Lagos woos investors to Island West development scheme

GOVERNOR Babatunde Fasholaof Lagos State has called on private investors to help the state government in the implementation of the Lagos Island West Re-development Scheme.Fashola made the call in Lagos at the 2012 Lagos Architects Forumorganised by the Lagos Chapter of Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA).The theme of the forum was 'Lagos 3.0: Urban Mass Housing and Homes in Lagos'.The governor said that the focus of the forum was topical because the state government was trying to make some interventions in the housing sector through the scheme.According to him, the state government intended to lead by example by encouraging investors in that field.'The documentary presented here today on 'First Cities, Future Cities' is relevant to what the Lagos State Government is doing in the scheme, where we are hoping that almost all of the buildings would go high rise.'The government also has what we call Lagos Homes, where the state wants to replicate a particular design that unifies particular families in a whole setting. A block of four flats having a whole family in one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom.'The government is doing all these, to encourage some other investors in the field to come in,' Fashola, who was represented by Mr. Toyin Ayinde, the commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, said that the government had respect for professionals in the state, especially those in the construction and housing industry.According to him, it is this respect that produced the 2010 Law on Physical Planning and Physical Regulations in the state.Fashola said that the government was interested in the outcome of the forum and he wished them fruitful deliberations.Charles Majoroh, aformer President of NIA, said that the state government should focus attention on mass housing development for the middle class.In his paper on 'Urban Housing Projection ' The Role of Numeracy in the Desire for Home Ownership,' Majoroh said the middle class housing satisfaction was 'the interface between the high and low class'.'Without making the middle class and their families satisfying housing wise, there is no way we can have a thriving lower class. The middle class is the engine of any country.'The ability of this class to satisfy the need to own their houses go a long way in providing accommodation for others; satisfy the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and provide massive employment opportunities,' he said.
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