Re: Article URL: http://www.slate.com/id/ 2214412/

Open Letter to the Governor

Your Excellency:

Mr. Babatunde Fashola:

Congratulations on all your efforts to improve Lagos State and move her forward to a sustainable position for the next 50 to 60 years. My associates and I were very impressed to hear about your efforts and accomplishments from our friends from all the cardinals of Nigeria. Some of them hope and pray that the Governors of their States can emulate you and perform half as well as you. Again, we congratulate you.

Based on some of the articles we are opportune to read about you and the ongoing plans and development of the Lekki Free Trade Zone, it seems to us that a crucial part of the success of the mission is missing. This is the provision of affordable homes for the displaced residence.

It is true that you and your administration are committed to ensure that:

• promised 2.5 percent equity participation to the people of the area, and
• 750 hectares of land in replacement for the residents of the area.

We do not believe that the provision of the above is an adequate solution for the problems that will be created once the developments at Lekki Free Trade Zone gets into full gear. Despite your good intentions, dedication, efforts and plans for the success of LFTZ and indeed the whole of Lagos, it is our belief that without the same efforts to permanently situate the displaced residents, your programs may not last the 50 to 60 years you envisage. The success of LFTZ will be over shadowed once the displaced residents exhaust their compensations.

It is common knowledge that Lagosians live together as extended family in over crowed households. This is much more so with majority of the low income people that your plan for LFTZ will be displacing. Their displacement will make the problems with lack of affordable housing in Lagos more acute. Merely relocating, replacing land and compensating these people are not a permanent solution.

What is a permanent solution you ask? A permanent solution is to assist them rebuild their homes wherever they are being relocated. Replacement of land and compensation is great, but we think you should go a step further. How far? Assist them with affordable housing.

We understand that the housing challenge is multifarious in dimension. It ranges from: 

· a huge housing deficit due to imbalance between supply and demand,

· rapid urbanization,

· steady population growth,

· high cost of construction,

· paucity of housing finance,

· prohibitive cost of land,

· poor state of infrastructure,

· shortage of building materials, and;

· under investment in affordable housing.

We are ready to partner with you and your administration in this endeavor with the development of affordable mixed income housing scheme starting from U$D7,500.00 for a 35-45 meters square homes.

We will collaborate with you and your government in development of affordable mixed-income housing for the people that are being displaced by the LFTZ plan and anywhere in Lagos. We are a strong believer that partnering with Government is the key to solving the chronic housing shortages, reducing unemployment, building stronger society and business structures that will meet the needs of this new millennium.

If you partner with us, we will establish a construction and housing manufacturing company in Lagos. Our turnkey manufacturing facilities will include the following:

• Administration/office equipments
• Manufacturing equipments
• Specialized technical equipments
• Specialized CAD/CAM systems
• Professional technical and manufacturing training
• Direct support from our estate management group

Our material is termite resistant and is fire retardant for tropical climates. Thus far, our system has withstood earthquake magnitudes of up to 7.6 on the Richter scale. Our buildings have also withstood wind speeds of up to 160 mph. (This statistic was recorded during hurricane Andrew 1992) The materials are also environmentally friendly and non-toxic.

Our factory is capable of building a minimum of 800-1000 affordable housing in form of estates that offer a complex of structures to accommodate the general public within 12 months. This complex will consist of two to three story one-bedroom apartment buildings for single living and two and bedroom homes for family living and, or single family houses and town homes in various locations in Lagos.

The homes will range in sizes from 35-45 meter squares, 75-85 meter squares and 95-105 meter squares. Price range of about U$D7,500.00 to U$D25,500.00. We will provide mortgage for up to 20% of the cost for 5 years with a 7.5% interest for 5years.

The type of structures and project layout of the estate will rely on available land and environmental conditions. The number of units and apartments that can be built will also depend on the amount of available land. The design of the estate will be balanced (healthcare center, school(s), recreation center, shopping complex/offices …) so that it can offer a broad range of amenities and opportunity to the community. A Community Empowerment Project can benefit and support the whole community and further economic development for years to come.

How can we deliver houses that are these affordable? We can because we utilize: 

a. Cost Affective Materials 

b. Economic Manufacturing 

c. Uses Unskilled Labor for Construction 

d. Simple Technologies to Train Unskilled Workers.

Collaborating with us is a win-win-win situation because we:

• provide homes, jobs and a stable environment,
• your government provides enabling environment, improved living standard, peace and harmony in the community, and
• the citizen is gainfully employed and productive

WE ALL BENEFIT

By partnering and collaborating with us, Growth will not only Continue, but With a solid

Plan for success.  

Our Motto: Promote Growth and Reduce Poverty. 

We wish you more success, good health and long life. "Eko o ni baje!" 

Sincerely,

 Larry Lee

 Vice President

 Baat Group

Robot  # 1 | 04.04.2009 09:27

Re:Article URL:http://www.slate.com/id/ 2... Open Letter to the Governor Your Excellency: Mr. Babatunde Fashola: Congratulations on all your efforts to improve Lagos State and move her forward to a sustainable position for the next 50 to 60 years. My associates and I were very impressed to hear about your efforts and accomplishments from our friends from all the cardinals of Nigeria. Some of them hope and pray that the Governors of their States can emulate you and perform half as well as you. Again, we congratulate you. Based on some of the articles we are opportune to read about you and the ongoing plans and development of the Lekki Free Trade Zone, it seems to us that a crucial part of the success of the mission is missing. This is the provision of affordable homes for the displaced residence. ...Read the full article.

Ph3y  # 2 | 04.04.2009 16:09

The homes will range in sizes from 35-45 meter squares, 75-85 meter squares and 95-105 meter squares. Price range of about U$D7,500.00 to U$D25,500.00. We will provide mortgage for up to 20% of the cost for 5 years with a 7.5% interest for 5years. I have a problem with the pricing........$7,500 is rather on the high side........ Affordability is very relative and the people being displaced are not even middle class citizens so i don't see how your proposal would be beneficial to them. Remember minimum wage is still about =N=7,500.....

Auspicious  # 3 | 04.04.2009 17:09

+ From the SLATE article referenced by the author: Alaba is not exempt from the problems plaguing the rest of Lagos. Due to years of corruption and mismanagement, many neighborhoods go weeks without electricity. Most of the country runs on diesel-powered generators. So does Alaba. Even the section of the market that sells generators runs on generators. Un-rebrandable! (Un-believable!) Or, can you re-brand that? (Or, can you believe that) Auspicious.

10Kobo  # 4 | 04.04.2009 22:14

Un-brandable and Un-believable but to give-up on ourselves is to nail own coffin. We cannot afford to sit over our own extinction! We dont even have a choice, like the Dinosaurs of old, we either work on "adapting/managing our ways" or we go extinct!! The "Potential for greatness of Nigeria" is too tempting for us to allow it to collapse.....and dont believe the optimist, this country, like any other civilization, can actually collapse. Let the author be more specific and situate his cost within the context of the beneficiaries, who knows,.....? 10Kobo

BiafranPrincess  # 5 | 04.04.2009 22:26

At least this person is profering some solutions/alternatives to problems at hand...this is a good start. We must all start partnering in our nation's development or go bust...we cannot hide in 'ala bekee' forever and keep hoping that some messiah will rescue us.

eflat  # 6 | 05.04.2009 01:46

Feyi: It is assumed that the compensation will be at least =N=2,000,000.00 per each displaced household or person. The minimum cost of a decent 2 bedroom home in Lagos is =N=3,500,000.00. Rather than the government handing out the compensation, which may or may not be use for the intended purpose of erecting a new home, it is better the people be giving the choice of either receiving the compensation or deposit it for a new home to be provided by the state. This way the funds will not be frivolous spent which will equate to NO MONEY = NO HOME. At the rate of U$D1= 140 Naira. U$D7, 500.00 equates to =N=1,050,000.000. I have not seen anything this affordable in the Nigerian market even in my village outside Lagos. This is not a bad choice. I think the government should consider it. OR Better still Feyi can you offer anything less expensive? kyn

Ph3y  # 7 | 05.04.2009 14:34

Eflat, It is assumed that the compensation will be at least =N=2,000,000.00 per each displaced household or person. The minimum cost of a decent 2 bedroom home in Lagos is =N=3,500,000.00. Do you live in Lagos??? If you do i am sure you would know that many of those being displaced stay in what we call face me i face you shanties. Many of this structures are illegal and living conditions in these places are not even healthy to start with. My point is that many of these people affected; if given the choice of monetary compensation or accommodation, they will collect the money and move to another area where they will blight up all over again. The people i am talking about cannot even afford your decently priced 3.5M 2 bedroom flat. I have not said the above idea is not good.....i just said the pricing is high. Probably increasing the number of units and using pre-fabricated materials....could enable better economies of scale. So eflat i am not a building expert but i know that the difference between a good idea and a successful one is proper implementation. And for this good idea to work and benefit the target audience, the pricing has to be brought down.