units.

    However, the performance of the mortgage banker has been anything but satisfactory. Hence, Federal Government has concluded plans recapitalise the FMBN for better efficiency.

    The provision of 40,000 housing units by the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) in 40 years has not been commensurate with Nigeria’s rising population. At the suumiit, stakeholders recommended the possibility of raising a special fund for housing sector just like the Petroleum Trust Development Fund (PTDF) and the Education Trust Fund (ETF), among others.

    It is believed that with a dedicated fund for the sector, developers could source finance to build affordable structures for the people.

    In his opening remarks at the summit, Fashola said: “We need to maintain the single digit interest rate in mortgage loan even if it requires subsidising for the low income earners; recapitalise the FMBN and enforcement of the NHF contribution as enshrined in the enabling Act; there is need for PENCOM to invest a sizeable part of the pension funds, dormant assets of banks and unclaimed dividends in Primary Mortgage Products (PMDs).

    “The need to put in place the appropriate construction financing schemes including funding sources for multilateral schemes; and for stakeholders to join the ministry in liaising with the National Assembly to fast-track the amendment of the relevant laws already submitted such as foreclosure, mortgage and insurance laws.”

    Also recommended at the summit were the provision of houses for special members of the public such as People Living With HIV/Aids (PLWHA); the aged, motherless children as well as the less-privileged, who may not have the resources to own a shelter.

    As a way out, the minister identified the need to review some of the conventional ways of implementing the national housing policy, informing his audience that the Federal government has collapsed the existing 100 housing models into 12.

    According to the minister, the government has a plan to further streamline the 12 models to six to reflect the nation’s cultural diversity and market demand.

    The rationale behind this, he said, is not far-fetched from having a coordinated building plan for all developers in the country. They include one-bedroom, two-bedroom, three-bedroom flats, bungalows and condominiums that will represent the ‘Nigerian House’ which responds to our cultural diversity.

    Concerns over affordability

    Like two inseparable variables ‘affordability’ and ‘housing’ drew stakeholders’ attention at the summit. Should affordability be measured based on low income earners?; How can you make shelter actually affordable?; Considering the rising cost of building materials including tiles, cement, iron among others, can houses really be affordable? Is affordability the same thing as low-cost housing? These and many more were questions that brought the best out of participants at the summit.

    Key stakeholders came up with variety of definitions of affordable housing.

    To Dr. Joshua Egbagbe, “affordable housing from the off taker-driven perspective, is the home ownership capacity of an average Nigerian citizen: to build, buy, or rent, a cost-effective house; based on spending a total amount, inclusive of all related costs, of not more than one-third of the individual’s take home pay, calculated on an installment (monthly or annual basis), up to the average working age limit of 60 years”.

    Another participant, Prof. Layi Egunjobi, said: “Affordable housing is housing that a person or group can pay for with or without government assistance and according to the present and future socio-economic circumstances of the person or group in question.”

    Brig. Gen. PMO Reis defined it as “the provision of accessible and subsidised housing solutions on a sustainable basis through end-users driven initiatives”.

    Alhaji Kabiru Abdulallahi said described “affordable housing is a house with some incentives, flexibility that allows a citizen own a house without stress”.

    The Centre for Affordable Housing and UN-Habitat defined affordable housing as, “housing that is accessible, appropriate, and secure, for the needs of the low and moderate income households, and is priced so that these households are also able to meet their other basic living costs like health, education and feeding. This is usually estimated at about 30 per cent (or one-third) of gross household income.”

    Simon Gusah came up with a simpler definition when he stated that “affordable housing depends perhaps on if the Federal Government can provide houses for people within the income bracket of those on Level 10 to 15 and 16 in the public service and those in the private sector such as drivers, farmers, market men and women, artisans and so on.

    According to the minister, foreign experts have defined to him affordable housing as, “a 47 m², two-bedroom bungalow with external toilets, to be shared with others, at $5000 in Haiti (N1.4 million at an exchange rate of N280 to the dollar). He asked the participants: “Is this what we should do?

    “The other example was to prescribe a mortgage of at least 10 to 15 years, with single digit interest and to ensure that the beneficiary must not spend more than 30 per cent of his income on housing, so that he or she can meet other needs of dependents.”

    Stakeholders however agreed that if affordable housing could be defined relatively to reflect the current economic situation and reduce the biting deficit, they might have gotten it right.

    But aside from government’s commitment to build for the poor, it is imperative to indigenize the concept ‘affordable housing’ to really address the deficit.

    “Our housing policy must be tied to our income, which must be tied to our jobs. It is the way to create the credit that our housing industry desperately needs,” Fashola emphasised.

    PPP as the way to go

    If the Federal Government must succeed in the area of housing, it must partner the private sector. The Public- Private Partnership (PPP) model has become imperative to attain such feat.

    In developed nations, the PPP is a model that has worked and sustainable. Stakeholders were unequivocal that their active involvement will do a lot to reducing the current deficit.

    Buying into the PPP idea, the minister said the 4000 workers on the ministry’s payroll would be insufficient to deliver the required homes.

    At his maiden news conference, Fashola had unveiled a comprehensive housing plan that will involve the building of 12 flats per block and 480 flats per state and 17,760 flats nationwide. He promised to deliver about 40 blocks of housing units in each state and the FCT with partnership from state governors.

    He said: “This will mean at a minimum of 4 doors and 2 windows very conservatively per home; a demand for 71, 040 doors and 35,520 windows nationwide in a year, which we will encourage to be made in Nigeria.

    “These figures are only examples and not fixed in definition and they are subject first to budgetary approvals and availability of finance.”

    The stakeholders at summit concluded that segregation, stratification, classes of people and their income bracket must be put into consideration in the delivery of affordable housing units.

  • ‘I am a bridge builder’

    THE Sole Administrator, Mushin Local Government Area, Hon. Olayinka Kazeem, has promised to develop the local government.

    He added that he would build bridges and end rancours.

    Kazeem spoke while addressing a cross-section of stakeholders  after his appointment was approved by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.

    He said only an atmosphere of peace and tranquility could engender development, stressing that he would adhere to party principles and be fair to all.

    Also speaking, the All Progressives Congress (APC) chairman, Mushin Local Government, Hon. Michael Ikufisile, said he was happy with Kazeeem’s appointment.  He described him as a man loved by all, and with a lot of experience in human relations.

    The APC women leader, Mrs Modupe Awodogan, expressed satisfaction at the choice of Kazeem as the council chief.

    She urged everyone to cooperate with him to fulfil the party’s mandate and deliver the dividends of democracy.

    Kazeem enjoined all to cooperate with him for the good of the local government.

  • Ogun community laments bad bridge

    Ogun community laments bad bridge

    For residents of Ilogbo, a town in Ado Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun, these are not the best of times. No thanks to their being cut off from their neighbours because the bridge linking them caved in last week.

    The bridge was constructed over the Atuwara River and passes through the boundary between the town and Oju-Ore, Ota.

    The bridge also served as major link between Ilogbo and Ota, Iwoye and Ota, among communities in the area.

    Residents are calling on the state government to fix the bridge.

    Onilogbo of Ilogbo Oba Samuel Olufemi Ojugbele said the three major roads linking the 37 communities in Ilogbo had become impassable.

    He said: “All the three major roads linking Ilogbo to other areas like Ota, Iju and old Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway are in bad shape.

    “We were relying on this road linking us to Ota, until last Wednesday when the bridge collapsed. Now we are totally cut off from our neighbours. The economic activities of my people are affected. I could no longer travelling to Abeokuta to attend meetings. It is that bad.

    “I have already contacted the state government, and I believe they will intervene in reconstructing the bridge.”

  • The coming of 4th Mainland Bridge

    Infrastructure development is critical to achieving human capital development in any society. The economic impact that infrastructure improvement has on nation building cannot be over-emphasised. Considering that about 85 percent of the people in the world reside in the developing world and transition economies, and with 67 percent of that population below age 35, the need for infrastructure development to support enduring development remains a matter of major concern for all nations of the world.

    Across the world, provision of crucial services is still far below required expectation as almost 1.6 billion people have no access to power, 1.2 billion people lack access to safe and potable drinking water while 2.4 billion are faced with the challenge of insufficient medical facilities. Ironically, the infrastructure’s budget of many developing countries is dwindling.

    Without a doubt, the growth of any country’s economy hugely depends on the status of its infrastructure. The dearth of needed infrastructure in a given society places serious limitation on human capital development.  It is in view of its crucial role to achieving rapid economic growth that advanced nations of the world commit huge investment to infrastructural development. J.F. Kennedy, a former President of the United States once put the relationship between infrastructure development and economic prosperity into a proper perspective when he affirmed that: “America has good roads, not because America is rich, but America is rich because it has good roads”.

    Essentially, the prosperity of a nation depends on the state of its infrastructure. From the ancient Roman Empire to the super economic powers of the 21st century, it has been clearly demonstrated that no nation can accomplish true greatness without evolving pragmatic strategies for long-term infrastructure development.

    According to the World Bank, every 1% of government funds spent on infrastructure leads to an equivalent 1% increase in Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which invariably means that there is a correlation between any meaningful inputs in infrastructure development which reflects on economic growth, indices, hence the value of infrastructure cannot be underplayed.

    It is in view of the centrality of infrastructure development to the advancement of socio-economic course of the society that the Ambode administration in Lagos State, since its inauguration in May, 2015, has been at the forefront of infrastructure regeneration and development in the state. That Lagos has become one massive construction site, of late, is not in doubt. Presently, the list of concluded and on-going infrastructure development projects in the state is endless. Today, in Lagos, new blocks of classrooms are springing up in public schools, new roads and bridges are being constructed and commissioned while existing ones are being re-habilitated at different locations with quality delivery being the watchword.

    Similarly, the Light up Lagos Project has continued to improve safety for drivers, commuters, riders and pedestrians, thereby ensuring they don’t suffer from decreased visibility at nights.

    In a bid to enhance service delivery of the BRT scheme, the Ambode administration equally launched over 400 air-conditioned buses on the ever busy Ikorodu road from Ikorodu roundabout to CMS. It is now the in-thing for residents of this area to board these buses which now make their journey more predictable. The proposed Oshodi Transport Interchange is another project aimed at improving the face of public transportation in the state.

    In-spite of the numerous strides of the Ambode administration in infrastructure improvement, perhaps the most audacious of the administration’s infrastructure initiatives thus far is the proposed construction of the 4th Mainland Bridge.

    At a brief state event, the Lagos State Government recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to set in motion the construction of the 38km bridge. With that singular act, Lagos is set to achieve a landmark feat in its 50 years of existence. The bridge, which is principally meant to address the perennial Lagos traffic gridlock concern, is equally geared towards socio-economic growth in the state. A Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative to be financed by Africa Finance Corporation, Access Bank and other private investor at a cost of N844billion, the project is to be delivered in three years.

    The bridge is to be made up of eight interchanges to facilitate effective interconnectivity between different parts of the state. It would be a four-lane dual carriageway with each comprising three lanes and two meters hard shoulder on each side. It will be constructed with a generous median to allow for both future carriageway expansion and light rail facility.

    More importantly, the bridge will provide the requisite transportation support to the rapidly developing Eti-Osa – Lekki – Epe corridor of the state. This is evident in the proposed alignment of the bridge which will pass through Lekki, Langbasa and Baiyeku towns along the shoreline of the Lagos Lagoon estuaries, further running through Igbogbo River Basin and crossing the Lagos Lagoon estuaries to Itamaga Area in Ikorodu. The alignment will also cross through the Itoikin road and the Ikorodu – Sagamu Road to connect Isawo inward Lagos-Ibadan Expressway at Ojodu Berger axis. The bridge, among others, would accommodate cyclists, pedestrians, two service areas as well as additional pedestrian crossing.

    Considering Lagos phenomenal population growth rate, it is obvious that if the recurrent Lagos traffic gridlock is to be tackled headlong, something more daring must be done. This has made the necessity of a 4th Mainland Bridge that will serve as an alternative route to the eastern axis and decongest traffic in the state a compelling one.

    Undoubtedly, vast gain would stem from the project as it is particularly anticipated to make life more comfortable for Lagosians. According to Governor Ambode, the significance of the bridge will be entirely treasured when it is imagined what the Lagos of today would have looked like without the 3rd Mainland Bridge.

    Aside improving the quality of life of the people, the bridge would also be a big asset that would be handed to the Lagos State Government at the end of the concession arrangement. The significant and value of the proposed construction lies in its capacity to rapidly decongest the traffic within Lekki Corridor and redistribute traffic towards Lagos Mainland which serves to meet increased future road infrastructure demands.

    For any government that worth its salt, particularly in developing countries, infrastructure development remains crucial to attaining growth across all sectors. This explains why the Lagos State government is continuously thinking and working to improve infrastructure across the state.

     

    • Ogunbiyi is of the Features Unit, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja.