LAGOS DELIVERS FOUR HOUSING PROJECTS ACROSS STATE

By NBF News

 
The Lagos State government said it has completed four housing projects across the state in the last one year, while two others are in various stages of completion.

Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Housing, Mr. Jimoh Ajao, who stated this in Lagos, noted that government has redefined its role in housing delivery by enhancing the role of private sector.

He listed some of the completed housing projects to include: Adegboruwa Housing Estate in Igbogbo; Igbogbo Housing Estate scheme 11; Jubilee Hosing Estate at Oduragunshin; Millennium Housing scheme at Iloro, Agege; Millennium Housing Scheme II Ojokoro, Ijaiye. The two that are yet to be completed, which he noted were at 70 and 75 per cent progress respectively, are located in Ikeja and Gbagada.

Ajao pointed out that the Adegboruwa Housing Estate in Igbogbo, which is referred to as the flagship in the administration's housing delivery programme, commenced in February 2008.

'It consists of 256 units of one bedroom and two bedroom flats carefully planned as an independent human settlement. Infrastructure provided within the estate includes a primary health centre, police post, shops, open space for recreation and facility manager's office, with provisions for drains, roads, electricity as well as a mini water works.

'The Igbogbo Housing Estate scheme 11 also entails a block of eight units of three bedroom flats. At Oke-Eletu, completed project include 152 blocks of 2_in_1 two bedroom bungalows while effort was made to beautify the estate through proper landscaping.

He noted that the Jubilee Hosing Estate at Oduragunshin was initiated by the Sir Michael Otedola administration, adding that the scheme is a mixed development project, consisting of 328 units of room and palour, one bedroom and two bed room flats.

'In addition, there is provision of water and electrification,' he said.

The Ojokoro scheme, he noted,  was built on a total area of 1,487 hectares, adding that the scheme was initiated in October 2008, comprising 80 units of 8_in_1 three bedroom flats, with provision for a manager's office, security post and walkways while the Iloro housing estate at Agege has 8_in_1 three bedroom flats with good roads, drainage and water.

On the ongoing Ikeja and Gbagada housing projects, he noted that these comprise of 60 units of three bedroom maisonettes in Ikeja designed to accommodate 76 units of four bedroom maisonettes while those in Gbagada include 88 units of four bedroom and 4+1 bedroom maisonettes. He said construction work commenced in May 2009 adding that work on the project will be completed by end of June.

'But we also realise the fact that the housing situation in Lagos is too critical and capital intensive for government to address all alone. We have therefore re-evaluated the operational environment with the aim of removing bottlenecks, thereby strengthening private sector participation.

In addition to facilitating an enabling environment conducive for business to thrive, we went further by making equity contributions in terms of providing land for genuine investors,' he said.

He said the ministry had developed a template for appraising interested private developers and facilitating necessary sign_off from relevant ministries and government agencies on behalf of the developers.