Reconstructing Nigerian cities

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Nigeria in the Throes of Mall Revolution
BY KINGSLEY ALU, 31 MAY 2012
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ANALYSIS

Nigeria's retail sector, which accounts for 17 per cent of the local economy, has seen a favourable change over the last years. The growth and relative stability of the nation's economy over the past years has also significantly contributed to the expansion of the country's middle class.

Investment conditions, interpreted as transparency measures, favourable economic climate and appropriate regulation/taxation are also playing an important role in the development of Nigeria's retail sector.

The 2003 ban on a wide array of imported goods that included clothes, shoes, selected foodstuffs, among others, by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration intended to stimulate local production, saw a good number of Nigerians flying to Dubai and to other regional commercial centers to do their shopping.But, all that has been gradually reducing, in favour of Nigerian-based retail shops that have gained in diversity and in sophistication and that have also benefited from increasing public affluence.

While the country cannot be said to be undergoing a consumer revolution, it is drifting towards such a revolution with shopping malls springing up in every nooks and crannies.

A cross section of people who spoke to LEADERSHIP said this development would be a healthy one especially in the area of affordable products and creating thousands of new jobs.

They however, added that it would make business tough for local retailers who may find it a bit difficult to compete favourably under this new arrangement.

"Many local retailers with small shops and unattractive shops and stalls will find it rather tough to compete with mighty malls like Palms, Shoprite, Spar etc., which prices and business environments are geared towards maximum consumer satisfaction and unforgettable shopping experience," Mr. Cornelus Nweke a shop owner in Wuse Market said.

" It is therefore imperative for small retailers to start bracing up for the challenges that are inherent in the construction and running of these mighty shopping malls and a consumer revolution. Any attempt by them to ignore this emerging trend may sweep most of them out of business especially with goodies like affordable consumer items for low-income earners, air-conditioned havens and variety of amusements that would be offered by these shopping malls," he added.

Lured by the country's growing population, increasing purchasing power of the elite and limitless investment opportunities, foreign and local investors are falling over themselves to set up new ultra-modern shopping malls.

Malls are springing up everywhere in places like, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Lagos, Enugu, Kano, Kaduna etc.

South Africa's Shoprite Holdings Limited is said to be the most aggressive of the international retailers operating in Nigeria. According to sources, the company planned to open as many as 700 outlets across the country.

Nigerians are also eagerly anticipating the entrance of three global retail giants; Wal-mart of the United States of America, Carrefour of France and Tesco of the United Kingdom.

Walmart is the world's largest public corporation when ranked by revenue, and the largest retailer in the world.

Carrefour is the second largest retail group in the world in terms of revenue and third largest in profit after Wal-Mart and Tesco.

Tesco Plc, on the other hand, with Cheshunt, United Kingdom as its headquarter, is the third largest retailer in the world after Wal-Mart and Carrefour.

Other important malls in Nigeria include The Lagos City Mall, the Silverbird Galleria in Lagos, Ceddi Plaza and Grand Square in Abuja.You also have The Tinapa Mall in Calabar, Cross River State.

Upcoming mall projects include the Ikeja City Mall in Lagos, The Polo Park Mall in Enugu State, a planned shopping centre in Ilorin, Kwara State and Spar International among others.

On what the entry of these multinational giant retail groups portend for Nigeria, an economist based in Abuja,Dr.Samson Adamu, said: "They will transform Nigeria into a proper modern economy; attract more foreign direct investments; expand the manufacturing sector; increase supplies of goods and services in order to meet the induced increase in demand; create new and quality jobs; improve living standards and influence further development of the capital market."

He added : "Retailers are critical economic agents who help to create demand because of their affinity with both the consumers and producers. In fact, retail sales are an important economic indicator because consumer spending drives much of the economy. Imagine the number of people and companies involved in producing, distributing, and selling the goods used on a daily basis like food, clothes, fuel, and so on.

"The development of the Nigerian retail market is contributing to improve local employment and training; it is also increasing tax collection of state and government authorities who are starting to realise the importance of formalising retail and shopping activities; it is generating additional demand for agricultural products; and it is showing local and foreign investors that Nigeria offers great business opportunities that with time and maturity should materialise in attractive returns."

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Lagos, emerging cities hold promise of 50% world growth .


Thursday, 31 May 2012 00:00 CHUKA UROKO & PATRICK ATUANYA

Dougal Thomson, Head of Conference Programmes, CEMEA
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The world in the next 15 years anticipates about 50 percent economic growth from cities in emerging markets such as Lagos in Nigeria, Johannesburg in South Africa and Rio de Jenairo, in Brazil, among others, following rapid urbanisation, experts have said.

Experts say urbanisation is happening faster in Africa than anywhere else in the world, while cities are driving the continent’s economic growth.
The experts who spoke yesterday at The Economist Conference on Future Cities, with the theme ‘Managing Africa’s Urban Transformation’, noted that economies of African countries are growing exponentially, giving instance of Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre, where urban growth is second to none in Sub-Saharan Africa. Urban growth has strong correlation with the growth in the construction industry, especially in Nigeria, where it is expected that the industry will witness bout 15 percent growth by 2020.

Dougal Thomson, Head of Conference Programmes, CEMEA, The Economist Group, said in his introductory remark at the conference, that Africa’s population was going to surpass that of China by 2050, citing the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projection which says that African GDP growth at the moment is 5.4 percent per annum.

This lends credence to the latest 10-year forecast from Global Construction Perspectives and Oxford Economics, which says construction growth in Nigeria will be the fastest of all markets, predicting that China will overtake the US as the world’s biggest construction market by 2018.

The report sees Nigeria as the market where the fastest growth will happen, adding: “Nigeria will be the global hotspot from here to 2020 because the nation’s construction growth is even faster than India’s, which reflects increased wealth”.
Thomson who spoke on ‘The World in 2020: Understanding the Drivers of Change’ however, pointed out that Africans were still struggling to get going, noting that so much money was needed to transform cities in the continent. “There is need for job creation to cope with the growing population; the continent anticipates growth of the middle class and the emergence of people with purchasing power”, he said.

Robert Neuwirth, in his presentation titled ‘The Dynamism of Street Savvy: The New Growth Driver?’ highlighted some of the economic potential of cities in what he called ‘street opportunity’, stressing that urban city development was an opportunity.

Neuwirth, the author of ‘Nations and Shadow Cities: A Billion Squatters, a New Urban World’, said that in Lagos, there are lots of economic activities going on, ranging from the very micro to macro businesses, disclosing that trading activities alone in the city generate about $10 trillion a year.

Credit Suisse, in a report released last month, noted that urbanisation continues to provide one of the most significant drivers of growth for the global economy, and Lagos will be the 6th fastest growing city in the world, between the periods of 2010 and 2025.

The bank’s analysts also highlight that for growing cities like Lagos, access to deep capital markets is essential for financing and encouraging private investment and enterprise.

“The most successful global cities have anticipated the significant necessary public and private funding growth required, rather than responding to population growth and being constantly behind the curve” they said.

Babatunde Fashola, Lagos State Governor, during an interview session at the conference, disclosed that the state has developed an annual household survey which forms the roadmap for planning the state’s budget.

“There has been a gap in planning, especially during the military regime, where a governor stayed in office on average, less than 24 months. Today, we have changed that, as we have developed master plans for eight independent towns in Lagos, which are all to be linked by transport infrastructure.”

According to Fashola, the state government is currently employing the public-private sector model in a number of sectors, such as the light rail, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), Eko Atlantic city project and the Lekki – Epe expressway.

The size of the Lagos economy put at $50 billion at the end of 2011, currently accounts for 20 percent of Nigeria’s GDP. Lagos has a population of 20.19 million (UN – Habitat) that is growing at a rate of 3.2 per cent per annum, while its urbanisation growth rate is a rapid 16 percent. Lagos’s share of Nigeria’s urban population is also a hefty 27.4 percent

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5 killed as building collapses in Ibadan •Oyo gov orders investigation


TRAGEDY struck in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Thursday morning, as five construction workers died while two others sustained injuries when a church building under construction collapsed.

The building of the New Covenant Church, which is located at Sagbe, Idi-Ose, opposite the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Akinyele Local Government Area of the state, collapsed in the early hours of Thursday.

The victims, Nigerian Tribune learnt, were waiting to collect their daily wages when they were reportedly trapped.

Those who sustained injuries were said to be receiving treatment at Folawiyo Private Hospital in the area.

The Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr Godwin Ogaga-Oghene, who confirmed the incident, said five people died in the incident.

He said that the combined team of the FRSC, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the state fire service was at the scene to assist the victims.

The state governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, who visited the scene of the incident, ordered that thorough investigation be carried out on the circumstances leading to the collapse of the building.

The governor, who was accompanied by his wife, Florence and some government officials, blamed the incident on the failure of the contractor handling the project.

According to him, the contractor was using inferior materials with a view to reducing cost.

“If the contractor had not compromised quality, this incident would not have happened,” he said.

He regretted that despite repeated warnings that people should ensure quality in everything, including building, they still use inferior quality.

Meanwhile, the New Covenant Church has expressed shock over the collapse of the new church building.

The church’s National Overseer, Reverend Olufemi Oyelade, in a statement, said that a committee of engineers and other relevant professionals had been set up to investigate the remote and immediate causes of the collapse.

He explained that this was to prevent a recurrence of such in any of the church’s building sites in future.

According to him, the action was without prejudice to investigation by the government and regulatory bodies.

Oyelade, who commended the state governor and his wife for visiting and joining in the rescue operation, commiserated with the families of the deceased construction workers and prayed for speedy recovery of those injur

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IBADAN: Ajimobi - We Must Revive Economy to Tackle Insecurity
By Kayode Ekundayo, 30 May 2012


Lagos — Senator Abiola Ajimobi is the governor of Oyo State. The governor in this interview decries the level of infrastructural degradation he met on assumption of office and speaks on his plans for the state.

How has it been in the last one year?

The glory of my being the governor of Oyo State can only be given to the Almighty God who in His infinite mercies, decided that I would be sitting on this seat today. Closely following the Almighty are the good people of Oyo State who believe in me, and have been supportive of my administration in the last one year. I do tell people that the battle for the April 2011 elections in Oyo State was like that of the biblical David and Goliath. In terms of physical size, I was not in any way near the size of my co-contender. In terms of money, I was not anywhere near his accumulated war chest. But my most prized possession was the people of the state and the Almighty God who had promised to bring our government and party to rescue the people from their forced labour. Our state was bedevilled by crises of great proportion through a leadership that had taken flight. Infrastructure had broken down, people no longer believed in the ability of government to intervene dispassionately in their situation, there was an immeasurable slide in the accountable disposition that governments all over the world are known by, when we dwell on comparatives in Oyo State.

Our fear was further worsened when, as governor-elect, the then incumbent shut all doors against our transition committee from accessing the state of affairs of the state so that we could have a pre-government blueprint of our administration. We did not envisage the level of rot that confronted us when we assumed office. Virtually everything had broken down. The Government quarters, 240 in all had all been sold to cronies, except about 18. The proceeds from the sale of the quarters were hurriedly shared. The office where we were supposed to operate from had virtually collapsed. On the first day of my visit to the office, what we saw shocked us. The rug was threadbare, cobwebs hung on the book shelf and we saw snails and rats by the Secretary's office. These were clear signals to me and my team that we had a lot of work to do. And in all facets of administration of Oyo State, we were to confront that replica of rot. So, our first six months was spent facing the challenges of the degradation and trying to bring Oyo State from its ground zero level. When we started meeting investors and development partners, they expressed a pleasant shock that the state had the capability to turn 360 degrees in participation with the civilized society of the world by tapping from the resources of foreign organizations and investors. By the grace of God, when we finish our first tenure, we hope to have significantly altered global conception of Oyo state which used to be that of a state bedevilled by failed leadership.

What will you say, you have been able to achieve as governor in the last one year?

I will say my administration's greatest achievement has been making Oyo State peaceful again. We inherited the typecast of a state being perceived in all parts of the world as a place where unprovoked and unwarranted violence takes place, almost every other day. If it was not politicians shedding their factional blood today, it would be motor park miscreants fighting for legitimacy and spatial hegemony. When we came on board, we looked dispassionately at this crisis and concluded that the only missing gap was a dispassionate leadership. Once you demonstrate the will not to spare the rod; once you show to the whole world that you will not take sides and you possess the will to deal with malefactors, you will succeed in bringing peace to your people. That is essentially what we have done as an administration.

Also, we are partnering with the security agencies, more than before. We established a Joint Security Task Force called Operation Burst and have procured 88 Pick-up vans for them, aside other equipment we are providing. In concrete terms, we have also succeeded in changing the face of the state. In the area of road construction, our government has constructed and is still constructing a total of 199 roads at the moment. We are also re-constructing seven major bridges which collapsed because of decades of neglect in Oyo State. We are also constructing the Mokola fly-over, or if you like, the overhead bridge. In the same vein, we are at the maturation stage in beginning the construction of a 108-km circular road that will encircle the whole of Ibadan.

We have almost completed the process of beginning modern satellite towns in Elenusoso and Lagos/Ibadan Expressway area. This will open up our state capital and allow for a migration to the hinterlands so that development and aesthetics can once again come .to our state.

Also, in the area of administration of the state and particularly our workers, we are paying a minimum wage of N19,100 to the least paid civil servant in Oyo State; we have resolved the seven-month government-doctors logjam that we inherited from our predecessor and are paying a 140 percent increment of salaries of pensioners in the state. This is aside the payment of two-year accumulated pension that we inherited. We began a system of e-payment and biometrics to effectively tell us our staff strength and eliminate ghosts. Also, we have paid workers car loans to the total sum of N45 million and have standardized and harmonized government accounts from inherited 114 accounts to 24 in a way that eliminates fraud and makes government businesses neater.

In the area of economy, we met a state whose IGR was stagnant. There was a heavy haemorrhaging of the state finance into the purses of some government officials and civil servants. We have been brainstorming on how to improve our state economy and I can tell you that today, we have got a 50 percent increase in the state IGR. We have also signed a N1billion naira loan partnership with the Bank of Industry in a way that our people would be disbursed the sum of N1billion. This will improve the economy of the state and empower our people the more.

In the area of education, we are rehabilitating 235 blocks of classrooms in secondary and primary schools in Oyo State and are in a top gear in the establishment of a university with focus on technology in the state. This is not to talk of the reduction by half in fees payable by students of tertiary institutions in the state, as well as supplying science and Home Economics equipment to our secondary schools.


Ibadan is considered the filthiest state capital in the country. How are you addressing the problem?

This was one of the greatest challenges that we had to confront when we took over the reins of government.

Ibadan had been classified as one of the filthiest cities in the whole world. This was not a renown that was enviable. Second, we demonstrated a zero tolerance for filth by going out ourselves as officials of government to participate in the collection and disposal of filth.

On Thursdays of every week, aside the monthly environmental sanitation, we outlined this day as a day set aside for war against filth. We also established a waste management agency with a head who had done it in the same position in Lagos. The agency's unique method of clearing and disposing filth is to do same in the night.

We have found out that the choky nature of some of our houses and streets in Ibadan is responsible for the filth that ravages the land. In this vein, we have almost finished discussions on the development of satellite towns in Ibadan, the capital of the state.

What is your view on the security situation in the country, especially the Boko Haram menace?

I align myself with the recent comment of the Inspector General of Police when he paid a courtesy call on our state. We as government and administrators of this country must make sure that there is adequate provision of job to the teeming unemployed youths who roam the streets. I get really frightened at convocation ceremonies when we throw thousands of our children into unemployment market. That was the challenge we took up at inauguration. We decided to employ 20,000 of our youths. If the government provides a conducive environment for people to take care of their basic needs, we would have reduced the army of potential criminals and willing tools for barons of violence. As a nation, we have to do this and this is the baseline of our approach to addressing the security challenges in Oyo State. As for the challenge of Boko Haram, we have to collectively address the questions that the emergence and activities of the group have raised about our nation. My own conviction is the neglect of our social and economic management over the decades created this army of young people who are now willing or unconscious tools in the hands of religious or political extremists

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Oyo govt to construct rail track, direct gas link to Ibadan


The Oyo State government has said it has chosen the development option of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP), through which it has attracted foreign direct investment, as well as local investment for the transformation of the state economy, in view of the apparent inadequacy of the monthly federal allocation from Abuja in financing envisioned projects.

The state governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, disclosed this on Thursday, at a reception organised for him by the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), held at the Civic Centre, Idi-Ape, Ibadan.

He disclosed that his administration was already discussing with officials of the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) to explore the construction of a rail track from Ibadan to Lagos, so as to boost train services and movement of goods within and outside the state.

He also told the gathering that the state was working on a plan that would see a direct gas pipeline link to the state from Lagos, to improve electricity supply in the state.

The governor said with an average monthly revenue of N4 billion, it would be difficult for his administration to implement the lofty projects he had outlined for the benefit of the people of the state, stressing the need to explore other sources for project financing.

While commending the council for honouring him and describing the honour as a call to greater achievements, he solicited continued support from the people of the state for his government, in its effort to reposition and restore the glory of the state to its pacesetting status.

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Enugu To Renovate Dilapidated Schools


Enugu – Mrs. Ethel Nebo-Ezeabasili, Enugu State Chairman, Universal Basic Education Board (ESUBEB), says the board will commence the renovation of some dilapidated primary schools in the state.

Nebo-Ezeabasili told newsmen in an interview on Wednesday that the board had renovated 513 schools between 2006 and 2008.


She said due to many years of neglect and decay by past governments many schools needed to be rehabilitated.

The ESUBEB chairman said the State Government had paid its UBEC counterpart funds up to 2011 and would soon implement three years backlog of projects from 2009 to 2011.
“The State Government has paid its share of counterpart funds. We are waiting for the advertisement of the project, then, I will tell you the number of schools to benefit.
“Government is set to embark on the exercise but since many schools are dilapidated, we will look at the cost to know which to take.

“We will take the much our money can cover but will be shared among the three senatorial zones, Local Government Areas and communities for equity,” she said.
She said that Enugu State was rated among the top 10 performing states in the implementation of UBEC programmes in the country.

The chairman said the board would commence the distribution of instructional materials to schools that had not benefitted whenever the contractors complete the supply.

She decried the exodus of teachers through retirement in primary schools, pointing out that their years of service was calculated from their period as “auxiliary teachers.”

Nebo-Ezeabasili expressed regrets that the state was loosing the cream of the teaching profession as no fewer than 5, 700 teachers retired between the year 2007 and 2011.
She explained that since some of the retired teachers were not tired, 2,000 of them were employed under the State Government’s policy of ‘Volunteer Teachers.”

The chairman said that efforts were on to augment the shortfall with the employment of qualified NCE teachers to sustain the height attained in basic education in the state.
She urged the civil society organisations and other stakeholders in the sector to kick against the trend where teachers were retired on grounds of years of service.

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N4.5bn road to open up Port Harcourt mega city CBD

An ambitious road contract has been awarded to open up the Central Business District (CBD) in the Port Harcourt mega city being built by the Greater Port Harcourt City Development Authority (GPHCDA) valued at N4.5 billion.

The contractor for the road project is Deux Project Limited, which had shown expertise in Lagos State. The company had its baptism in Rivers State when it built the new stadium complex (Amasiemaka) in the womb of the Greater Port Harcourt City for the national sports festival in 2010. The pressure of that work may have recommended Deux as a firm that can deliver in difficult conditions.

The project manager, Walter Olatunji, signed for Deux while Aleruchi Cookey-Gam, GPHCDA’s administrator, and Sylva Opusunju, the secretary to the authority, signed for the government. The Bureau of Public Procurement (BoPP) was fully involved at all stages of the contract process and the general manager, Franklin Nlerum, who signed on behalf of the agency, expressed happiness at what he called adherence to procurement rules by GPHCDA in handling procurement issues in building the mega city.

The administrator said at the signing ceremony that by December 2013, the priority road that links the biggest single project at the megacity, the N160 billion Rivers State University of Science and Technology (UST), and the most sensitive facility in the megacity, the CBD, would come on stream.

She said meetings had been held over the period to fine tune the multi-billion naira road contract to ensure the drawings were ready. Nlerum said the award of the road contract represented a step in bequeathing greatness of future Rivers indigenes.

Opusunju described the contract as one more step towards the irreversibility of the megacity concept. The project manager of Deux said the Greater Port Harcourt City project was a sound vision from the mind of a man of great vision (referring to Governor Chibuike Amaechi) and promised to deliver on target. He also promised to deliver on quality. The road is expected to last 20 years, at least.

The director of BraidAarch, the consortium representative, who oversees projects at the megacity along with a South African firm, Arcus Gibb, urged Deux to realise that the more they performed well, the more jobs they would get at the megacity construction rush, saying that what the firm was doing in Lagos was impressive.

GPHCDA insiders said the new road contract was imperative because it would link the all-important CBD, which sources said was dear to the heart of the Rivers State government while developing the new city. The source added that every singe road represents ignition of action on a section of the fallow land waiting to become a megacity.

The GPHCDA has been on fire, awarding over N50 billion contracts since this year, including N25 billion housing scheme for 1008 houses, N9.5 billion for service facilities all to DSC International; the M10 Road at N31 billion to LCC; the water scheme to PCI, etc.

This is said to represent the action stage of the megacity project when bulk infrastructure is being installed to give way to effective occupation.

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Rivers Govt. Calls For Eradication Of Quackery In Construction Industry

The government of Rivers has called on the Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA) to check quackery in the construction sector.

Mrs Aleruchi Cookey-Gam, the Administrator of Greater Port Harcourt City Development Authority, made the call when officials of the NIA visited her on Tuesday in Port Harcourt.

Cookey-Gam said that professionals in the construction sector needed to take pro-active steps to check the growing level of quackery in the industry.

According to her, quackery must be eliminated from the industry to guarantee sustainable development of infrastructure in the country.

Cookey-Gam said the infrastructure in Port Harcourt was at critical stage due to the ongoing transformation of Port Harcourt into a mega city.

According to her, several contracts have been awarded in the mega city to fast track its development; as such professionals are needed to accomplish the task.

Cookey-Gam said that some of the projects being executed included the N30.9 billion M-10 Road and five bridges that would connect the Port Harcourt International Airport to the Onne seaport.

The administrator said that other projects were the construction of 1080 housing units and the N709 million water, electricity and waste management projects, among others.

She commended NIA for its participation in the recently concluded workshop on “The Legislative and Administrative Framework for Planning and Development Control in the Greater Port Harcourt Area”.

“We expect NIA to take full advantage of the numerous opportunities that abounds in the new city project,” Cookey-Gam said.

Mr Belema Okpokiri, the Chairman of NIA, reiterated the institute’s efforts in the eradication of quackery in the construction sector.

Okpokiri advised the authority to engage the services of experienced professionals in the industry.

“NIA is interested in partnering with the authority in planning approval processes, designing of commercial and housing units, development, control and inspection of projects in the new city,” he said.

Okpokiri sought for allocation of land to build the institute’s secretariat in the new city. (NAN)

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Lagos in N3.6bn contract for road infrastructure upgrade


In continuation of its infrastructure upgrade and environmental regeneration consistent with its mega city dream, the Lagos State government has awarded a N3.6 billion contract to reconstruct and expand 16 road networks in Mushin Local Government Area of the state.

Contractors for these projects have since mobilised to site and the projects are at various stages of completion.

Hamzat Kadiri, the state commissioner for works and infrastructure, who gave this hint at a facility tour that took him to various project sites in the state, lamented that legal actions instituted against the state government by property owners, whose houses were billed for demolition to create right of way were disrupting progress of work at sites, potentially influence delivery dates of the projects.

The commissioner, who visited project sites in Oshodi-Isolo, Ajeromi-Ifelodun and Mushin Local Government Areas, stated that the establishment of the right of way for any road project was done without bias, adding that the whole essence of roads reconstruction was to expand them and also to create walkways and install street lights, done with due consideration for the right of property owners.

The commissioner disclosed that payments of compensation for major demolition were normal, adding however, that “such payment is based on specified and outlined procedures such that, when any property is acquired by government, an evaluation is done to determine compensation payable.”

At the 4.7-kilometre long Ago Palace-Okota Road in Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Area, he stated that the huge NEPA Pylon on the road influenced the determination of the Right, lamenting that two buildings, whose owners have gone to court to stop their demolition, were affecting the speed at which construction was progressing on the road.

According to him, the houses in question cannot be evaluated until the determination of the case, revealling that the design of the road includes street lights and walkways, both of which require ample setback.

“Court injunctions and other long-drawn legal proceedings can constitute an impediment to the delivery of projects; communities should prevail on their residents to make sacrifice in the overall interest of such communities,” he appealed.

He, however, commended the spirited support that most of the residents and landlords in the community had given government by the prompt removal of shops and fences within the Right of Way of the project.

Responding to questions on government’s commitment to rejecting variation in its contracts, the commissioner said that delays in project will not bring about low quality job as contractors attempt to meet deadlines, disclosing that government had put in place procedures to ensure quality control.

“Site engineers and consultants employed by government have a responsibility to not only ensure quality but also to advise government and ensure that the right things are done,” warning however, government will not fail to blacklist erring contractors who, in spite of being encouraged, persistently fail to perform and deliver on schedule.

At the Badejo Kalesanwo Road, the commissioner said with the completion of the new police station to replace the one up for demolition, the pace of work will move ahead faster, adding that the relocation had become necessary because the original one had been sited directly on the road and over a drainage channel.

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Lagos to creates 50,000 agric jobs, commissions rice mill

Barely 24 hours that President Goodluck Jonathan set up an agricultural transformation implementation council charged with the responsibility of creating additional 20 million metric tons of food into the nation’s domestic food supply by the year 2015, Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State Tuesday, led the federal delegation to the official kick off of rice processing factory.

The factory with capacity to produce 20,000 metric tonnes of rice per annum is situated at Imota, Ikorodu Local Government Area of the state as part of effort to boost domestic food production as well as ensure food security by 2015.

Fashola, accompanied by the Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Buka Tijani, also commissioned Poultry Estate, Erikorodo with 10,000 birds capacity mechanized broiler house, 2,000 birds per day processing capacity plant and 1.5T per hour feed mill. 22.19 kilometre network of farm access roads in Ikorodu Fish Farm Estate and nine other locations in the state with counterpart fund from the state government and World Bank Assisted Commercial Agric Development Project, CADP.

Fashola commissioning the three projects which are all located in Ikorodu, said his administration is consciously building a sustainable economy around agriculture, and is ready to collaborate with the Federal Government, World Bank and the private sector in further raising the bar.

“We are building a sustainable economy around agriculture in Lagos, and we are determined to do more, collaborating with the Federal Government and the World Bank,” Fashola said, adding that it was high time jobless youths key into the government’s vision by engaging in sustainable and productive ventures in farm estates around Lagos.”

Specifically, he said there was no room for ‘area boys’ in Lagos, stressing “the youths must roll up their sleeves and get to work.”

“Let me use this opportunity to talk to our youths especially those who tag themselves s area boys that it is time to stop miscreancy in Lagos. The time for money without work is over.

He stressed that Nigeria could achieve self sufficiency in food production and stop importation with the right investment in agriculture, urging governments at all levels to give agriculture the priority it deserved.

While stressing that the mill would significantly boost rice production, Fashola said the state planned to expand its rice production of the present 250 hectares of rice land annually to about 500 hectares.

He appealed to the the Federal Government to help the state in its quest for increased production by allocating to it farmland around Ogun River Basin.

Earlier, Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi Adeshina, represented by Tijani, commended the Lagos State Government for building the rice mill, saying it would enhance the production of rice in the country.

Tijani, disclosed that Nigeria’s need for rice which sadly is largely supported with importation, will hit five million metric tons by 2015.

He said the Federal Government would continue to collaborate with states, especially Lagos in boosting rice production capacity and ensure total local sufficiency by 2015.

The state Commissioner for Agriculture and Cooperatives, Prince Gbolahan Lawal, giving an insight into the rice mill, first of its kind in southwest Nigeria, said the mill was built with Korean technology to the highest operational standards to process 20,000 tons of paddy rice per annum, with additional 10,000 ton storage facility and 45,000 ton capacity storage for finished rice.

“We have completed the test-run of the factory and are pleased to report that the main product (well polished rice) compares with the best quality rice from any part of the world. Operating optimally, the rice mill is estimated to produce between 350,000 and 400,000 bags of rice per year, Lawal said

The Imota integrated Rice Mill was completed in January 2012 built by a team of experts from South korea.
A study conducted in August 2007, where it was found out that Lagos State population of over 20 million as at then consumes 600,000 metric tonnes of per boiled milled rice that is 12 million bags of 50 kg rice, Also of significant was that the consumption per head in Lagos was put at 34 kg per person per year, which was the highest in Nigeria.

In 2008 when the cost of imported rice jumped in the international market from $5000 to $1000 per ton, domestic price bag jumped from N7,000.00 to N16,000.00. As expected Lagosians were most affected.

All these support the fact that Lagos is a Megacity with predominately urban population and the consumer preference of staple food is rice which is in line with urbanization.It is estimated that half of all imported rice from sea port are sold in Lagos and that all rice brought in legally and illegally through the land border are consumed in Lagos.

Going by these assumptions, it can be said that current consumption in Lagos State can be as much as 1million metric tonnes per year considering our current population estimate of 20 million.

The mill processes 2.5 tons per hour paddy rice which consist of huller, de-stoner polisher, grader, colour sorter and automated bagging and weighing bridge. The following are inclusive in the package: 10 ton soaking tank, a set of per-boiler and steamer, 15- ton capacity drier and 60-ton silo attached to the factory.

The factory was built with two other structure for paddy rice storage of 10,000 tons capacity and finished rice store cum office space.

The complex has 600KVA generator, an industrial borehole and two sets of water tanks; a steel over head tank of 55,000 litres capacity and sets of ground plastic tanks with a total capacity of 45,000 litres. The mill with optimum operating capacity can process up to 20,000 tons per year and was estimated to generate at least 50,000 different employment opportunities.

Apart from the whole grain table rice, the following by products are equally money earners; Broken rice, used for rice pudding, tuwo, ground rice and rice flour. Rice ban; highly sort after for livestock feeds, oil extra and the cosmetic industry.

Rice husk; used as energy for power generation (with appropriate technology), used in the livestock industry and for briquettes or fuel stock in furnace.

In view of the land constrain confronting agricultural development in the state and the need to make maximum utilization of available land resources, the ministry has intensified the establishment of agricultural estate where beneficiaries are better placed to take advantage of their critical mass and attendant economies of scale.

The Erikorodo Poultry Estate, Ikorodu recently commissioned, is one of the five farm estates located in different parts of the state to bring about self-sufficiency in chicken production.

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Oyo earmarks N1bn for roads beautification in Ibadan


The Oyo State government has earmarked the sum of N1 billion for the beautification of some roads in Ibadan, the state capital.

The state Commissioner for Environment and Habitat, Ahaji Dauda Wasiu, told newsmen in Ibadan on Friday, that the beautification of the state capital would include the University of Ibadan (UI)-Secretariat, Government House-Secretariat-Dandaru, Sango-Eleyele roads.

He added that the beautification exercise would also involve the Iwo road interchange, saying that the contracts for the beautification had already been awarded and would be completed within the next three months, while the maintenance would be for 12 months.

He said the exercise would be extended to all parts of the state.

He said following last year’s flood disaster in the state, the state government had approved the dredging of 47 streams across the state, with 19 in Ibadan, while the remaining 24 streams were spread across other parts of the state.

Speaking on the weekly and monthly sanitation exercises in the state, the commissioner disclosed that the state government had performed average and expressed government’s determination to provide refuse bins in different parts of the state.

He lamented that the unavailability of the refuse bins in some parts of the state was as a result of the inability of contractors to supply on schedule.

According to him, there was no need to dump refuse in places where there were no refuse bins.

On the ongoing projects in the state, Dauda, assured the people of the state that they would be completed within the next three months.

While noting that the people of the state were facing hard times, he said the trauma would soon be a thing of the past.

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NGO houses the needy

A non-governmental organisation in Ebonyi State, Comrade Chinedu Ogah Foundation, has ended the housing woes of several widows and other needy people in the state.
The organisation built and handed over 17 four-bedroom bungalows to widows and less privileged persons in Ikwo Local Government Area.
Monitoring the process of work in the ongoing bridges, culverts, roads and other projects under construction by the organisation, the Founder of the organisation, Comrade Chinedu Ogah said that the construction of the buildings was in fulfillment of the promise he made to the widows and less privileged in the council area.
Ogah said: "The projects were undertaken by my organisation; the Chiboy Foundations and the cost is incorporated inside the N5.6 million budget of the foundation for developmental projects this year. Some of the beneficiaries included Mrs. Ngozi Ezaga whose house was gutted by fire and Mr. Nwante Mpkuru."
Comrade Ogah said that in line with the determination of the Ebonyi State Governor Chief Martin Elechi to alleviate the suffering of the less privileged persons, widows and disabled persons in the state, the organisation is determined also to compliment of the state government.
He regretted the poor infrastructural development in Ikwo Local Government Area of the state and urged council Chairman in the State to make judicious use of the fund released to them. "I must tell you that some council Chairmen in the state are not making judicious use of the funds released to them".
"The intervention programme we decided to embark on was as a result of the poor infrastructural development witnessed in Ikwo Local Government Area. We decided to embark on the grading of some major roads in the council because of the numerous agitations by the people for a better infrastructural development."
The Chief Executive Officer of Chiboy Foundations noted that in addition to the housing projects, his foundations had inaugurated more than six boreholes projects across the area. "The campaign by the state government for the total eradication of waterborne diseases and other diseases associated with water in Ebonyi State and Ikwo Local Government Area must be complimented and that is why we are vigorously pursuing the drilling of boreholes in the council area".
"We have also inaugurated several electricity projects, mini-bridges and culverts across the area and the state to complement the government’s efforts at infrastructural development of the state," he said.
He noted that his actions were not politically motivated, as it was in the spirit of giving back to the society what he gained from it in attaining his present status."I am not contesting for any elective position, as there are several avenues where one can excel in life other than politics,’ he said.
One of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Ezaga, thanked Ogah for the gesture, noting that she had been squatting with neighbors since her house was burnt.
"I thank God for giving him the grace to assist me in this form and pray that he continues to render such gestures for the benefit of the society.
Commending the organisation, a traditional ruler in the area, Chief Dominic Aloh, thanked Comrade Ogah for the gesture and called on all other well-meaning individuals in the area and the state, to emulate him.
"The task of developing the state especially the rural area does not lie with the government alone, as Ogah has trailed the blaze in this worthy direction," he said.

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Why bigger aircraft can’t land in Asaba Airport

With about N17b committed to the construction of the Asaba International Airport in Delta State, expansion is on-going to bring the runway to the required standard set by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). This is to secure approval for bigger aircraft operations, reports, KELVIN OSA- OKUNBOR, who visited the airport.
Despite the huge investment in the Asaba International Airport, bigger aircraft in the range of Boeing 747 and Airbus 320 cannot land there yet because of the length of the runway.
The runway needs to be expanded beyond its present 3.4 kilometres for it to accommodate such craft, the Chairman, Airport Implementation Committee, Donatus Umukoro, has said.
The expansion of the runway is a prerequisite set by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for its approval for bigger aircraft operations.
For now, only small aircraft, mainly Hawker Siddley ( HS) 125, Bombardier jets, Embear aircraft , CRJ 900 and Beech craft 1900 D, operate into the airport.
Massive reconstruction work is on-going at the airport. The airport has become the hub of airline operations in the South East, following the closure of the Enugu Airport for remodeling.
Giving further insight into the benefits of the airport’s project and the need to expand the length and width of the runway, Umukoro explained that with over fifty heavy duty equipment deployed at the project site, the contractors will soon complete the leveling of the hills near the runway.
He described those questioning the project’s cost as merely acting based on insufficient knowledge of the volume of work to be done to bring the runway and other critical facilities at the airport to the prescribed standards.
He said the quantum of funds required to level the hills and fill the low areas in line NCAA demand, is much, adding that over N7 billion is required to put the runway to the aviation authority’s acceptable standard.
He said the contract is being handled by three contractors, with three heavy duty equipment on site working from morning till evening seven days of the week.
"At the moment, we are working on 150 metres to meet the capacity of smaller and medium size aircraft , but to get to the ultimate level of big aircraft, like Boeing 747, we need to get to 200 metres runway. We have barely done some good work , in some sections, the work is very massive, it will require some time, to complete the project.
"Obviously, many factors contribute to the speedy completion of this project, weather is a primary consideration, that is why it is difficult to say when the work will be completed.

"People who are complaining that over N7billion is required to complete the runway job are embarking on a ridiculous game, because they are ignorant of the volume of work involved. The complaint is ridiculous because people are misinformed.

"The volume of earth work involved is very huge, the cutting itself is very huge , apart from the 300 metres on one stretch , we are also cutting another stretch of 500 metres , about one point two kilomtres, we have to protect the area by filling with hard soil and grassing the whole terrain to prevent erosion. I think the whole criticism stems from misinformation ."
The defense of the airport project came just as the Delta State Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, described the airport as a model which could accelerate, notonly the development of the surrounding states, but that it could stimulate foreign investment.
He explained that the runway at the moment could only accommodate small and medium size aircraft, because the engineers are woprking round the clock to meet the required length and width as prescribed by the NCAA, which from time to time sends its officials to inspect the level of work done at the airport for relevant approvals.

Uduaghan said : " The Asaba Airport has a huge role to play in the socio- economic development of the state in many areas.We also considered the cargo activity at the airport, that is why we embarked on the airport.
"We wanted to build an airport with a runway length of between 3.4 kilometre and four kilometers , unfortunately, there is no terrain in Asaba area that could give us such stretch of land , the topography here in Asaba is mainly either hills, or low lands , rivers with adjoining valleys. With all the directions and technical survey that was done, for the airport, we got where we are now which gives us two terrain, the hill on one side and the river on the other side.

"We have to make do with what is available with serious heavy engineering work. There is also a bridge on the runway course, we dealt with that, we had a runway which could take smaller planes, convinced that it was good enough, but we are looking at expanding it longer so we could take bigger cargo plane.
"In the face of that, we are not the regulatory body, NCAA came and said before approval could be given , the state has to demolish the hills and needed to sand fill the other extreme which is the river side, to move the runway, that involves lowering the hills and sand filling the other end to attain a level line for the runway, that we have started doing.
"We have given out the contract combined because of NCAA recommendations, to allow for the present operations.That is why big aircraft at the moment are not flying into Asaba Airport, until that leveling part of the terrain is completed."

He said : " The contract for the leveling of the hills was not awarded because of the recently concluded South South Summit, hosted in Asaba, it is purely driven by the technical and safety consideration of the NCAA, the contract has since 2011 been awarded.
"As the Chief executive of the state, I directed the contractor to get the job done in good time, because we are in a hurry to get the airport up and running, that is our goal, this is driven by the pressure I am under from our sister states in the South East, Anambra, Abia, Enugu to get the airport running."
He explained that more contractors were engaged to facilitate the pace of work and reduce the completion of the project.

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50% urban growth forecast for Lagos, others

Emerging cities, such as Lagos, Johannesburg, Rio de Janeiro and others will witness rapid urbanisation and growth in 15 years, experts have said
They also forecast a 50 per cent growth rate in the urban centres of Africa that will drive economic development.

The experts, who spoke at "The Economist Conference on Future Cities", said Africa would transform into an investment destination in few years. They urged the government to embark on massive infrastructure development that will drive the expected investment from outside the continent.
Speaking on the theme Managing Africa’s Urban Transformation, the experts observed that African economies are growing exponentially, citing an instance with Lagos where growth in urbanisation is highest in Sub-Saharan Africa.
They explained that urbanisation growth has strong correlation with the growth in the construction industry especially in Nigeria where it is expected that the industry will witness bout 15 per cent growth by 2020.
Head of Conference Programmes, The Economist Group, Dougal Thomson, in his introductory remarks at the conference, predicted that African population is going to surpass that of China by 2050. He cited International Monetary Fund (IMF) projection, which says that African GDP growth at the moment is 5.4 per cent per annum.

Lending credence to the latest 10-year forecast from Global Construction Perspectives and Oxford Economics, which says construction growth in Nigeria will be the fastest of all markets, he pointed out that China will overtake the US as the world’s biggest construction market by 2018.
The report says Nigeria remains the market where the fastest growth will happen as it will be the global hotspot from now to 2020 as the nation’s construction growth have risen higher than India’s, which reflects increased wealth.

Thomson, who spoke on ‘The World in 2020: Understanding the Drivers of Change’ however, pointed out that Africans are still struggling to get going, noting that so much money is needed to transform cities in the continent.
"There is need for job creation to cope with the growing population; the continent anticipates growth of the middle class and the emergence of people with purchasing power", he said.

Another keynote speaker, Robert Neuwirth, in his presentation The Dynamism of Street Savvy: The New Growth Driver underscored some of the economic potentials of cities in what he called ‘street opportunity’, stressing that urban city development is an opportunity.

Neuwirth, the author of Nations and Shadow Cities: A Billion Squatters, a New Urban World, said Lagos habours a lot of economic activities ranging from the very micro to macro businesses.

He said that trading activities alone in the city generate about $10 trillion a year.
Neuwirth stated this on the heels of Credit Suisse’s report released last month, which notes that urbanisation continues to provide one of the most significant drivers of growth for the global economy.
He predicted that Lagos will be the sixth fastest growing city in the world by 2025.
The expert pointed out that access to deep capital markets is essential for financing and encouraging private investment and enterprise in cities such as Lagos.
The bank analyst said: "The most successful global cities are those that anticipate and also make provision for the necessary public and private funding growth required, rather than responding to population growth and being constantly behind the curve."

Earlier, Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola, said the state has developed an annual household survey, which forms the road-map for planning the state’s budget.

"There has been a gap in planning, especially during the military regime, where a governor stayed in office on average, less than 24 months. Today, we have changed that as we have developed master plans for eight independent towns in Lagos, which are all to be linked by transport infrastructure."

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Land Reclamation: Fashola Seeks Help From FG

Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola on Wednesday appealed to the federal government to assist the Lagos State government in its efforts to reclaim land overtaken by sea erosion.

Fashola made the appeal when he visited communities in Lekki/Ajah in Eti-Osa local government area of the state to ascertain the impact of recent heavy downpour in the area.

He said that the federal government’s assistance was needed because the ocean encroachment contributed to flooding problems in the state which might have national impact.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a significant portion of land at the Alpha Beach - where the governor also visited - had been eroded by the Atlantic Ocean.

“The erosion at the Alpha beach, I am told, is a consequence of the rising water level due to global warming. What we need to do is to reclaim the land. We have lost about 50 metres of land and it still continues.

The land is beginning to cave in. That is not because of the rains; it is a natural disaster and it has been on for some time.

“The situation has a national impact because the ocean is clearly redrawing the geographical map of Nigeria. In that sense, we need the federal government to assist us,” he said.

Fashola appealed to the federal government to assist the state by building a minimum three-kilometre shoreline protection in the affected area, as it did at the Bar Beach years ago, to keep the encroaching ocean under control.

“The measure will help to put a check on the perennial flooding in the state, especially in communities close to the ocean, and preserve the geographical definition of the country.

“We have sent the details of how the Federal Government can help the state to Mr President.

We expect to get a support,” he said.

Gov. Fashola said President Jonathan had called him to convey his concern over the flooding to the state government and the flood victims.

He thanked the president for his concern and urged him to further assist the state in rehabilitating the affected people.

The governor said the state government had embarked on the construction of drainage system, including 10 major storm water channels in Eti-Osa.

He said the effort was to drain water from the Atlantic Ocean into the lagoon across the expressway.

Fashola enjoined residents in flood-prone communities, such as NICON Estate in Ajah, to assist the government drain their communities by giving part of their land for the building of the storm water channels. (NAN)

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Lagos to regulate masts installation


The Lagos State Government through the Urban Furniture Regulatory Unit (UFRU) is to start the regulation of masts.

The state’s Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development Mr Olutoyin Ayinde said this during an interview with The Nation at the consultative forum organised by the ministry in Lagos.

He said this would ensure the safety of lives and property as well as avoid repeat of the February 23 rainstorm that pulled down several masts belonging to banks, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and telecoms operators in the state, and leaving many people dead.

Ayinde said: “Henceforth, mast operators must seek permit of approval from UFRU for every new mast to be installed in the state, while inventory of existing masts will be taken.”

He explained that the ministry was not going to issue new specifications for masts installation, but would ensure compliance with existing specifications as released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and other regulatory bodies that were among stakeholders present at the forum.
The commissioner advised users of masts in the state to meet with UFRU and obtain a planning information form with which they will process approval for installation of masts in the state.
“Our aim is to create an environment conducive to making businesses thrive in the state. Additionally, we are concerned about safety of lives and property, hence the need to supervise mast installations in the state,” he said.
NCC’s Head of Compliance and Monitoring, Mr Ephraim Nwokonneya said as a telecoms industry regulator, NCC respects environmental laws and had introduced infrastructure sharing among telcos to reduce the masts, well over 6,000 in the state.

Executive Secretary, ALTON Mr Gbolahan Awonuga, however, advised the commissioner to harmonise the ministry’s functions with that of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) to avoid duplication.

The commissioner promised to ensure fairness, adding that approval period for installation of masts in the state would not be more than eight weeks.

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Housing in Nigeria; the Abia example

Housing, clothing and foods are the basic needs of every human being. Of the three, housing problem has become a recurring decimal in Nigeria since independence.

The cost of housing has continued to skyrocket in the face of poor economic growth. There are not enough houses for Nigerians to lay their heads.
After the Second World War, the British government in their wisdom built more than two million houses. That is why till today in Britain, people do not look for where to build houses, but houses that they will buy and the houses are always there for sale because they are enough.
But in Nigeria, the reverse is the case because of the neglect of the housing sector by successive governments, especially over the argument whether private sector should take over the sector or should government continue to get involved in it.

Some state governments have hidden under this argument to abandon the sector completely in the developmental agenda. That is even when it is clear that in developed economies of the world, governments are still deeply involved in housing programmes. This is because their involvement will make the houses affordable, unlike when the sector is being left in the hands of private investors only.

During the Second Republic in Lagos State, the then governor of the state, Alhaji Lateef Jakande built a lot of estates especially for the low-income earners. Till today, the estates have saved a lot of people the problems of accommodation in the state at affordable rate.
It is one monumental achievement, which Jakande is still being remembered and respected for in the state and country today, many after he has left office as governor.
It appears the Abia State government under Governor Theodore Orji is toeing Jakande’s footstep in the housing projects in the state with his target of 3000 residential housing before the end of his second term in 2015.
Presently, some housing estates have been developed in Aba and Umuahia, the state capital. At Aba, there is the Unity Garden Estate in Osisioma where already some buildings have been allotted to some people.
In Umuahia, there are Amauba, Adelabu street/ Amaokwe and Isieke Ibeku estates. At Amauba Estate, there is provision for 300 houses out of which 55 have been long completed comprising 30 one-bedroom bungalows and 28 three, four and five bedroom ones. There are also low-income units, which have been sold out. The remaining three, four and five bedrooms duplexes are in the process of being sold out at slashed prices
At Adelabu street/Amaokwe Estate located in the heart of the state capital, there are 56 duplexes already completed with additional four under construction. The most modern of the estates is the Isieke Ibeku where works are ongoing on the 300 housing units comprising 225 three-bedroom bungalows and 75 duplexes and modified duplexes.
Apart from residential housing, there are also some non-residential housing projects being undertaken by the state government as part of its developmental agenda.
Among them are four dormitory blocks at the state National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camp in Umunna, Bende Council Area, four new duplexes for commissioners at the Commissioners’ Quarters, the multimillion naira most modern 3,000 capacity International Conference Centre in the state capital and the new ultra modern state secretariat in Umuahia that will house about 12 ministries with modern facilities to include lift.
At Amachara General Hospital, four building complexes have been completed for the School of Midwifery and a model students dormitory at Santa Crux High School, Olokoro.
At the State Broadcasting Corporation, 48 rooms office complex is under construction. Also not left in the massive housing renovation and construction by the state government is the judiciary, the last hope of a common man. The State Customary Court of Appeal Umuahia has been fully remodeled and expanded and a two-storey building is under construction at the state Ministry of Justice. The old structures at the ministry have been given a facelift. The Abia State Planning Commission office complex has also been completed. Also at Aba and Umuahia, the government has embarked on the construction of six additional court halls at the High Court complexes.
On the issue of using estate developers in developing the estates, the state government has before now lamented on the challenges of getting credible developers that will deliver according to specifications and set deadline with affordable limits. That is why instead of abandoning the projects, they have continued to carry on with it with the meagre resources that accrue to the state monthly from federal allocation and Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
To ensure proper maintenance of the estates after completion and handover to beneficiaries, the government has established Estate Maintenance Management Systems. This is to avoid ugly experience in the past where some estates built by governments across the country are left unattended to or unmaintained. In such situation, some of them ended up as economic waste even when majority of the people have no house to live.
Already people in the state are already opening mortgage accounts to make themselves ready to qualify to be funded by the various mortgage institutions in operation, as the state government has concluded arrangements with some financial institutions to assist buyers under a mortgage scheme.
Under the Site and Services Scheme, the state government has, rather than build and sell houses, gone into allocation of the lands, determining the type of house an allottee shall erect within a time frame.
The scheme has been hailed and commended by the people, as it will fast-track the development of the state. It will ensure that those who are ready to build will be allocated with lands, not those who will get it to trade with it as land speculators.
With the scheme, if a land is allotted to somebody, such person has a specific time frame to start development. Failure to do so allows government to reclaim the land and re-allocate it. Abia state government model should serve as reference point for governments across the country.
• Benson Onyekwe, an architect wrote from Owerri, Imo State

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Collapsed Central Hospital in Benin City claims 1


THE Edo State government, on Tuesday, said one person died in the collapsed section of the new Central Hospital buildings in Benin City.

The state Commissioner for Works, Mr Francis Evboumwan, who made this known while addressing journalists, identified the dead as an expatriate project manager of the Italian construction firm, Sincies Chimentin Limited, handling the reconstruction of the government-owned hospital.

According to Evboum-wan, the project manager, who was trapped with another staff of the company when the building collapsed, was pulled out dead from the rubble at about 2.00 a.m on Tuesday.

The commissioner said seven persons were trapped but six were pulled to safety, just as he expressed the commitment of the state government to investigate the incident.

He added that the government would invite structural experts to determine the integrity of the three-storey structure and to establish if there was any collateral damage to the building.

Evboumwan announced the suspension of work at the hospital until full investigation of the incident was concluded.

The body of the late expatriate had been deposited at the morgue of the Stella Obasanjo Women and Children Hospital, Benin City.

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Ogun to construct air-conditioned pedestrian bridges
WEDNESDAY,
Ogun State government says it is concluding plans to construct air-conditioned pedestrian bridges.

The state governor, Ibikunle Amosun, disclosed on Monday while commissioning the N1.3billion six-lane Ibara–Sokori-Totoro road in Abeokuta as part of activities marking his administration’s first year in office.

He said the government would construct the bridges in order to facilitate the state attainment of metropolitan status.

According to Amosun, “we are setting a new standard because we believe that for any society to attain a metropolitan status there is need for urbanization in accordance with standard procedure which can meet up with the international standard”.

The governor acknowledged that his administration inherited decayed infrastructure, but disclosed that government would in earnest, embark on extensive rehabilitation of existing infrastructure and development of new ones, adding that ten more roads tagged “Ogun Standard” would be constructed in the three senatorial districts across the state.

He said, “we went round the whole world, not just one place; so you will see in this place we have things that run in about four or so continents. There is a city they called Perugia. It is the most beautiful city in the world, we went there. We saw the kind of bus-stops they were doing, is in Malaysia that is the kind of bus-stop you are seeing here.

‘’So we opted for that one; they all will come fully with air conditioner, the first in Africa. We are running round to see the possibility and we want to look at the sustenance and maintenance as well”.

The governor however added that government had awarded a N29 billion 132km Sango-Ijoko-Agbado-Oke-Aro - Ojudu Abiodun road to Brazilian Construction and Engineering Company which would be completed in two years

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Mowe, Ofada, Papa residents make brisk business on blocked Lagos-Ibadan expressway


As motorists and travellers who plied the ever busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway were busy casting aspersions on the Federal Government for allowing the road to suffer acute neglect which has made it unmotorable, residents of Mowe, Ofada and Papa c ommunities in Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State are making quick money following the total blockage of the expressway which forced travellers to look for alternative routes

Most motorists, Community News learnt, in their attempts to avoid being caught in the traffic logjam,diverted their vehicles to Mowe , Ofada and Papa areas and as expected, youths in those areas quickly erected emergency toll gates and were collecting money from motorists before allowing them to pass through the areas.

Community News gathered that at a village around Mowe, youths were collecting N50 from motorists at one of the emergency toll gates

Some of the youths, who were collecting the toll, stated that they decided to collect money because they would require fund to fix the roads.

“We are not callous, but we need money to fix the roads. This area has been witnessing heavy traffic since the incident on the expressway and we shall need money to do some repairs on this road. We built this road through communal efforts; no government input. The money we are collecting is for maintenance.”

Meanwhile, it was lamentation galore among residents of Mowe and Ofada communities, as people were complaining about poor state of roads in the area.

Some of the rÉsidents who spoke to Community News, lamented that the two communities had suffered acute neglect from successive governments in the state.

The towns (Mowe and Ofada) are currently witnessing rapid development as people now move to the areas due to acute accommodationproblem in Lagos.