With grit, fanfare, Sanwo-Olu unveils Egan-Igando mixed housing units 21 years after

By Olusegun Olanrewaju

‘Igbega Ipinle Eko, Ajumose Gbogbo wa ni’. That epithet, in dialect parlance, literally translates into: ‘It is the duty of us all to develop Lagos.

And that was the ‘signature tune’ last Thursday at the Igando area, where the state Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and his Commissioner for Housing, Moruf Akinderu-Fatai, unveiled an ambitious project dear to the heart of the Sanwo-Olu administration – the 270-housing units at Egan Igando.

Appropriately tagged the Egan-Igando Mixed Housing Estate, the newly commissioned housing facility sits atop a swathe of land at the Igando-Ikotun Local Council Development Area (LCDA), bearing witness to the resoluteness, perseverance, and commitment of the Sanwo-Olu administration in Lagos State to successfully delivering a project that meets the expectation of the people and government, even though it had had to defy all the odds and efforts at compiling such a feat ”for over three decades.”

That is how the Director of Engineering Services, Lagos State Ministry of Housing, Rasheed Bolarinwa, an engineer, ‘a round peg in a round hole’, described the achievement.

Of course, he should know, and the same testifies. The project, from conception to execution and delivery, bears the testimony of careful planning and uncommon delivery that drives just past the landmark of the Lateef Jakande administration in Lagos, which recorded a do-good. At the same time, the ‘Baba Kekere’ Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) ruled Lagos State.

*The Project

The project sits majestically on an area of land of some 17,358 hectares of land.

Going down memory lane before the commissioning, Akinderu-Fatai stated, “This project was conceived to provide decent accommodation to sub-suburban dwellers. It was proposed to consist of 101 blocks of 846 home units comprising 1, 2, and 3-bedroom apartments.

“Started by the Lagos State Ministry of Housing way back in 2001 with 33 blocks (18 in 1), of two bedrooms, by the next year (2002), most of the blocks had been abandoned at different stages of completion due to paucity of funds.

“’This was the status until April 2004 when former governor of Lagos State (now Nigeria’s sitting president), His Excellency, Bola Tinubu, during his second term in office, transferred the project to the Lagos Building Investment Company (LBIC), in partnership with the Ministry of Housing through a Public Private Partnership arrangement.”

READ ALSO: Nigerians are generous people

H further narrated, “After the takeover of the project, the Lagos Building Investment Company (LBIC) constructed Type A and B blocks.

”However, the project stalled again. To increase the chances of completion, the then governor of the state, His Excellency Babatunde Fashola, directed the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure to take over the project to the year 2013.

“In the year 2016, the project was returned to the Ministry of Housing by the then governor, His Excellency, Akinwunmi Ambode. To speed up its completion, the Ministry of Housing divided the project into clusters. Today, it is a thing of joy that the first cluster is now ready for delivery. The Egan-Igando Mixed Housing Project has modern facilities which make it a decent housing estate for Lagosians.”

*Features

The Egan-Igando Housing Project is laced with many ‘external features’ such as car parks, water treatment tanks, boreholes, water pump houses, electricity transformers, and perimeter fence and gatehouse.

The Director of Engineering Services in the ministry explained that these are richly complemented by a network of roads/drains, central sewage plant, and an Electricity Injection Station.

Bolarinwa said, “On behalf of the ministry, work will fully commence soon on the other clusters. We hope that the dream of all who bought into this vision will soon be actualised.”

*The commissioning

Inaugurating the first phase of the 270 units of two-bedroom flats at the estate, Governor Sanwo-Olu said the project was conceived to provide decent accommodation for sub-urban dwellers.

The project, which defied all efforts at completion for several years, he added, was being ‘successfully delivered’ by the administration ”to reduce the housing deficit and provide decent accommodation for residents in the state”.

Promising to complete the remaining 576 home units in clusters two and three of the Egan-Igando Mixed Housing Estate for more residents to benefit, the Governor stated that this promise was to be delivered irrespective of the tenants’ ethnic or political affiliations.

Sanwo-Olu, who appealed to beneficiaries to take ownership of the project and protect it from vandals, said his government is ready to partner with the private sector to build more affordable housing estates in Lagos State.

His words, “The completion of this project will address the urgent need for affordable housing and also foster a sense of community and belonging among our residents.

“This project is designed to cater to diverse economic groups, reflecting a vision of an inclusive society where everyone has a home.

“We must innovate and partner with private investors to bridge the gap, which we cannot do alone. We need to enhance our public and private investments in housing. We must continue to build decent homes. I would like to appeal to future occupants to please ensure good maintenance of these facilities.”

Homeownership, the governor notes, ”brings joy and a sense of achievement, making housing provision a critical part of our developmental efforts.

“Our goal is to ensure no one is left behind, providing decent housing for all citizens, whether in rural or urban areas. The government alone cannot address the housing shortage without the support of private investors. Globally, the provision of mass housing is an endeavour accomplished by the combined effort of both the public and private sectors.

“We urge more investors to partner with us in mass housing provision, ensuring mutual benefits for investors and the economy. Providing homes creates jobs and strengthens the financial system for all stakeholders.

“We encourage investors to explore opportunities in rural and suburban areas, where we are systematically addressing infrastructural deficits.

“We welcome partnerships at all levels, housing provision, convenient mortgage packaging, and people-oriented home-rental programmes.”

The Governor also urged traditional rulers and community leaders to provide more land for the government to build more infrastructure in the rural areas.

*Subscribers with full payment to get allocation at no additional fees- Akinderu-Fatai

Earlier, the Commissioner for Housing described the Egan-Igando Mixed Housing Estate as a landmark project ”that stands as a testament to Governor Sanwo-Olu’s commitment to providing affordable and quality housing for the residents of Lagos State.”

Akinderu-Fatai, who noted that the project experienced a lot of challenges due to a paucity of funds, appealed to the private sector to partner with the Lagos State Government to provide more affordable housing for residents.

The Commissioner disclosed that Governor Sanwo-Olu, in his magnanimity, “has graciously approved that all existing subscribers with full payment for either a unit of two bedrooms or three bedrooms be allocated Cluster One at no additional fees to the selling price.

Akinderu-Fatai, who noted that the gesture by the governor is to appreciate the trust and commitment of the subscribers over time in Lagos State, said other subscribers with more than 50 per cent commitment on the initial selling price would be considered, with an option to balance up at the current selling price.

The commissioner said: “This significant occasion marks the completion of 270 units of two-bedroom apartments, a vital step towards alleviating the housing deficit in Lagos, hence bringing succour to the beloved people of the Igando-Ikotun LCDA in Alimosho LGA.

“Today, we are proud to present Cluster 1, with 45 blocks consisting of 270 units of two-bedroom apartments with complimentary infrastructure.

”We not only celebrate the completion of these units, but also the resilience, dedication, and hard work that have brought this vision to reality.

“As we hand over the keys to the new homeowners, we reaffirm our commitment to completing Clusters 2 and 3. We will continue to work assiduously to overcome any challenges, ensuring that every promised unit is delivered.

”This project is a clear indication that when we combine vision with dedication, the results are transformative.”

Akinderu-Fatai commended Governor Sanwo-Olu for his great determination and unusual support for the housing sector, particularly on the completion and delivery of the Egan-Igando Mixed Housing Estate.

The Chairman of Igando-Ikotun LCDA, Lasisi Akinsanya, and the monarch of the beneficiary community, the Onigando of Igando Land, Oba Lasisi Gbadamosi, praised Governor Sanwo-Olu for the Egan-Igando Mixed Housing Estate, saying they appreciated the good gesture.

In his summary, Akinderu-Fatai, said, “This significant occasion marks the completion of 270 units of 2-bedroom apartments, a vital step towards alleviating the housing deficit in Lagos, hence bringing succor to the beloved people of the Igando-Ikotun LCDA in Alimosho LGA.”