Nigeria’s built environment recorded a very significant stride in the quest to addressing the nation’s 16 million huge housing deficit as Enugu State based estate management firm COPEN Services Limited, last week commissioned and delivered 180 housing units at Goshen and Jubilee Estates, Ogui Nike Community in the state.
The 777 million Naira project built, commissioned and delivered at the record time of eight months was a novelty in the quest for a solution to the huge housing deficit afflicting the country as a result of government’s inability to provide housing fund for developers.
Apart from the fact that the community of Ogui Nike collaborated with COPEN, the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria FMBN, through its Estate Development Loan Scheme provided the required funding that facilitated the actualisation of the project.
The commissioning of the estates brought together known players in the built environment sector as well as corporate and government establishments including; representative of Real Estate Development Association of Nigeria REDAN, Chief Bode Afolayan, Minister for Housing, Land &Urban Development, Ms Amal Pepple, Bishop of Amazing Love Assembly, Amaechi Nwachukwu and Managing Director of Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, Gimba Ya’U Kumo.
The Chairman/CEO of COPEN Services Limited, Rev Ugochukwu Chime, a surveyor, noted that that it was only through the kind of collaboration COPEN entered with the Ogui community that the housing need of most states will be addressed. Apart from that, he said, such venture projects will also open up such communities for other viable economic projects.
“Our partnership with the Ogui Nike community is a testimony to the possibilities and benefits that can accrue to any community when progressive minded communities synergise with the private sector to accelerate development efforts.
“At the commencement of this project last year, a plot of land was sold in this layout for an average of two hundred naira only, Today through our value engineering and the value adding activities inherent in this project, the average price for the same plot of land is now three million naira, (3,000,000), he said.
Minister of Housing, Labour & Urban Development, Ms Amal Pepple noted the importance of housing in the Federal government’s transformation agenda as contained in both the Millennium Development Goal and Vision 2020 .
According to her,” when you give an individual shelter, you give him dignity.”
The Minister further enjoined Nigerian developers to emulate COPEN Services by building houses for low income Nigerians, even as they strive to help government actualise the target of one million houses every year if the country should address her huge housing deficit.
The financiers of the project, the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria also commended the professional efficiency of COPEN Services. Speaking on behalf of the bank, its Managing Director, Ya’U Kumo stated that “ COPEN has recorded a giant stride in the establishment of housing estates in Enugu. He added that “ it completed this magnanimous feat in eight months against the expected 24 months.”
As a result of this achievement, the bank awarded a certificate of commendation to the estate developer, COPEN for completion of job in a record time.
Goshen and Jubilee Estates consist of one hundred and eighty units of housing comprising 148 three- bedroom bungalows, and 32 apartments. They are the second and third Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria sponsored Estate Development Loan projects to be completed in the South East of Nigeria, the first being, Bethel Estate, also developed by COPEN.