Stakeholders tasked on cheap, affordable housing

Stakeholders at the recently concluded three-day Lagos Architects Forum (LAF) tagged: Lagos 8.0: An Architectural Autopoiesis”, organised by the State’s Chapter of the Nigeria Institute of Architecture (NIA) has been challenged to come up with cheap and affordable housing designs to address challenges of blighted urban areas

.This charge was given by the representative of the Lagos State Governor and Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Ade Akinsanya, who urged architects to prove their relevance by coming out with good designs that can save money for the government.
He stressed the state’s government commitment to secure architects’ services in its development and infrastructural projects.

“If architects can give government better value for money, they will have better recognition, they should prove their relevance by coming up with designs that can save the government money which in turn will result into cheap and affordable housing ” he said

Earlier in her keynote address, The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Development), University of Lagos, Prof Folasade Ogunsola lamented the plight of some blighted urban areas where housing and living conditions are appalling.

Prof Ogunsola stressed that Lagos will continue to play catch up in terms of infrastructural development because of the overcrowding nature of its population noting that it is a crisis in the making which must be stopped.

While regretting that 70 per cent of Nigerians live in slums, she said Lagos could assist in reducing life-threatening diseases in the society by coming out with buildings that are culturally relevant.

She was however full of praise for the designer of ‘Makoko Floating School’ Kunlé Adeyemi, an architect, for his innovative prototype floating structure, which has become a reference point.

She therefore urged Nigeria architects to come out with such innovative feats to make slums architecturally beautiful. According to her, going vertical may be a veritable option for Lagos in the midst of land and population challenges.

Earlier in his speech, the chairman of Lagos Chapter of NIA, Fitzgerald Umah said the 2017 event was meant to address the issues of regeneration, rebuilding, recreating and reinventing in the light of economic recessions.

The event he added also looked at the problem of building collapses and possible solutions to the menace, which have claimed the lives of many Nigerians and foreigners.
Growth potentials, opportunities top agenda at REIT Conference

The issues of growth potentials and opportunities inherent in the real estate sector of the Nigerian economy will be the focus of discourse as The Nigerian Stock Exchange hosts the maiden edition of its Real Estate Investment (REIT) Conference.

The Conference themed “Real Estate Investment Trust in sub-Sahara Africa: The role of The Capital Market” will bring together key decision-makers, policy-makers, government officials, private sector players, property developers, asset managers, dealing members, investors and thought leaders to share experiences and explore growth potentials and opportunities inherent in the REITs market in Nigeria and Sub – Sahara Africa.

Speaking about the event, the Executive Director, Capital Markets of the Exchange, Haruna Jalo-Waziri, noted that the REIT Conference is an important meeting of stakeholders to dimension the current state of the Real Estate sector and to be acquainted with relevant emerging trends, strategies and policies.

“One of our aims with the Conference is to discuss tropical and regulatory issues affecting the REITs within the Capital markets and Real Estate ecosystem as well as proffer strategic solutions for follow up implementation by The Exchange in its capital market advocacy role”.

He further said that “attendees at this conference will be apprised with the latest developments driving investment decisions in the real estate industry. Thus, increasing investor knowledge that can accelerate the unlocking of the huge potential and wealth creation capabilities in the Real Estate value chain”.

The 2017 REITs Conference which is sponsored by Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, FSDH Asset Management Limited, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), United Property Development Company (UPDC) Plc, Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) Nigeria Limited, Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie and Mixta Nigeria, will be headlined by the Honourable Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN.