The story of Gwarinpa Estate in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), is that of the beauty and the beast. The estate is beautiful, but many of the houses are in squalor. This may not be the vision of the late military Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, who conceived the estate, which is noted as the largest in the country and the third largest in West Africa. Years after its conception, the sprawling estate appears desolate, reports OLUGBENGA ADANIKI (Abuja).
To a non-resident of Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Gwarinpa Estate may mean nothing. But to a resident, it means much as it is an estate that stands out. It is breathtaking. It is an estate for the rich and the largest in the country. Some people even consider it the third largest in West Africa. It can be accessed through the Murtala Mohammed Expressway (to Kubwa, Suleja and Kaduna) or from Ahmadu Bello Way (through Wuse Zone 2). It is about 20kilometres from the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport.
Located about four kilometres outside the Central Business District (CBD), Gwarinpa, as Abuja residents call it, is unique and can be described as a city. From First Avenue to Seventh Avenue, the estate, built by former military Head of State, the late Gen Sani Abacha, is one of the choicest neighbourhoods after Asokoro and Maitama.
Within the estate are some smaller ones. These include Federal Ministry of Works and Housing Estate; War College Estate; Federal Housing Authority (FHA) Estate, Citec Villas, Abuja Model City and others.
Commoners are a rare sight, except scavengers who scout for disposable items in waste bins. The reason is not farfetched; the calibre of people residing in the estate and the enthralling aesthetic of the structures there. Besides, the cost of getting a plot of land there is scary.
Its dwellers estate are top politicians, top military operatives, directors in the federal public service and private investors.
With distinct infrastructure, such as, good road networks, water, constant power and health care facilities, the estate has become a playground for celebrities, lawmakers, politicians and business moguls.
But, despite these enticing features, a large percentage of houses within the estate are occupied by birds, rodents, reptiles and security guards, popularly called ‘abokis’ or ‘maiguard’.
A maiguard, for instance, may be the sole occupant of a five-bedroom duplex including boys’ quarters. Aside being the sole occupant, he cashes in on the situation to sell recharge cards, cigarettes and provisions. This may not be make more money, but an avenue to interact with people around.
Investigations by The Nation showed that the local security guards, who are paid between N20, 000 and N30, 000, let out rooms to women of easy virtues and others, who do menial jobs.
A group of the women, it was gathered, may pay about N50,000 monthly or weekly as the case may be, to a ‘maiguard’ for a single room, depending on what was agreed upon. The same condition applies to the hustlers.
For instance, no fewer than 200 people were residing in the house where the Apo killings occured.
“In some of the big houses, the local security men are paid just N30,000 by the owners. To make fast money and meet the housing needs of some people, the guards look for ‘Keke Napep’ riders, Mairuwa (water sellers) and prostitutes to secure one or two rooms. They can just ask these people to pay a token of N10, 000 per month and above,” a resident, who does not want his name in print, said.
A visit to some of the houses, especially around First, Second and Third Avenues showed that many buildings at Lungu, Sahara and other settlements are unoccupied.
The buildings are full of giant spiders and cobwebs, with everywhere smelling. Birds’ nests could be seen at the top edges of the rooms, while the paints on some buildings are fading. Interlocking stones used in paving the landscape and premises of most of the buildings are overgrown with grass.
But rent is high.
Depending on the location or avenue, the cost of renting a two-bedroom flat could be between N900,000 and N1.2m per annum, while a single room apartment is put at N400,000. Individuals interested in two-bedroom apartment, should be willing to pay at least N1.8m per annum.
Developers, it was gathered, aim for the highest bidder. This perhaps, could be one of the reasons why these apartments remained vacant.
A property agent, Mr. Dapo Adeniyi who spoke to The Nation
said a two bed-room apartment in Gwarinpa will go for about N100 million.
To another property firm, Abuja Properties Limited, an uncompleted two units of five Bed-room Duplex on a large compound costs about N70 million, while two Warehouses of 4, 000square metres with uncompleted office complex on four floors is put at N350 million.
This is not only restricted to the Gwanripa estate. It spreads across other major developed areas including Jabi.
However, as appealing as these houses are in Gwarinpa it is interesting to note that most of them are vacant and shut just as new buildings are springing up. Perhaps, the developers are hanging their hopes on an envisaged future and profit.
Some of the residents said perhaps the prohibitive prices of these houses largely contributed to why the FCT, in the past five years had experienced a sudden increase in the number slums. Some of the residents, they said, could no longer afford the exorbitant rents. And those who used to manage could no longer do so hence, resorting to securing apartments in neighbouring states such as Nasarawa and Niger.
According to an estate developer, Kene Unuora, the costs of houses at the estate vary based on the structure and cost of the land.
Other reason said to be responsible for the desolate nature of the estate in is the tendency of developers to build houses that are beyond the reach of the residents, particularly, those in dire need of them. Some experts said the way land is administered in the FCT and lack of access to mortgage funds add to why the cost of houses are unaffordable by residents.
President, Real Estates Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN), Olabode Afolayan explained that it is unreasonable for anyone to expect developers to build houses for the low-income group in the nation’s capital.
He said FCT is a rapidly developing city where land is so scarce that many developers have to buy from the secondary market.
The stress arising from land acquisition, cost of land and the general high value for land, according to him, have made developers to target the high-income earners when building houses in the territory.
Afolayan said: “That accounts for why most of the houses are empty because when you look at the demand structure in FCT or demand structure generally, it is always in form of a pyramid. You see the lower part of the pyramid is where you have the bulk of the people.”
The Vice President, Arc. Namadi Sambo at an event, National Housing and Slum Summit, organised by the Federal Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development acknowledged the increase in number of slums in the country, especially in the FCT. He advocated a holistic approach towards solving the problem.
Affordable housing, he said, could be provided by creating dynamic policies in the National Housing Policy; National Urban Development Policy; the Revised National Building Code and the National Integrated Infrastructural Master Plan.
He called for a reasonable approach to addressing the situation and stressed the need for a new roadmap for affordable housing and upgrading of slums.
“While the human settlements sector requires a quick turn-around, the resources required to ensure its rapid transformation cannot be solely provided by the government. This explains the paradigm shift in the policy thrust of housing provision in favour of more effective participation of the private sector.
“The housing deficit remains huge. It will only be gradually reduced over a period of time through the active engagement of key stakeholders,” he said.
The Housing Ministry on its part is expected to make enabling policies to make housing affordable for all. The potentials embedded in the sector are much to contribute to entire development of the country.
For instance, the process involved in building structures needed inputs from other experts such as architects, engineers, surveyors, welders, plumbers as well as direct labours and electricians. The trends of activities thus create jobs for different individuals in the building process.
The Director of Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Housing, Mr. Paul Onuoha identified cost of lands as an index to consider. According to him, there are individuals who live abroad but own property in the territory. He said such individual may choose to come into the country once a while but hope to have a place to reside.
“We are living in a free enterprise environment. Government cannot regulate the cost of houses. The best government could do is to create enabling environment for more investors to come into the sector. But to regulate and say this category of house must sell for this amount, government cannot do that,” Onuoha said.
He continued: “Our work is to make the right policies, create enabling environment for the housing sector to thrive. We provide housing for people and to contribute to economic development of the country. The housing sector has potentials.
“Imagine when the housing sector is booming, the sector has the potential to drive the economy. The dream of the ministry is to make the sector engine of the government, when more players contribute to the sector.”
Asked if there are challenges preventing the ministry from performing its mandate, he said the responsibilities are far more beyond efforts of the ministry, but they interplay the entire economic function including relevant stakeholders.
