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Tag: smart city

  • Abuja set to unveil revolutionary smart city project

    Abuja set to unveil revolutionary smart city project

    Abuja is poised to become a cutting-edge smart city with the launch of the Abuja Smart City Project, set for July 23, 2024. 

    The initiative aims to transform the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) by integrating advanced technologies to offer smart services at residents’ fingertips, ultimately building a community of smart people, providing smart services, and creating a smart city.

    The unveiling will take place during the Second Nigerian Data Expo and Conference (NDEC) at the Shehu Musa Yaradua Centre in Abuja. 

    The event would showcase the future of urban living with a focus on innovative data solutions and smart grid technology.

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    Robb Moore, a renowned global data expert and founder of Iosafe from the United States, will be the lead speaker. 

    Moore’s expertise in smart grid technology is expected to provide invaluable insights into the implementation and benefits of smart city infrastructures.

    The special guest of honour for the event will be His Excellency, Vice President Kashim Shettima, who is expected to lend his support to the transformative project. 

    The event will be hosted by His Excellency Ezenwo Wike, the FCT Minister, underscoring the government’s commitment to modernizing Abuja.

    The announcement of the project was made by Dr. Ahmed Badanga, CEO of Havel Corporate Concept and convener of the Abuja Smart City Concept. 

    Dr. Badanga emphasised the project’s potential to revolutionise urban living in Abuja, making it a model for smart city development across Nigeria and beyond.

    The event marks a significant step towards a more connected, efficient, and sustainable future for Abuja, setting a new standard for cities worldwide.

  • Synergy of politics and engineering in smart city development

    Synergy of politics and engineering in smart city development

    • By Samuel Oluwatobi Olaniran

    In the evolving landscape of Nigeria’s urbanization, the concept of smart cities stands out as a critical ambition. These cities, envisioned to be hubs of technological integration and sustainable living, are urban dreams and necessities in our rapidly advancing world. However, the transformation of these visions into tangible realities is as much a political journey as it is an engineering challenge. The successful development of smart cities in Nigeria demands a seamless integration of civil engineering expertise with astute political leadership, creating a synergy that can profoundly reshape our urban environments.

    Nigeria’s major cities, including the vast city of Lagos and the expanding capital, Abuja, are at the core of the country’s cultural and economic activities. Yet, they face a multitude of challenges: infrastructural deficiencies, rapidly growing population pressures, environmental concerns, and the need for sustainable development. Addressing these multifaceted issues calls for a strategic approach that combines political foresight with civil engineering innovation. In this confluence of disciplines lies the potential for transforming Nigeria’s urban spaces into models of efficiency, sustainability, and technological advancement.

    The realm of civil engineering is foundational in this urban metamorphosis. Far beyond the traditional roles of construction and design, civil engineering in the context of smart cities involves a holistic reimagining of urban living. This includes the creation of efficient transportation networks that reduce congestion and pollution, the design of energy-efficient buildings that harness renewable energy sources, and the development of sustainable waste management systems. Civil engineers are builders, visionaries, and creators of a sustainable urban fabric that supports the well-being and prosperity of its inhabitants.

    Political leadership and willpower are crucial in steering the course of this urban development. The effectiveness of smart city initiatives hinges on the support and stability provided by political structures. This encompasses a commitment to long-term planning, the allocation of adequate resources, and the establishment of regulatory frameworks conducive to innovation. Political leaders must rise above short-term political gains and partisan divides to champion a sustainable urban future, recognizing that the development of smart cities is a national imperative that transcends electoral cycles.

    Looking at global examples, such as Singapore and South Korea, we see the transformative power of political will in urban development. These nations have successfully melded civil engineering expertise with strong political support to create urban centres that are paragons of innovation and sustainability. Their experiences offer valuable lessons for Nigeria, demonstrating that a combination of visionary politics and engineering ingenuity can lead to the creation of smart cities that will elevate the quality of urban life and serve as catalysts for national development. Nigeria can draw inspiration from these global benchmarks, adapting its strategies to align with its unique socio-political and economic context.

    In Nigeria, the path to smart city development is fraught with specific political challenges: fluctuating government priorities, bureaucratic complexities, and funding issues. However, these obstacles also present a unique opportunity for Nigeria’s political leaders to exhibit resilience and innovative thinking. There is a need for policies that foster public-private partnerships, encourage investment in urban infrastructure, and create an enabling environment for technological innovation. Political leaders must take the initiative to develop and implement comprehensive urban development policies that prioritize sustainable practices and technological integration.

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    The formulation of effective policies is a cornerstone in shaping Nigeria’s urban future. Such policies should support the growth of smart cities, emphasizing the adoption of innovative engineering solutions. Political leaders have a crucial role in devising and implementing policies that address current urban challenges and ensure that urban development is sustainable, inclusive, and capable of adapting to future needs and challenges.

    A collaborative approach is essential in the journey towards building smart cities in Nigeria. This involves a partnership between the government, civil engineers, urban planners, the private sector, and the community. Such collaboration ensures that urban development projects are technically sound and aligned with the socio-economic realities and cultural ethos of Nigerian society. It is through this collective effort that urban projects can achieve the desired impact, making cities centres of technological innovation and hubs of social and economic growth.

    In conclusion, the development of smart cities in Nigeria is a multidimensional endeavour that requires the harmonious integration of civil engineering expertise and political commitment. The decisions made today by Nigeria’s political leaders and engineers will significantly influence the future of the nation’s urban landscapes. Stakeholders must work together, leveraging their respective strengths, to build cities that are smart in their use of technology and in their capacity to foster sustainable, inclusive, and vibrant communities. The future of Nigeria’s urban spaces is a shared responsibility, and it is time for all involved to rise to this formidable challenge.

    •Olaniran works as a ‘Drive Test Engineer’ at China International Telecommunication Construction Corporation (CITCC), Lagos.

  • ‘Smart city critical for growth’

    National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Director-General, Dr Isa Pantami, said  Nigeria as the largest economy in Africa cannot afford to be left behind in the adoption of the Smart City initiative for economic transformation.

    According to him, African governments, especially Nigeria as a regional leader, would need to do something about the new economy and its policy challenges in preparing for the disruption and pressure it brings to societies  in jobs and economic opportunities.

    He spoke in Abuja during the presentation of the Draft Nigeria Smart Initiatives Policy Framework, (NSIPF), stressing the need to key into the Smart City Initiative to address the country’s socio-economic challenges such as insecurity, unemployment, terrorism and kidnapping, corruption, governance and democracy.

    He said economic diversification, inefficient resource management, environmental and societal sustainability as well as climate change are other areas the Smart Initiatives would uplift the standard of living of the people.

    He regretted that Africa does not have a strong foothold for now on the drive for Smart Cities at “a time the world is moving into internet economy, a hyper-connected world where data is most valuable asset”.

    “This poses a significant threat to oil-based economy like Nigeria and other economies that depend largely on natural resources.

    “The new digital economy fueled by technology innovation with advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) Internet of Things, (IoTs) and Internet of Everything (IoE) promises to leave no sector untouched but only those who adapt very quickly to technological changes will derive the benefits that come with it,” Pantami said.

  •  Smart City: Lagos to deploy 10,000 CCTV Cameras

    The Lagos State Government on Friday, said arrangement is in top gear to deploy additional 10,000 High Definition (HD) CCTV cameras across the state as part of the comprehensive Smart City Programme designed to provide a 24-hour driven economy.

    Speaking at the annual Ministerial Press Briefing to mark the third anniversary of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s administration, Commissioner of Science and Technology, Hakeem Fahm, said the smart city initiative, was intended to allow the citizenry and companies operate in a safe and secure environment, thereby creating more jobs and increasing the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the State.

    The commissioner said the focus of the smart city programme includes provision of security and surveillance, implementation of a metro fibre network and e-governance, He added that apart from HD cameras deployed in the first phase, other scope of the project involves integration of the deployed cameras with Centralized Emergency Command and Control Centre (CCC), provision of road signature structure and street lights across the state.

    “In the second phase of the project, we will be deploying 10,000 HD cameras, world class e-government solution and data centre solution, one key alarm, metro fibre network to serve as backbone for communication and unified communications with smart phones for first respondent agencies such as police, fire service, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO), among others,” Fahm said.

    He said the initiative would address security, transportation and infrastructure in a sustainable manner, adding that thousands of surveillance CCTV cameras would eventually be deployed across the length and breadth of the State.

    “The security component will deploy thousands of surveillance CCTV cameras through the length and breadth of the State. The transportation component focuses on Intelligent Transport Service (ITS) and the connectivity component with provision of a metro fibre network through a major Internet Service Provider (IPS) that will eventually lead connectivity to various homes, offices and institutions in the State,” Fahm said.

    On activities of the Ministry in the last one year, the Commissioner said it was gratifying to report major portals being developed such as Driver’s Licence Processing and Verification Portals to ease the process of driver’s licence issuance and verification of vehicle registration, Education portals to enhance learning and registration of private schools, while Land Use Charge portal and Citizens Gate app, a platform where residents can engage with government online, were successfully implemented.

  • Lagos’ ‘bold march’ towards a smart city

    Has the status of Lagos State improved as a commercial and social hub in sub-Saharan Africa? Yes, say officials of the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development. MUYIWA LUCAS x-rays the ministry’s role in the last one year.

    The last time he came to  Lagos State was three years ago. Thus, for Yinka Shodeinde, a Nigerian based in  Europe, coming to Lagos for a brief holiday presented him with the opportunity of reuniting with his friends and family members.

    But Shodeinde’s much-sought- after fun was hampered by his inability to navigate the streets of Lagos smoothly due to the gridlock on the roads; the magnitude, which he claimed,  he never experienced before travelling. The gridlock is a consequence of the unprecedented construction ongoing across the length and breadth of Lagos simultaneously, a situation that has now given the state a new name – ‘construction site.’

    “Notwithstanding that the gridlock deprived me of easy movement, I really do not mind the because I see that it is for the development of the state. I am sure that once these works are completed, Lagos will be a city to behold, competing favourably with other major cities in the world,” he said.

    This submission aptly captured  the  Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Rotimi Ogunleye’s    scorecard during a briefing last Monday in Alausa, Lagos.

    “Our ministry, the MPP&UD has contributed immensely in the last one year to the overall vision of the state towards achieving a safe, liveable, sustainable, business and tourism-friendly environment, through our mandate of provision of infrastructure to engender the socio-economic growth and well-being of the state,” Ogunleye explained to the large audience gathered inside the Bagauda Kalto Press Centre.

    According to him, the ongoing “revolution” in the state could be attributed to the massive transformation and reformative policies and programmes of the administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, which he noted to be geared towards changing the face of the state.

    His claims may not be far from the truth. A look around Lagos shows that there are substantial and significant projects taking place simultaneously across the state and more lined up with the intention of progressively transforming the state into a “Smart City.”

     

    Sustainable development

    According to Ogunleye, in the last one year, the Ministry has adopted the preparation of the Master and Model City Plans. So far, he revealed, eight Master and Model City Plans have been prepared. These are: Lekki Comprehensive Master Plan; Badagry Master Plan; Ikoyi-Victoria Island Model City Plan; Ikeja Model City Plan; Alimosho Model City Plan; Mainland Central Model City Plan; Apapa Model City Plan and Agege-Ifako Model City Plan. Four additional Master and Model City Plans, he added, were prepared and would be ready for public use by the second quarter of this year. They are the Epe Master Plan, Ikorodu Master Plan, Oshodi-Isolo Model City Plan and the Revised Ikeja Model City Plan. It is also worthy to mention that on completion of the procurement process, the proposed Kosofe Model City Plan would be awarded in the second quarter of the year.

     

    Land Use activities

    According to the commissioner, to engender greater efficiency, the Physical Planning and Building Control Regulations 2005 have been reviewed and lie before the  House of Assembly for necessary action. The review, he said, is necessary for the furtherance of the government’s vision of a sustainable, business and tourism-friendly environment and to ensure effective enforcement, appropriate control and regulatory operations to stem the rate of illegal conversion of land uses while bringing contraveners to compliance. Besides, he noted, illegal, unsafe, non-conforming developments and the activities of unscrupulous developers continue to pose a lot of challenges to the ministry. He however assured that through continuous monitoring and enforcement as well as utilising the “Whistle Blowing Policy,” the situation would be brought under control.

    Ogunleye revealed that through the Lagos State Material Testing Laboratory (LSMTL), the ministry embarked on an intensive audit of structures in both on-going construction sites and completed buildings suspected to be distressed. Consequently, 1,842 sites were visited, 1,392 Test Advice Notices served and information on buildings identified as distressed were forwarded to the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) for necessary action. He said 149 distressed buildings were identified at different locations, of which 40 of such have been removed while the next phase of 38 of the structurally defective structures have been earmarked for removal. This initiative, including others, has led to a significant reduction in building collapse.

     

    Ease of doing business

    Perhaps the most significant feat recorded by the ministry remains the titling process on properties within the state. Although it remains contestable, Ogunleye takes pride in the e-pp platform, saying it has eased assessibility, decreased third party interference and reduced the process of obtaining a planning permit to 28 working days after the application has been pre-screened and cleared. This process, he maintained, has influenced a better ranking for the country on the ease of doing business index.

    “It is my pleasure to report that the reforms bore fruits with Nigeria’s improved ranking in the Ease of Doing Business Global Index, particularly in Dealing with Construction Permits promoted through our online automation and increased transparency,” he said. Furthermore, in the year, of a total of 2,023 planning permit applications received, Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA) granted 1,237. Others are being processing.

     

    Amnesty programme

    To clear the backlog of applications and to encourage regularisation of developments without permits, the ministry, revealed the commissioner, has provided a window of opportunity with a six-month amnesty period from March 1 to August 31, for owners and developers of  structures to regularise their developments documents. In this instance, penal fees, which should be paid on Building Assessment charges, would be waived. He therefore called on developers and owners to take advantage of the opportunity to obtain permits and Certificate of Fitness on their developments. Besides, developers/owners who desire to commence construction while perfecting their land documents with Lands Bureau can apply for a provisional approval with their family land receipts duly stamped upon payment of stamp duty. When the Title Document is finally perfected, the developers/owners would apply for Final Planning Permit.

     

    Infrastructure renewal, upgrade

    In its quest for infrastructure renewal and upgrade, Ogunleye revealed that the ministry recovered and delivered eight Right of Way (RoW) for the construction, reconstruction of roads and new transport routes as well as utility lines to facilitate easy movement of people, goods, and services. In specific terms, the RoW projects delivered includes the re-construction and upgrade of Alapere/Agboyi Ketu network of roads; re-construction/dualisation of lrede Road in Amuwo Odofin LGA; the proposed Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) Oyingbo Bus Terminal Development; rehabilitation of Alhaji Akinwunmi Street, Mushin; construction of lgbe/Igbogbo/Bola Ahmed Tinubu Way, lkorodu; re-Construction of Agric-Ishawo-Konu-Arepo Road, Ikorodu and Lagos – Ogun State boundary network of 21 Roads in Alimosho Local Government Area.

    Over seven projects are ongoing notably, the construction of Pen Cinema Flyover Bridge, Agege; reconstruction of Oshodi-Muritala Mohammed International Airport (MMA) Road, Lagos, among others.

     

    Urban relocation

    To redirect economic activities, which bring about negative impact on the environment to more desirable and viable locations, the state government, through the ministry, embarked on the construction of a sawmill at Timberville, Agbowa/Ikosi Ejinrin, LCDA to  relocate the Okobaba Sawmill in Ebute-Metta, at no cost to the sawmillers. Ogunleye said the Phase I of the project is now ready for operational take-off save the provision of additional transformers and the completion of the link road.

    Similarly, the Katangowa ICT Park Project which is a public private partnership (PPP), arrangement is due to commence with the upgrading of roads to the site. When completed, he said the Katangowa project would be the biggest ICT Park in West Africa and will offer over 4,000 shops, exhibition halls, hotel, industrial park, warehouses, KeeKlamps (small shopping shades), a helipad, malls, banking halls, parking lots, conference centre, food courts, security and power, delivered in a carefully laid out plan.

     

    Conclusion

    The commissioner re-emphasised that the state government has continued to embark on sustained efforts toward effective and efficient planning, knowing full well that planning is the pathway to improved standard of living, economic vibrancy, social stability, tourist and investor – friendly environment. To this end, he assured that the MPP&UD will continue to “Plan for All with All” – developers, owners, occupiers and professionals in the built environment to show that the lives of Lagosians matter.

    Are these feats enough to say the state is marching progressively towards becoming a smart city? Lagosians are waiting, patiently too.

     

     

     

  • Work begins on IIBC, Africa’s first smart city

    Work begins on IIBC, Africa’s first smart city

    Prospective investors, stakeholders, built and construction stakeholders, government officials, operators in the financial sector and other Nigerians, last weekend, converged on Ikate-Elegushi, Lagos, to witness the beginning of dredging of the Lagos Lagoon.

    The dredging signalled the commencement of construction work on the Imperial International Business City (IIBC), a multi-billion naira project, in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State, promoted by the Elegushi Royal Family (ERF) and Messrs ChannelDrill Resources Limited, a real estate developer. The IIBC,  planned to be built as the truly first smart city in Africa, has been described as a smart and eco-friendly city, which will redefine the standard of urban development in Africa.

    The IIBC is a city to be built from the scratch, and is said to be the next big thing after the Eko Atlantic City, but only in terms of size. For instance, it is envisaged to be a city with distinct zones and building regulations, with each zone having low, medium and high density areas with water view. The city will be 3.5 metres above sea level, in spite of the fact that studies have shown that over the next 75 years the Lagoon will not rise beyond one metre.

    Some of the zones already identified in the city include the Marina West Zone, which will enjoy a cosmopolitan lifestyle with waterside dining and leisure; Marina East, built to have a community feel and Nigerian bohemian vibe; Imperial Gardens West, touted as a neighbourhood centre and located in a botanical setting with key viewpoints; Imperial Gardens East, a quiet residential neighbourhood; Imperial Beach, an exclusive residential neighbourhood, which will offer residents coastal living; Kings Island, to be built as an exclusive private island, and Park Avenue, a formal arrangement lining a tropical green boulevard.

    Presenting the IIBC concept, described as a destination for regional and international business to the public, ChannelDrill’s Managing Director Mr. Femi Akioye said the term smart city, has been abused in the Nigerian property sector, as it often represents unfulfilled promises. He blamed it on the proverbial ‘Nigerian factor’, which ab initio plagues the planning and design schemes of newly-developed communities, thereby making living, working, and playing in such developments, at best, sub-optimal.

    Akioye said the IIBC as a smart city, is “an Integrated city  because it combines the features of a ”Green City”, designed with environmental impact consideration. “The ocean doesn’t hide its nature; the Lagoon is a fox. The Lagoon will rise in the next few years, but we are building for the future. We can safely say that IIBC is going to be a flood free city for at least 75 years.  It is also the only island that has more than one entry point. Our roads are designed to make sure that crippling traffic will never occur in IIBC,” Akioye assured.

    Taking investors through the project, Akioye said on electricity, IIBC comes with an independent power plant (IPP) to ensure that it does not only enjoy stable power supply, but will also use clean energy supply. The IPP will also make the city to be self- sustaining. Besides,  IPP will ensure that there is no need for generators by residents, leading to clean city.

    Also, there will be a waste treatment plant to be built on the Island, which will be producing methane that will be used for production of more electricity or cooking gas. “Electricity will be available on 24/7 basis; cooking gas will also be piped into each building thereby eliminating the usage of gas cylinders in the city,” Akioye explained.

    Shedding light on the power project within the development, Akioye explained that due to intermitent power supply, the developers have assumed that Lagos does not have the capacity to uptake the new demand levels of the island. “Therefore, a new intake substation on the Island would be supplied directly from an existing substation on the mainland via a subsea cable,” he said.

    Akioye added that exhaust gasses from the generators used in the IPP will be treated by a dedicated gas cleaning plant to ensure that fumes released into the atmosphere complies with the exhaust of generators with international standards; secondary power will be generated by alternative sources such as waste to power plants, while the fuel, which is liquefied natural gas (LNG), will be supplied to the city via barges. “Fuel will be pumped into bulk fuel storage bays via pipelines from the coast. Bulk storage feeds into a treatment plant before entering generator supply streams,” he explained. Infrastructure development in the city is being handled by Mott MacDonald Limited, London, United Kingdom (UK).

    ChannelDrill Chairman, Mr. Emeka Ndu, is also of the view that  his firm believed that the “Nigerian factor” can be one that speaks excellence, which is why the firm is now telling a new story- a happy story of Nigeria and in Nigeria.

    “Our IIBC story tells of how through thorough and meticulous design, uncompromising vision and latest technology. We are solving the challenges we face in our societies. We are solving these challenges in a technologically smart, environmentally friendly, and socially sustainable manner. The old story tells of the challenges of unanticipated floods, unnerving traffic, unstable power, unmanaged waste, and unavailable ICT.  But our story tells of how all of these challenges have been solved in the Imperial International Business City. Our story tells of details, of care, of passion, of love, of devotion. A devotion to excellence. A devotion that never ends,”he said.

    Elegushi family head, Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi, the IIBC project becomes imperative, considering that with the rising population of Lagos State, and in view of the fact that land is fixed in supply, the family thought it is necessary to contribute to the accommodation needs of the people.

    “Besides, this is a legacy, not necessarily for making money. We have travelled all over the world and we see the infrastructural wonders in all those places. Then, I asked myself, is it a curse that balckman cannot do something better? That was part of the reason for conceiving the project. Initially, it was like a dream, but we thank God, it has become a reality”, said Oba Elegushi.

    General Manager, Dredging International Services Limited, Mr. Stefan Van Velthoven, consultant handling the reclamation work, also allayed the fear of flooding in the IIBC, considering that flooding has been a regular occurrence in the Lekki axis.

    According to him, the scenario has been played out at the preliminary stage of planning to ensure the safety, serenity and comfort planned for the IIBC. “We have been collaborating with Channeldrill Resources to ensure that nothing untoward happens in the future. We have set 3.5 metre above the sea level and we had already mobilised to site equipment to commence the first phase of sandfilling, which is about 100 hectares  and within the next one year, we will complete the second phase,” he said.

    With an area of 200 hectares, IIBC will be zoned into residential, mixed use and commercial areas. Each zone will have low, medium and high density area, each zone will also be divided into inner city, water ways view and Lagoon view areas.

    The projects topwaterways, underground drainage, sewage, water and water treatment plant, Independent electricity ( Gas Generated), fiber optics cable, cloud enabled communication network and smart city/house infrastructure for willing subscribers, a mini marina, first smart shopping mall in Africa, cloud enabled 24 hours spy eyed security connected to a central security center, world class hospital within a dedicated healthcare zone.

    Access roads to the new city are currently three and they are Freedom Road through Lekki Phase 1 (Lekki Third Roundabout), Kunsenla Road by 4th Roundabout off Lekki-Epe highway, Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi road by SPAR supermarket before Jakande. Other access roads will be through Femi Okunnu and Jakande roundabout in the future.

    Land will be sold at plot sizes of 650 square metres, 800 square metres, 1000 square metres and 1200 square metres. Buyers will get a contract of sale documents immediately payment is confirmed.

  • Developer assures of Smart City’s adequate sewage control

    To-promoters  of the Imperial International Business City (IIBC), the Elegushi Royal Family (ERF), has said the IIBC is designed to align with the Cleaner LagosIntiative (CLI) of Lagos State in line with the new global order.

    According to the royal family, the IIBC, on completion, will have facilities to cater for its own sewage and water control to ensure that the dream of making it a smart city is fully actualised.

    ERF head, Oba Saheed Elegushi, disclosed this in a chat with The Nation, after an inspection tour of the site with the city’s project consultant on infrastructure development, Messers Mott MacDonald Limited of London, United Kingdom.

    According to Oba Elegushi, sewage control is a huge task in any city. This, he explained, is the reason for the promoters’ determination to effectively manage waste and reduce its attendant burden on the new development. One of the strategies to be used is by  providing recycling facilities in the city.

    “The waste strategy places emphasis on collection of waste, segregation and treating this via appropriate facilities. We have also realised that by installing Biodigestors, we can supplement energy by providing supplemental generation from organic waste. This is very critical for the IIBC sustainability,” he said. The Royal Father further said the city’s managers will not relent in educating and imploring residents to operate and maintain clean, efficient waste facilities, as it contributes to the local economy.

    Oba Elegushi also explained that waste sources segregation will be encouraged within the residential, commercial and public sections of the city through education and awareness. The wastes, he explained, will be segregated into at least two streams in both residential and commercial properties- that is, recyclables and residual waste.

    “The emphasis will be on developing a sustained message that everyone should respect and take pride in participating. Waste storage areas will be kept away from publicly accessible areas and locked to ensure that access is restricted to the facility management teams and others approved trained members of staff,” he explained.

    He continued: “There will also be waste collection by a single collector. This will be enhanced through building twin waste chute system for low and high rise buildings; door to door collection; concierge system and a dedicated central storage area.

    “Other innovative solutions may include for waste management in the IIBC include provision of Material Recycling Facility (MRF) with manual picking and sorting lines; Anaerobic Digester for processing food waste to produce gas or electricity; or vessel composting to produce compost for sale or use on the island for landscape purposes; Small-Scale energy from waste incineration of residual waste after segregating the waste.

    Mott MacDonald team leader, Stuart Croucher, further explained that waste generated from the city will be split into three different streams for treatment and disposal for instance, adding that dry recyclables wastes will be further segregated, using MRF with manual picking and sorting lines. With this, he explained, products such as plastic, glass, metals and paper can be potentially sold back into the market.

    In dealing with organic wastes, Croucher said two options will be available: using anaerobic digester,  makes the waste to be fermented to produce methane where it is burned to produce electricity or be used as cooking gas. The remainder of the waste will be transformed into a Digestate where it can be used as compost. The second option is Vessel Composting, a technology that will provide the city with high quality compost to be used internally or exported off island.

    Croucher assured that portable water will be provided by the city management company. To ensure that water shortage is never experienced, potable water treatment plant and Deep Well Borehole with several pumping stations will be constructed. Water, he said, will be pumped from water treatment plant, using circular main which spurs off to each development area and to individual properties.

  • Developer to build IPP at Imperial ‘smart city’

    Developer to build IPP at Imperial ‘smart city’

    Electricity supply has continued to be a major concern in the country. Even in highbrow estates, stable electricity can only be guaranteed by the use of generators, a system that is not in sync with the current drive for clean energy usage.

    Lagos state’s new status of a megacity has thrown up the challenge of ensuring a clean and safe environment at all times, especially with the looming effect of climate change. This is why developers are now building into their housing projects, alternatives that will ensure that environmental pollution are drastically reduced, especially in the area of energy usage.

    This thinking and the future demands on the environment are the reasons a real estate developer and promoter of International Imperial Business City (IIBC), ChannelDrill Resources Limited, has concluded plans to include in its development of the first smart city in Africa, an independent power plant (IPP) to ensure that its smart city project, set for commencement next week, does not only enjoy stable power supply, but uses clean energy supply. The IIBC is a planned smart city located on a 200-hectare expanse land in Ikate  Kingdom, which is to be attained by dredging the Lagos Lagoon.

    In an exclusive chat with The Nation, ChannelDrill Managing Director, Mr. Olufemi Akioye, explained that the plans for the IPP in the smart city is to ensure that the city is intended to be self- sustained. Besides, the use of IPP within the city will ensure that there is no need for the use of generator by its residents, leading to clean energy.

    He also explained that the waste treatment plant to be built on the Island will be producing methane that will be used for production of more electricity or cooking gas. “Electricity will be available on 24/7 basis; cooking gas will also be piped into each building, thereby eliminating the usage of gas cylinders in the city,” Akioye explained.

    Shedding light on the power project within the development, Akioye explained that due to power supply intermittency, the developers have assumed that Lagos does not have capacity to uptake the new demand levels of the island. Therefore, a new intake substation on the Island would be supplied directly from an existing substation on the mainland via a subsea cable.

    Also, this, he further explained, will act as a secondary supply to the city and could potentially be used to export the surplus generated to the existing Lagos distribution network.

    Akioye said exhaust gasses from the generators used in the IPP will be treated by a dedicated gas cleaning plant to ensure that fumes released into the atmosphere complies  with international standards; secondary power will be generated by alternative sources such as waste to power plants, while liquefied natural gas (LNG) will be supplied to the city via barges. “Fuel will be pumped into bulk fuel storage bays via pipelines from the coast. Bulk storage feeds into a treatment plant before entering generator supply streams,” he explained.

    Akioye said the infrasture consultants to the project, Mott MacDonald Limited, London, United Kingdom, are also banking on past project experience on past Master Plans that were executed in climatic conditions similar to those of Lagos to estimate power density figures. He said this will be calculated for each load zone based on land allocation.

    “We are aware that air-conditioning is a large element within power demand in a highbrow area like the IIBC, so preliminary load estimate per plot is 100MVA,” he said.

  • Lagos: Attaining the smart city status

    Lagos: Attaining the smart city status

    The deployment of Information Communications Technology (ICT) tools to tackle urban health, water, transportation, schools and other issues is the hallmark of a smart city which Lagos State is aspiring to be. LUCAS AJANAKU reports that applications, such as Uberpool, could aid commuters in the city.

    The free online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, has defined ‘a smart city as an urban development vision to integrate ICT and Internet of Things (IoT) technology in a secure fashion to manage a city’s assets.

    These assets include local departments’ information systems, schools, libraries, transportation systems, hospitals, power plants, water supply networks, waste management, law enforcement, and other community services.

    A smart city is promoted to use urban informatics and technology to improve the efficiency of services. ICT allows city officials to interact directly with the community and the city infrastructure and to monitor what is happening in the city, how the city is evolving, and how to enable a better quality of life. Through the use of sensors integrated with real-time monitoring systems, data are collected from citizens and devices – then processed and analysed. The information and knowledge gathered are keys to tackling inefficiency.

    Wikipedia says other terms that have been used for similar concepts include cyberville, digital city, electronic communities, flexicity, information city, intelligent city, knowledge-based city, MESH city, telecity, teletopia, Ubiquitous city, wired city.

    Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has said the power of technology and collaboration in building the transport systems of the future informed his plans to remove the notorious yellow buses called Danfo from Lagos roads. This decision showed intention to reduce congestion and pollution, as well as pave way for an efficient mass transportation system that would make it easier to move around a technologically savvy, smart city.

    According to experts, this is important because the country is at the forefront of urbanisation, with over 200 million people expected to live and work in its cities in the next 40 years, more than tripling the size of its current urban population. Only China and India surpass this rapid rate of urbanisation, which presents a serious challenge for the country’s transport system.

    The African Development Bank (AfDB) said the average commuter in Lagos spends over three hours in traffic daily. While a new system would require significant time and investment to implement, a technology firm, Uber says it has the capacity to provide.

    Its General Manager, sub-Saharan Africa, Mr Alon Lits, said  the firm has applied the philosophy of ride-sharing in cities across the world, effectively reducing congestion and environmental impact in the process. “We have experienced the benefits that technology can bring to public transport; with global positioning system (GPS) systems and constant communication, technology can make it safer for both the driver and the passenger. Every aspect of every trip becomes transparent – this provides the data to make transport more efficient and enables drivers to grow their own businesses; passengers can rely on getting to their destination on time and paying a set and transparent fee.”

    At the 14th Annual Lecture of the Centre for Values in Leadership, Ambode said collection of fees was a key challenge in the Danfo system, but Lits says the government and businesses can effect change in the short term, while consumers may determine the long-term change when the right technology makes its way into the city.

    If statistics from Ministry of Transportation are anything to go by, as of 2015, there were about one million registered vehicles on Lagos roads, accounting for the congestion usually experienced by motorists.

    What this means is that the time to request public transport that works and is affordable and change personal habits to assist in reducing congestion, is now. Many Nigerians commute to and from the office each day, which has made a private car a necessity. Sharing transport to and from the business hubs in a smart city could change the situation.

    Although Uber has not yet rolled out its Uberpool solution in Lagos, Lits said it could become an attractive solution for Lagos commuters, as it is in over 29 other cities across the globe, including emerging economies, such as Jakarta and Mumbai.

    He said routes, such as Ikeja to Ikoyi, Ikoyi to Ajah and Victoria Island to Ajah are popular, and could benefit from a ridesharing solution, such as Uberpool, for efficiency. “Uberpool is simple; riders going in the same direction are matched with one another to share a ride, giving them the convenience and quality of Uber at a reduced price that fits the everyday commuter. Unlike buses, an uberpool vehicle gets the rider all the way to their destination. Because sharing isn’t the issue: its price and convenience that matter most to people,” he added.

    The Lagos Ministry of Economic Planning & Budget regretted that, with the average Lagos commuter spending over three hours on increasingly congested roads, the city has experienced losses in terms of economic efficiency and other negative social effects such as road accidents.

    But Lits have a different opinion, “cars are not the problem, it is how we use them that is problematic. Many vehicles on the road only have one passenger; through technology we can change every ride into a shared ride.

    “The Uberpool solution has already successfully reduced congestion in San Francisco, Paris and London. In San Francisco people are choosing Uberpool up to 50 percent of the time. In cities that have Uberpool, over 20 per cent of passengers are choosing to share their ride. And the impact on cities is clear; in the first half of last year, Uberpool has reduced the number of miles driven by 312 million-that’s more than the distance between Earth and Mars.

    “When getting a ride is as easy as walking into your garage and putting your keys in the ignition, there is no longer a need to own a private car at all. Combined with changed consumer habits, this could have a remarkable impact on reducing traffic congestion in Lagos,” he said.

    He is optimistic that the firm will succeed in redefining the Lagos public transport, considering that in the three years since Uber launched in Lagos, it has facilitated over one million trips and partnered over 3000 driver-partners.

    The company, which partners with Price Water Coopers (PwC) to ensure that each of its driver-partners knows his tax requirements also allows partners the unhindered access to the records of their net income made through the application.

    He said: “Through smart-technology, we have introduced the ability to easily calculate and collect fares through the app. This and other applications of advanced technology to the Lagos transport system, perfectly positions us to roll out transport solutions on a larger scale.

    “Real change will take time. It will require investment and the adaptation of existing transport structures. However, if business and government work together, we can create world-class, affordable systems that create jobs, improve efficiencies and reduce emissions. Our time operating in Lagos has reinforced to us that this is a high-growth smart city, with an important role to play in the African economy. Lagos is a mega-city, an innovation leader and a powerful driver for Africa’s largest economy. It is only fitting that the city has a smooth-running, world-class public transport system to match.”