•What He Said At The 2nd Real Estate Market Place
Tuesday, December 7 and Wednesday, December 8, 2021, marked a difference in the real estate sector in Lagos as all the stakeholders and top players in the business as well as government functionaries gathered under the same roof to discuss the way forward and how to better the industry in Lagos.
Tagged
LAGOS: 21st Century Real Estate Investment Hub, the event held at the Expo Hall
of the Eko Hotel and Suites in Victoria Island, over 2000 key players and
practitioners within the real estate and Housing sector attended the conference
while the Governor himself was present and responded positively to some of the
key points raised at the event.
DAMILARE SALAMI 08155134152 was there with a senior
Photojournalist, ABDULRASHEED SANNI and in this report, he brings you the
details of all that went down in the 2-day event, enjoy.
S.A
TO SANWO-OLU ON HOUSING, MRS TOKE BENSON-AWOYINKA DELIVERED OPENING SPEECH
As
the Chief Host of the event, The S.A to governor Sanwo-Olu on housing and head
of the Lagos Real Estate Regulatory Agency (LASRERA) Mrs Toke Benson-Awoyinka
declared the meeting opened by stating the expectation of the conference. She
revealed that there are so many plans in place to better housing in Lagos and implored
all stakeholders to ensure that they act on the decisions made.
“As
a Government, we have realized this fact and as such, have been making business-friendly policies that can assist would-be investors/investees operate in a
conducive business environment.
“The
State Government through the Agency has resolved several reported cases of
fraudulent practices brought to the attention of the Agency in a very
professional manner.
“The
collaboration between the State Government and those in Housing Sector will
drive macro-economic growth, deepen financial sector collaboration, mitigate
climate change and create jobs opportunities for the residents, as well, build up the Real Estate industry’s
investments with Infrastructural projects in the environment.
“With
increased urbanization to cities like Lagos, Port Harcourt and Federal
Capital-Abuja, there are unprecedented demands for new homes, so the PPP
initiative can reduce the housing deficit in the country,” she said.
OVER
25 TOP REAL ESTATE FIRMS SUPPORTED THE EVENT
As
a way of showing that PPP has a strong foothold in the real estate sector in
Lagos, more than 25 real estate firms supported the event in different
categories. Some were platinum sponsors, some in the gold, silver and bronze
categories respectively. It was not mere support, these firms had their stands
well situated in the auditorium as exhibitors. Some of the brands spotted are
Urban Shelters, Alaro City, Ilubirin, Elalan Construction Company, Estate Plus,
Nigerian Mortgage Refinance Company, Winhomes Estate Global Services, Capival
Homes, The Address Home, Gracias, Lagos Building Investment Company (LBIC),
Mega Mound Investment Ltd, Eagletek Home Builders Ltd, RevolutionPlus
Properties, Adron Homes and many more.
GBENGA
ADEYINKA MOJI BADE ANCHOR EVENT
It
was a combination of business and pleasure since all work and no play makes
Jack a dull boy and all play and no work makes him a mere toy. Popular compere,
Gbenga Adeyinka the 1st alongside fast-rising female compere Moji Bade gave the
guests a swell time with their combination of professionalism and timely comic
relief to avoid boredom.
TOP
LAGOS FUNCTIONARIES WERE PRESENT TOO
The
list of officials that came to the event was endless. Of course, one would
expect that the presence of the governor would pull the crowd, but beyond that, the
recent mishap of the Gerrard Road incident called for a rethink and some level
of focus in the housing sector. This and many more reasons made different Lagos
officials turn up. Starting from lawmakers down to commissioners, permanent
secretaries and director generals, the list was endless. Some of the names
noted include Dr Rabiu Olowo, the commissioner for finance, Hon Sam Egube, the
commissioner for budget and economic planning, Mr Wasiu Akewusola, P.S ministry
of housing, Dr Oloyede Babatunde, Surv
Ayodeji Amodu, SSA to Gov Sanwo-Olu, Mrs Omobola Fashola, O.S Lands, Mrs
Olayinka Oladunjoye, Dr Mrs Lola Akande,
Mrs Olatokunbo Omopaye, Hon Mrs Bola Dada, Hon Muiz Banire, Hon Bimbo Abiodun,
Hon Desmond Elliot, Hon Jah among several others.
PROFESSIONAL BODIES TOO
Different
professional bodies in the building sector were also recognized. Associations
like the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN) Lagos chapter
had its president, Mr Bamidele Onalaja and other executives in attendance. The
Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers NIESV members were there
too.
LASG
SETS ASIDE N5B FOR MONTHLY TENANCY
One
of the high points of the event was when Gov Sanwo-olu said that it had set
aside N5 billion to kick start the state’s monthly tenancy scheme in January
2022. Rabiu Olowo, Commissioner for Finance, disclosed this during a panel
discussion at the 2nd Lagos Real Estate Market Place Conference and Exhibition
in Lagos.
Mr
Olowo said that the scheme, aimed at alleviating the difficulties experienced
by tenants and fears of landlords in the event of paying rent. He explained
that the first set of beneficiaries would be drawn from the formal sector to
minimise risks and access the workability
According
to him, the second layer will cover the informal sector, while others will
follow suit. “Following a survey, we have been able to create a model that will
be launched and known as the Lagos Monthly Rental Policy. “The survey reveals
that a large percentage of Lagos residents find it difficult to pay their rent
on yearly basis, hence the introduction of the initiative.
“You
(stakeholders) have nothing to fear. You will get a better deal by joining the
scheme. “To start with, a N5 billion portfolio has been put in place to
kick-off the scheme. We welcome more support from more financial institutions
to raise the bar of the portfolio for the masses to enjoy from this policy, “
he said.
According
to the commissioner, from the financial perspective, operational rule, legal
rule and default rule were issues arising from the scheme.
GOV
SANWO-OLU TALKS TOUGH ON SABOTAGES
Gov
Sanwo-Olu was decisive and straightforward as he responded to the reactions of
people on the issue of the ill-fated Gerrard Road incident that claimed the
lives of scores of Lagosians. “Somebody also raised a motion on the issue of
the very unfortunate Gerrard Road incident which we have launched a panel to
look into and we are expecting the report very soon. But I dare say that a
month before that incident, we had launched a certificate of completion and a
certificate of fit for habitation with LABCA.
“Meaning
that anybody that is raising a property up to a certain number will need to get
a certificate of completion and a certificate of fit for habitation. These are
some of the prevention measures from the regulatory points of view.
“We
know that on the side of this city, there will be people that will want to cut
corners, and we also know that there are officers that have brought us down and
reduced our name.
“We
are not going to stand here and say that everybody that has worked for us is
holy but we are dealing with them and so, these are issues that we all are
going to battle together.
“So,
once we set up a calling system and say REPORT, people should trust us and make
this report because it is when we get those feedbacks that we can deal with
those issues and we can create a better system out of it.
“And
I’m using this opportunity to also express my disappointment in some government
officials that want to sabotage my government. I will not only be ruthless, I
will look for you and I will make sure that you have no place in my government
because this is an agency that wants to work for everyone, the governor said.”
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