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Pelican Valley in Discussion with Experts On Path For Equitable, Sustainable Urban Planning, Development In Ogun, Lagos
Pelican Valley in Discussion with Experts On Path For Equitable, Sustainable Urban Planning, Development In Ogun, Lagos
Worried by the seemingly proliferation of slums, informal settlements, congestion and other nuisances in the nation’s built industry, professional town planners and estate developers converged in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital for a two – Day workshop, to deliberate and chart a path to equitable and sustainable town, urban and regional development.
Gathering on the theme: ‘The impact of emerging technologies on urban and regional planning: challenges and opportunities,’ at the event, organised by the Association of Town Planning Consultants of Nigeria (ATOPCON), the discussants, largely from the Town Planning profession and notable players in the built – industry, including the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Pelican Valley Nigeria Limited, Ambassador (Dr) Babatunde Adeyemo, were in agreement that government is central to planning, enforcement of building guidelines and provisions essential services, particularly infrastructure to ignite development and liveable human settlements.
They expressed the concern that places like Allen Avenue,Ikeja, Adeniran Ogunsanya, Lagos were in the 60s and 70s marked as residential areas until shops and clubs started creeping in, forcing many of the residents to leave for somewhere else as their once residential settings steadily lost its grip and sanity to surging commercial activities.
They equally pointed out Admiralty Way in Lekki and dozens of other places in Lagos that have lost their original design as residential settings, and regrettably giving way inexorably to commercial and social activities as well as other nuisances because the government or its relevant agencies were not there to enforce the physical planning and building regulations.
have the power to take action. The administration of land decree of 1978 puts land in the hand of the Governor.
“No society can move forward without law and order. The private sector thrives in the building industry when rules are followed, the key to unlocking this relationship between the governments and the private sector is implementation of building guidelines and regulations.”
Responding, Tpl. Abiodun Adewolu, the Senior Special Adviser to Ogun State Governor on Urban & Regional Planning, identified government challenges regarding physical planning and development.
Adewole said despite the regulations in place to serve public interest, problems of infrastructure deficiency, road network, water supply, and the problem of informal settlement which has grown up to become slums as well as the problem of congestion in all ramifications – social and physical congestion, abound to make government efforts at finding solutions a daunting task.
He urged citizens to follow physical planning regulations and development laws as they are of public interest and a product of lawmakers, who are representatives of the same people.
Adewolu said, “Planning is a response to situations that affect society negatively, it is to create an environment that is liveable, where we can live, a settlement where you can live comfortably devoid of any risk. All these should be catalogued the interest of the people and injected into development plan, be it town, urban, district or regional plan It spelt out where school should be, where market or commercial activities should be so that there will be no room for informal settlement that grows into slums.
“So, in the end, everyone will live a good life but unfortunately, it is structured in a public sector led process that may entail what people , govt abridge the interest of people. Revenue generation not public interest.Town planning is not meant to be revenue generation, it should be a total public interest, but the situation has changed and that is why we are having this dilemma to a large extent.”
Similarly, Oluwole Sotire, an engineer and permanent secretary, ministry of physical planning and urban development, Lagos State, said government has a responsibility to render service to the people – citizens, it serves but also noted that citizens too are expected to pay land taxes/levies.
“We must first of all understand that citizens have to pay tax or levies to government. Whether it is equitable is another question. However, efforts should be made to involve proper stakeholders and the rest of the citizens to ensure beneficial planning and good governance,” he said.
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Lagos Cracks Down on Illegal Real Estate Fees and Rising Rents
The Lagos State Government is intensifying efforts to make housing more affordable by cracking down on illegal rental charges and pushing for lower rent prices. Authorities have officially declared fees such as “caution fees” and “inspection fees” unlawful, urging real estate industry leaders to collaborate in easing the financial strain on tenants.
In a public statement issued by Ganiu Lawal, Deputy Director of Public Affairs, the government condemned the practice of imposing unauthorized fees, noting that such actions not only exploit tenants but also damage the reputation of property managers and landlords.
Key stakeholders — including the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers, the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria, and the Association of Estate Agents in Nigeria — recently met with state officials to address these issues. The meeting, jointly presided over by Commissioner for Housing Moruf Akinderu-Fatai and Special Adviser to the Governor on Housing Barakat Odunuga-Bakare, focused on tackling arbitrary rent hikes and excessive agent commissions while promoting ethical standards in the real estate sector.
Akinderu-Fatai emphasized the difficulties many families face in finding affordable housing, citing rising rents and hidden transaction costs as major barriers. He reaffirmed the government’s support for more flexible rent payment options, such as monthly and quarterly plans, in line with tenancy regulations.
Odunuga-Bakare also referenced the Lagos State Tenancy Law of 2015, which caps allowable real estate transaction fees at 10%. She called on industry players to align with government initiatives aimed at making housing more accessible and transparent for residents.
Leaders of the various real estate bodies expressed their willingness to work alongside the government. They pledged to assist in advocacy campaigns and public education initiatives that promote best practices within the property market.
The session concluded with plans to organize a broader stakeholder forum. This upcoming event will involve representatives from across the real estate value chain — including legal experts from the Nigerian Bar Association — to build stronger, collective support for protecting Lagos residents in housing transactions
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Pelican Valley Gets Additional Seven Approvals Within Few Weeks
ABEOKUTA- A foremost real estate firm in Nigeria, Pelican Valley Nigeria Limited has gotten additional seven building Approvals for his existing clients who are willing to commence building constructions in it Pelican Brief Estate project in Kobape, Ogun State.
Pelican Valley Nigeria Limited is a Nigerian real estate firm behind Pelican Valley Estate, Laderin; Pelican Brief Estate, Pelican Ecostay Apartments and Pelican Greenish Acres Farm Estate at Kobape axis of Ogun State.
It was gathered that, at Pelican Brief Estate, over 900 Nigerians in diaspora have keyed in to the project, with over 150 ongoing building construction in the estate. Over 15 building projects are in there various completion Stages, while about 10 landlords have already moved into the Estate.
According to the director of Operations of the company, Tpl Olumide Akintomide, the new sets of 7 clients that their projects have been successfully approved by the Ogun state Bereau of Urban Planning and Physical Development are Mr. Sokale A O , Mr. O..O Fajimi, Also, Mr. Olaleye Gbolahan O, Mr. Rolan A Alade and joint project by Mr. Gideon O Omagbemi and Mrs, N. Okpa have been gotten full approval to commence their residential development, while Mr. A
T. Oyeyinka and Mrs. Chika Vivian got approval of a Proposed Farm Development at the Pelican Greenish Acres Farm Estate.
Tpl Akintomide stated that In another development, a Nigerian-US based, Mr. Babatunde Abdullahi along with other numerous Clients will soon havr their projects approvals in few weeks time, as the firm has so far gotten over 150 building approvals for existing and potential landlords in the Estate within 2Years
The Director of Operations however congratulated the clients and appreciated them for believing in the vision of the Pelican Estate CEO, Ambassador (Dr) Babatunde Adeyemo, pledging that the Company will leverage on it good legacy and will not relent or deviate from integrity mode of operation that the company has been known for.
He, however, advised all the successful clients to commence development within the stipulated period in there various plots allocation documents, noting that any violation of the Estate allocation terms and conditions with attract a stiff enforcement. – Culled from – The Encounter
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Coastal road: Land prices jump, new investment opportunities open
…as construction work on Phase 1 nears completion
In a very dramatic manner, parcels of land along the 700-kilometre Lagos-Calabar coastal highway have, in the last six to 12 months, seen significant price increases, more so as construction on Phase 1 of the project is nearing completion.
The first phase of the highway, measuring 47.47 kilometres, starts from Ahmadu Bello Way in Victoria Island, Lagos, and ends in Lekki around the Lekki Deep Sea Port and Dangote Refinery axis. It is expected to be completed by May 29, 2025.
People who invested in land in all the areas around Lekki Free Tade Zone, Eleko and Ibeju Lekki had been enjoying considerable value appreciation as a result of the coming of developments such as Dangote Refinery, Lekki Deep Sea Port, among others.
The passing of the coastal highway through this axis has raised property values a lot higher in th as many investors swoop on the area, buying just any available land in anticipation of a further rise in prices in the coming years
“You need to visit these areas, especially all the areas around Ibeju Lekki, and see the level of investment going on there. People are taking position because when the coastal road is completed, you can drive to Victoria Island in less than one hour,” Ololarenwaju Kuyebi, managing director, GMH Luxury, said in an interview recently.
“Land value has gone up by more than 200 percent in the last 12 months in Ibeju Lekki. I know of someone I advised to key into the emerging opportunities in that axis. He bought three plots of land at N1.5 million each and, today, one plot is over N3 million,” he added.
Kuyebi disclosed that people are investing in land banking in that area, describing it as a wise investment decision that will give good return on investment in time to come.
Some real estate development companies are also perfecting plans to invest in that axis in the expectation that demand will come. Odunayo Ojo, the chief executive of UPDC , disclosed recently that Ibeju Lekki is part of their new towns development strategy.
Peter Oyedepo, a Lagos-based realtor, who described the coastal road as a transformative piece of infrastructure that promises to reshape Nigeria’s coastlines, enhancing connectivity and driving economic growth, says investors have every reason to invest along the coastal road.
Oyedepo explained recently that because the coastal road connects cities and towns, making once remote places accessible, it will drive population growth and real estate demand in those cities and towns.
He added that besides its economic growth potential, the coastal road will boost tourism. He explained that because the road passes through beaches, forests, and cultural landmarks, it is a prime spot for tourism-related investment such as resorts, hotels and vacation rentals.
Oyedepo advised that people can invest in both residential and commercial properties such as luxury buildings, affordable apartments, office facilities, malls, warehouses, among others. He hopes that all these will be in high demand in no distant future.
The federal government is already taking position along the coastal highway, as the first phase of the road construction approaches completion deadline
The government is planning to create tolling stations and construct tourist centres along the highway, expecting to draw in investors and enhance the country’s economy.
David Umahi, the minister of works, who disclosed this during an inspection tour of the road recently, said the entire road stretch measuring 700 kilometres is expected to be completed within eight years.
“Along the corridor, you have some lands that have been acquired for tourism, industries, factories, housing estates, etc. So, these are the road architectures that will be seen on this highway. And we also plan to have tolling units,” Umahi said.
According to him, the more than $12 billion superhighway project is also expected to be solarised for easy movement at night and security measures. It is also expected to have a flyover to avoid traffic jams. –
BUSINESSDAY
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