The Nation Newspaper

Tag: homes

  • Homes, schools flooded as rain wreaks havoc in Oyo

    About 70 houses and markets were flooded at the weekend after a downpour in Ibadan and its environs.

    Although nobody died during the rains, which lasted over five hours, property worth millions of naira were destroyed.

    Worse hit is Ido Local Government of Oyo State where the roof of schools and houses were blown off and buildings flooded.

    The popular Omi-Adio food market was flooded. Goods were swept away and shops submerged by the torrential rain.

    Residents were displaced, as they spent the night outside.

    The affected people scooped water out of their homes yesterday morning. They could not attend church.

    One of the victims, who gave her name as Alhaja Mulikat, described the destruction as monumental. She implored Governor Abiola Ajimobi to assist them financially.

    Environment and Water Resources Commissioner Mr. Isaac Ishola said the government was aware of the problem and had taken proactive measures to mitigate it.

    He said 24 rivers would be dredged.

    Ishola urged the public to obey environmental sanitation and waste management laws.

    He warned them to desist from dumping refuse in drainages and building kiosks on culverts.

  • Expert advises govt, others on ‘affordable homes’

    The construction and mortgage sectors must collaborate more effectively to deliver affordable homes, an estate surveyor and valuer, Mr Emmanuel Okoli, has said.

    Okoli, the president of Osita Okoli and Company,  wants industry operatives to pledge their support for “Family Homes Fund,”  a newly-introduced private sector-driven financing solution to housing challenges by the Federal Government.

    It is aimed at financing mortgages for low-income earners under its social housing programme, by raising about N1trillion. The fund is aimed at delivering solutions to alleviate the country’s affordable housing crisis.

    “In the face of all the odds, there is need for industry professionals to strive to lend their expertise to the Family Homes Fund, or any other such innovative, so that as a united property industry, we can tap into these ground-breaking initiatives to put an end to rising homelessness in our country,” Okoli said.

    On the spate of construction mishaps in the country, he said enforcement of the revised National Building Code (NBC) imbued with specific punishment for culprits in case of collapsed building, was the only way out. Not punishing culprits involved in such incidents sends the wrong message to the public and the industry.

    For instance, Okoli regrets that two years after, nobody has been found culpable in the unfortunate incident of the collapse of the roof of the indoor hall of the sports complex of the U.J Esuene Stadium in Calabar, and also a church building which collapsed during a Sunday service in the same state.

    Stressing the need for a collective effort to ensure the implementation of the Code, which he believes will arrest the national embarassment often caused by the increasing cases of the built environment failures and the near dominance and take-over of the industry by quacks, Okoli warned that the consequences of an ineffective and non-operational NBC in social and economic terms are too monumental for any sane society to ignore.

    The NBC was published in 2006 to put a stop to the unpalatable trends in the building construction industry, eliminate or reduce to the barest minimum the growing incidences of collapsed building in the country, as well as promote safe, qualitative housing for every Nigeria

    In order to meet with new trends and innovations in the sector, the building code is expected to be reviewed every three years. But unfortunately, several efforts to revise it to meet new challenges had met a brick-wall until the recent efforts of the Federal Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development.

    Okoli is also worried about the poor state of infrastructure in the country. To stem this trend, he wants a declaration of a state of emergency in the infrastructure sector and the establishment of an Infrastructure Development Fund (IDF). He said they were essential to get the country out of its huge infrastructure deficit.

    Although he noted that the country has completed the development of a National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan (NIIMP), its implementation will require tens of trillions of naira, making him to urge the National Assembly to pass appropriate legislation establishing the IDF and the implementation of the NIIMP.

    Seeking an amendment to the Company and Allied Matters Act that requires companies to contribute three to five per cent of their pre-tax profit to the IDF, Okoli described the infrastructural deficit as large and affecting every sector, adding that investments in the road sector alone requires at least the construction of 18,000 km of new roads annually for the next seven years.

    “Good infrastructure is critical to the overall development of the Nigerian economy, which in turn, impacts the standard of living of Nigerians. The government alone cannot fund the huge portfolio alone due to its limited financial resources and against the backdrop of current global financial tightening and increased competition for available infrastructure funds, so all hands must be on deck to achieve it,” Okoli submitted.

  • Osun warns against illegal homes

    The Osun State government yesterday warned against setting up illegal healing and rehabilitation homes.

    This followed the discovery of an illegal rehabilitation home on the Iwo-Osogbo Road, on Thursday.

    A statement by the Director, Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Office of the Governor, Semiu Okanlawon, said with government’s investment in a care centre for people with mental challenge, no one had reason to patronise unqualified homes.

    The statement said: “The government’s attention has been drawn to the existence of an uncertified rehabilitation home where about two dozens of mentally challenged persons have been discovered.

    “Preliminary investigations have indicted the person who claims to be in charge of this rehabilitation home; the entire environments of the location and other relevant factors have shown that this is unacceptable.”

    The statement explained that the government has evacuated the emaciated mentally challenged persons, who were found to be in deplorable states of health to its facilities at the state hospital and rehabilitation home while the police continues with its investigations.

    The statement added: “This is therefore to state categorically that the government will not permit the setting up and running of rehabilitation homes in any part of the state.”

  • Affordable homes now a reality

    SIR: It was an interesting experience to physically walk through reasonable living spaces built in Nigeria for less than N3million. What is more interesting is that it has happened in the depressed Nigerian economy;  built with direct local labour in Nasarawa State and 90% of the input was locally produced in Nigeria. In effect, we have here a made in Nigeria home built by Nigerians for Nigerians.

    It had running water, power and built in a gated housing estate, with security and estate management. The roads where not tarred but graded. The roads had an inclined slope for water to run off into a network of gutters to avoid any flooding. There were two maybe three playing fields for kids; various touches of want would make a comfortable, secured estate of 270 affordable homes for Nigerians. I had to continuously remind myself that these units were available for less than N3m and mortgages were available for willing buyers.

    What further pleased me the most is that I recently confirmed that both the Honourable Ministers for Finance and her counterpart in Works, Power and Housing have both visited the site and met with the team who delivered these homes.

    I smile to myself as I dream of a Nigeria where a hundred thousand of these homes are built across Nigeria every year for the next 10 years. That is a million of these homes built across the nation. Before the readers jump down my throat about the possibility of a million homes, let me offer a scenario of 36 locations each building 3,000 homes a year each for 10 years. This will require each state to identify suitable land in each local government and get the development team to put programme in place for these estates to be built.

    Unfortunately, I wake up from this dream and the realities of a Nigeria resetting its economy, looking to stimulate sustainable growth through targeted investment and diversification; I let out a huge sigh and get back to our realities.

    Welcome the Family Homes Fund, a financing initiative by the Ministry of Finance, funding affordable homes for Nigerians, focused on a Made in Nigeria approach! Could it be that my dream is taking seed and might come true? A light at the end of the affordable homes tunnel? In the modern era, where every country is claiming back their identity and turning away from a globalised economy; (Brexit (UK), Brexit Plus Plus (USA)), perhaps the elements are aligned for a housing evolution in Nigeria. An opportunity for internal growth stimulus, employment for the masses, and ultimately Nigerians owning their own affordable homes. We can only just pray that the initiative comes to life and affordable homes become available.

    All in all, today, these homes are real; they exist in Masaka, Nassarawa State. Affordable homes for Nigerians in Masaka. Let us hope we can replicate this across every state in Nigeria. Let us all key into this and keep the affordable homes dream alive.

     

    • 1111,

    Abuja.

  • Residents allege plot to take over their homes

    Residents allege plot to take over their homes

    Residents of Oke-Aro town in Ifon Local Government Area of Ogun State have urged the government to investigate alleged attempts by some persons, including estate valuers, to unlawfully take control of their landed property.

    The residents, whose homes are on or around Matogun Road in Oke-Aro, which bestrides land reserved by the Federal Government for power transmission lines under the National Independent Power Project (NIPP), said speculators were behind the plot.

    They alleged that despite existing routes for the power lines to traverse, the government may be deceived to destroy people’s homes to make another ‘costlier’ route for the NIPP, so that money could be spent on compensation, which those behind the plot would profit from.

    They also alleged that the opportunists had caused panic in the community in recent weeks by spreading rumours of an imminent pulling down of their homes by the government.

    In a chat with Southwest Report, members of Glory Land Community Development Association (CDA) in Oke-Aro said their enquiries had revealed that there was no such intention by the ministry and that the Ogun State government had also denied knowledge of any such extension by the Federal Government.

    The CDA President, Chief Samuel Somuyiwa, said some residents, especially the barely literate ones, had been deceived into signing documents which gave away absolute Power of Attorney over their homes.

    “They came around sharing forms without letting the people know what the forms were about. It was as if someone placed a handcuff before us and asked us to put our hands in it. I refused to accept the form when the agent could not answer my questions. But in two days, we had received about four to five letters of power of attorney from different estate agents,” Somuyiwa said.

    He said the documents, copies of which were made available to our correspondent, granted the recipients exclusive rights to negotiate for compensation on behalf of the home owners should their homes be pulled down by the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing.

    Another resident, Otunba Idowu Adeyinka said persons claiming to represent estate agents brought the unsigned letters of power of attorney, even at night, and dropped it in each compound.

    Adeyinka stated: “We have heard that some people have already signed the forms, but that is not our problem.

    “We know that normally, if the Federal Government or any government wants to do something, it will notify the people, either by way of publication in newspaper or by pasting posters around such area to let them know. It is not a third party that will now come and say ‘I want to represent you in negotiations with somebody.’

    “It is the government that should tell you in the first instance that this is what we are planning before you can now say let me have a power of attorney. Sensitisation should have been done to show that there is such a project and the property, if any, which will be affected.”

    Mr. Odunayo Ogunsanya, whose house is also on Matogun Road, said: “They told me the government would only break my fence, because it would not have money for compensation, if it destroyed my building.”

    This was confirmed by another resident, Mr. Alade Sodeke, who said his lawyer, Mr Bayo Oludele, had written to the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola to find out what was going on.

    The lawyer, Oludele said: “We are awaiting his response. But in the interim, I felt it was needful to get to the NIPP office too. They have an administrative office at Ikoyi. So, we will be going there to make enquiries. When he told me of the second and third letters of power of attorney being distributed, I reasoned that normally before you give somebody a power of attorney; it should be somebody you know.

    “A stranger cannot just show up and say he wants to represent you and you agree. That would be very risky. Once you appoint him as your attorney, he can do and undo because you have signed away your rights and obligations to him and he could decide to be crafty.

    “Before we built our houses here, many of us got approval from the government. You can’t come and say you want to take over another person’s property.

    “And then, enquiries at Abeokuta Survey office indicated that it is not aware of this. Under the Land Use Act, all lands in Nigeria are vested in the Governor, not even the President. So, before they do anything, the state government should know, but it says it is not aware.”

    The men said they were concerned because they had heard of a similar government project in the past where people were deceived into signing away their property and were given peanuts as compensation by middlemen.

    “When it was time to be paid, the middlemen waited until it was dark and asked the people to come to a hotel room one by one. A man whom the middlemen said would get N150, 000 was only given N15, 000,” Somuyiwa said.

  • Cedar Homes to deliver 168 units on rent-to-own

    Owning a home is the desire of every Nigerian. But given the prevailing challenges, owning one has become elusive for most people. This has continued to increase the housing deficit gap in the country. Several realtors and property developers are  trying to bridge the gap between the dream of home ownership and its reality.

    One of the firms undertaking such initiative is Messrs Reality Point Limited (RPL), an indigenous developer.

    RPL’s housing project is on the Lekki axis of Eti-Osa East Local Government Area, Lagos State. Christened “Cedar Homes”,  it was  conceptualised and designed as a haven of comfort for prospective owners, occupiers, investors and tenant-buyers. It is strategically positioned in Lekki Scheme II, Lagos. The project sits on 22,000 square metres of space and will accommodate 168 housing units.

    The frim’s Project Manager, Mr. Stephen Ajayi-James, said the project was conceived to ensure that the expectations of owners, occupiers and would-be investors were taken care of with the various housing types within the estate.

    The estate, said to have been conceived as an eco-friendly and environmentally-sustainable, gated community, offers facilities and services to foster qualitative living, better health, improved communal relationship and social engagement within the most affordable and cost effective means.

    ”Cedar Homes is an  affordable housing development, primarily aimed at providing access to quality housing solutions for middle income earners with the hope to deliver unparalleled comfortable living experience within the most affordable and cost effective means to our valued customers,” said Ajayi-James.

    According to the firm’s Managing Director, Mr. Debo Adejare, the house types being conceived are four floors of 15 blocks, each consisting of various units of flats. These will comprise studio apartments, one, two and three-bedroom apartments. Some of the three-bedroom units would be provided with maid’s room or  private family lounge.

    Adejare listed location as the first advantage offered by the scheme. This is because Cedar Homes is situated four minutes’ drive from Abraham Adesanya Estate and six minutes from Ajah round-about, and 10 minutes’ drive to Pan Atlantic University (Lagos Business School) campus, with similar  distance from Ikota Shopping Complex and the Victoria Garden City (VGC). Other strategic institutions within the vicinity include Atican Beach Resort.

    Other unique selling point of this estate is its easy accessibility to Lekki-Epe Expressway, the New Lekki Mall, the new Lekki Development Zone, which consist pipeline projects such as Lekki Free Trade Zone, Lekki Deep Sea Port, New Lekki Airport, Pan Atlantic University, Dangote Refinery, among others.

    “Proximity to other residential estates such as Atican Beach Estate, Grenadines Apartments & Terraces, Ocean Bay Estate, Lekki Gardens Estate, Lekki Pearl, Inoyo Estate, Gran Imperio’s Grand Lake Estate are other added advantage,” he said, while highlighting the value proposition to include comfort, convenience, quality and affordability.

    Adejare listed location as the first unique selling point of the estate, considering that it is just four minutes’ drive from Abraham Adesanya Estate and six minutes from Ajah round-about. “It is 10 minutes’ drive to Pan Atlantic University (Lagos Business School) campus, with similar  distance from Ikota Shopping Complex and VGC.

    The potential investor in the Cedar Homes stand to benefit from its non-encumbered title,  capital sourcing strategy, integrity of the project sponsors, design, high market absorption, project planning and delivery and pricing strategy, among others.

    Besides, prospective participants in the scheme need not worry about payment as the promoters have put in place three payment options. In the first option, which is rent-to-own, initial payment of 30 per cent deposit is required, with the balance spread over 36 months. The second option is payment of minimum initial deposit of between 20 and 30 per cent and balance spread over a period not exceeding 36 months.

    The third option is based on a mortgage facility, with payment of minimum initial deposit, followed by payment of the balance in partnership with mortgage banks for qualified prospects.

  • ‘Civil servants to get homes from govt estate’

    Fresh  hope for civil servants, who want to own houses, appeared on the horizon last week as President Muhammadu Buhari kicked off the first estate project under the Federal Integrated Staff Housing (FISH) Programme at Apo Tyafi District of the Federal Capital City, Abuja.

    The Federal Housing Authority Mortgage Bank (FHAMB), a subsidiary of the FHA, has been named mortgage banker to the scheme. The President was represented at the ceremony by the Minister of State for Power, Works and Housing, Alhaji Mustapha Baba Shehuri.

    In a document obtained by The Nation, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Ekanem Oyo-Ita, it was learnt,  expressed regret that a large proportion of civil servants, who did not benefit from the immediate past sale of government houses lived in slums and unplanned settlements because of their inability to own houses or rent decent accommodation in planned layouts.

    She said the FISH initiative was conceptualised to provide cost effective and affordable housing for various categories of workers as a way of uplifting their quality of life during and after service.

    Mrs. Oyo-Ita said the delivery of affordable housing under the programme was predicated on multi-sectoral support and cooperation, which include group land acquisition from the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and the states, provision of infrastructure and financial support through strategic partnership, cost effective pre-structural drawings and designs, as well as special intervention funds from the Federal Government using the expertise and skills of civil servants to supervise, develop and implement housing delivery.

    She said the FISH programme, operating under the umbrella of the Federal Integrated Staff Housing Cooperative Society, has forwarded applications for land to the FCTA and would be doing same to other states nationwide. “By that arrangement, the high cost of land acquisition and the difficulty in processing title deeds that added to the excessive cost of houses per unit at completion would be assuaged,” she stated.

    Under the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the OHCSF, FHAMB would be the custodian of the FISH programme with funds accessed by beneficiaries of the scheme through the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) loan window. FHAMB will disburse funds to contractors and developers as approved by the FISH Project Committee and the FHA. It will also assess civil servants for mortgage facilities for houses and package mortgages for those qualified in all the states as well as collect loan repayment from beneficiaries. FHAMB will be the project financier through collaboration with the Nigerian Mortgage Refinance Company. FISH will be run by a 15-member committee headed by a Permanent  Secretary in the OHCSF, Mr. S. K. Y. Adelakun. It has seven other permanent secretaries as members as well as FHA’s Managing Director, Prof Mohammed Al-Amin and the FHAMB Acting Managing Director, Alhaji Hayyatudeen Atiku Awwal.

    FISH is expected to leverage on Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) to acquire group land allocations at reasonable cost to make the houses affordable. It will use the Public Private Partnership (PPP) window to build houses and harness the existing potentials of such partnerships to provide massive and affordable housing for Federal civil servants before and after retirement. FISH will also consolidate existing unutilised group land allocations to the cooperative societies of MDAs and related Federal civil servants associations into the Federal Integrated Staff Housing Cooperative Society Limited for the purpose of effective coordination and utilisation for optimal benefit of staff.

    The programme will provide land and infrastructure for proposed estates while the houses would be built in phases. Buyers are expected to provide 20 per cent equity of the cost of their houses, which shall be domiciled in FHAMB while the remaining 80 per cent shall be financed through mortgage. The monthly repayment by beneficiaries shall either be remitted to FHAMB through its correspondent banks monthly or have their salary accounts domiciled in FHAMB.

  • Tiles, beautiful for homes

    Tile is manufactured from a variety of materials, such as clay, stone, metal, terrazzo, and quartz, each with its own defining characteristics. The two most commonly used types of tile flooring are ceramic and natural stone.

    Tile is a versatile, durable material with a variety of beautiful designs and colors used in homes, offices, banks, and clubs in order to make it look attractive.

    Tiles, according to Mr. Salami Kehinde, owner of SK tiles in Mushin, Lagos State, are of various types. He mentioned some popular ones to include; Ceramic, Granite, Marble, Stone and Slate.

    He said ceramic tile, which is manufactured from clay resists stain easily, offers greater durability, has natural stain resistance, minimal water absorption and thorough-bodied color.

    “Many types of tiles are manufactured in a fashion similar to ceramic tile, but they are less common. These include brick, cement, glass, and terra cotta tile. The tiles are commonly used in bathrooms and kitchens and are of different sizes,” he said.

    He explained that natural stone tiles are produced from natural materials which are querried, finished and cut to size and type of tiles that are gotten from it are granite, marble and slate.

    “Granite,” he said, “is a type of igneous rock that is very dense and hard. Its distinctive appearance is due to speckled minerals found within the rock, its unique veining, and the thousands of available colors. Granite is nearly solid and, once it is polished, resists scratching. It is an excellent choice for flooring in kitchens and high-traffic areas.”

    Marble is a type of metamorphic rock that has rich veining and is available in a variety of colors. Marble is more absorbent than granite.

    Kehinde urged shoppers to consult professionals before application in order to determine the best tile that will be suitable for one’s style or taste and budget, as the picking of the flooring material is considered to be one of the most challenging tasks when designing the interiors of the home.

  • LagosHOMS delivers 54 homes in Oko-oba housing scheme

    The Lagos State Home Ownership Mortgage Scheme (LagosHOMS) has again provided 54 residents of the state with houses under its scheme.

    The General Manager, Lagos State Mortgage Board, Dehinde Tunwashe, said that the Oko-oba scheme, which was inaugurated recently, has large sized two and three-bedroom apartments in a gated community, adding that giving them out was a way of alleviating the housing problems being faced by Lagosians and also meeting up their  demand for decent and affordable housing.

    He stressed that the Oko Oba scheme which is about 15 minutes’ drive from Ikeja, the state capital, boasts of state-of-the-art facilities like street lights, water treatment plant, community hall, external gas cylinder cage, laundromat, security post, adequate parking space, electricity pre-paid meters, estate management office and utility generator.

    Tunwase assured that the state government would not relent in its efforts at reducing housing deficit in the state while it would continue to give housing a priority. He said that aside the completed Oko-Oba scheme, construction was ongoing at different sites across the state and that, as soon as they were completed, they would be put up for sale to resident.

    He therefore urged the general public to take advantage of the scheme, adding that applications were now open for interested members of the public who are aspiring to own their first home. Applicants, he further said, should visit the scheme’s office or log on to their website: www.lagoshoms.gov.ng.

  • Philanthropist builds homes for widows in Rivers, Abia

    A philanthropist and founder of a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Nice-Esther For All Foundation (NEFAF), Nice Alamieyiseigha, has donated two units of one-bedroom apartment to two aged widows from Rivers and Abia states.

    The beneficiaries are: Madams Mercy Amadi and Paulina Paulinus.

    The building was completed in collaboration with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), under NEFAF Home and Housing Scheme for poor widows and destitute in the region.

    The presentation ceremony at Isiokpo, the headquarters of Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, where one of the houses is located, was attended by members of Isiokpo Council of Chiefs and traditional rulers, led by HRM King Blessing Wagor, Wagidi the 40th, Nye-Nwe–Ali Isiokpo, leader of Nigerian Army Officers’ Wives’ Association (NAOWA), officials of the local government and NDDC, among others.

    One of beneficiaries, a blind centenarian, expressed gratitude to Alamieyiseigha for the gesture with prayers.

    The standard one-bedroom apartment has borehole and water system.

    The event was part of the NGO’s activities to uplift the poor, orphans and physically challenged during Christmas.

    Started in 2010, the NGO has been funded solely by its founder and her husband Godknows Alamieyiseigha, an engineer. The NGO has impacted lives of several indigents of the society.

    Speaking on her passion for helping the helpless, said “doing charity and affecting lives positively are my passion and life,” stressing that her vision is to extend the gesture to other states of the region.