Our Mandate's To Bridge Housing Deficit In Lagos - SA, Toke Benson | AgegePulse Magazine

 

... Start Regeneration of Assets In Mainland, Gov. Sanwo-Olu Charges Real Estate Agents

Lagosians home and abroad soon will no long have a fear in purchasing decent, affordable housing in Lagos.

This development was disclosed by the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Housing, Mrs. Toke Benson Awoyinka as Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority (LASRERA) hosted recently the first of its kind Real Estate Conference and Exhibition in the Real Estate Capital of Africa, with the theme: “Unearthing real opportunities in Real Estate.” at the Eko Hotel & Suits, VI, Lagos.

The epoch event which have in attendance, the Governor of Lagos, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, Government Agencies, Captains of Industries, Real Estate Agents, Estate valuers, and others Stakeholders in Real Estate Business was another turnaround initiative to solve housing deficit in Lagos.

Speaking at the event, The Governor harped on the need for massive regeneration of properties in mainland part of Lagos, charging real estate investors and private developers to divert their investment to rebuilding mainland and redistributing wealth from the business.

He said: “I need to charge the real estate investors that, everybody needs not build in Sangotedo or Ibeju Lekki. Let us go to mainland and start regeneration of the assets in that part of Lagos. This way, we would be redistributing wealth and creating opportunities for our citizens.

The Governor said the State’s Department of Lands had built the required capacity for smooth transition to the online platform, stressing that the plan was already in its final stage.

When the web-based platform is finally launched, there will be no need for applicants seeking for Certificates of Occupancy (C of O), survey and building plan approvals to physically submit paper documents for authorisation. All documentation and payments will be done by applicants from the comfort of their homes.

Sanwo-Olu said the new development would bring about quick turnaround time in land transactions and boost private investors’ confidence in provision of home ownership model that will address deficits in housing.

He said: “We have improved on our GIS solution to accelerating land matters in Lagos. From the first quarter of next year, we will be launching an online platform on which all land transactions will be done. When the project kick-starts next year, there will be one-stop shop for all transactions relating to land, including Governor’s approval on CofO, and building approval by Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.

“We have given our commitment on this, because of the need to improve the turnaround time from when people submit their requests for approval and the time the authorisation is completed. We cannot afford to disappoint private investors and applicants seeking real time approval. We are raising our capacity, so that we can respond to the requests and discharge them.”

The Governor charged residents and property developers applying for approvals to stop cutting corners and circumventing the process, stressing that sharp practices would only make it difficult for impatient applicants to get their documents approved.

Earlier, Special Adviser to the Governor on Housing, Mrs. Toke Benson-Awoyinka, said the conference was held with an objective to bring stakeholders in property business in contact with relevant Government agencies and address bottlenecks slowing down property transactions.

She said LASRERA was created with a mandate to bridge the gap of credibility in property business, pointing out that the Government responded to the yearnings of industry players, having realised there were genuine real estate practitioners and property developers, as well as genuine home and property seekers who were desirous of credibility in real estate transactions in Lagos.

Benson-Awoyinka said the regulatory agency, since inception, had set processes in motion to change the negative image of property development business and check malpractices which the sector had faced in the last decades.

She said: “As a Government that is determined to bridge the housing deficit in the State, we are aware of our role in not just the provision of houses, but also create an enabling environment for the private sector working hand in hand to a desired end.

“We are making a renewed appeal to investors in the sector to team up with the State Government to create a home ownership model that will help address the deficits observed in housing market in the State our through Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative in providing mass housing for our people.” Toke-Benson, Concluded

The two days conference featured exhibitions for home marketing firms, Government and private property developers.

There was also a panel of discussion in which private practitioners, heads of relevant Ministries and agencies provided explanations on housing market can be improved

Real Estate: The Era of Fraudulent Act's Gone in Lagos, Says Toke Benson, SA on Housing

...As LASRERA Launches, Website, Payment Portal

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Housing, Mrs. Toke Benson-Awoyinka has assured the residents of Lagos home and abroad that the era of fraudulent activities of Real Estate and Developers has gone in Lagos.

Token Benson stated this during the launching of the angency website: www.lasrera.com and payment portal at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, Ikeja, she said that the website became imperative so as to create, capture and update a Unified Central Database of Real Estate Practitioners and their activities within the State.

She said, “We are well aware of the trend of fraudulent practices of some Real Estate Agents and Property Developers; this is reflected in the complaints received by the Agency in recent times from residents who had fallen victims to fake Real Estate Practitioners and Property Developers while seeking for accommodation, purchase or sale of property, hence the need to have a comprehensive database that can be used to curb these fraudulent practices in the sector”.



The Special Adviser emphasised the vital need to sanitise the industry because Lagos is the commercial and economic nerve centre of Nigeria and Africa with lots of investments opportunities, adding that the State Government had also worked tirelessly over the years to curb the increasing fraudulent practices in the Real Estate sector.

She noted noted that the public presentation will assist in creating awareness and also educate residents of the State on the importance of patronising registered Real Estate Practitioners and Property Developers.

Speaking on the change of name from Lagos State Real Estate Transaction Department to Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority (LASRERA), she stated that the administration of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, in a bid to transform Lagos into a 21st Century Economy as enshrined in the T.H.E.M.E.S Agenda, approved the transition of the Department to an Agency on 7th February 2020.

According to her, part of the mandate of the new office includes the preparation of rules and regulations for the practice of Estate Agency and other connected matters in the State; identification of persons eligible to be licensed as Estate Agents and Renewal of Annual Licenses; Sanction of unlicensed Estate Agency Practitioners in the State, as well as the investigation of complaints and petitions against Licensed Estate Agency Practitioners, amongst others.

Benson-Awoyinka reiterated that the event complements the Smart City initiative of the present government, where service delivery will be technology-driven and readily available to the masses.

“We remain committed to providing an enabling environment and transparent Real Estate sector conforming to international best practices while safeguarding the ultimate interest of all the stakeholders. As a government, we have provided the creation of an innovative and sustainable environment to promote Lagos as a Real Investment destination in Africa and the World”, she said.

The Special Adviser averred that the website www.lasrera.com houses a brief history of the agency’s initiatives, aims and objectives, commitment to the people, a complaint section and a registration portal which allows practitioners to upload documents, stressing that the Agency also has social media handles for effective management and communication amongst the stakeholders.

Apapa gridlock: Lagos suspends approval for development of tank farms

…Issues 30-day ultimatum to tank farms without adequate loading bay
…DPR to ensure compliance by owners of tank farms
…As Joint Security Task Force extend work by one month to restore sanity

AgegePulse Magazine

The Lagos State Government on Monday announced the suspension of approval for development of tank farms in Apapa as part of its renewed effort to restore sanity completely as well as fashion out immediate and long term solution along the Oshodi-Apapa corridor and prevent a repeat of the chaos caused by containerized trucks and tankers parked on the road.

Rising from a closed door meeting with stakeholders in the maritime and transport sectors, including Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Shippers Council, Tank Farm Owners, Department of Petroleum Resources, Security Agencies and Clearing and Forwarding Agents, held at the Lagos House in Alausa, Ikeja and chaired by State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, the State Government also resolved to accelerate and complete work on the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Trailer Park in Orile within the next one month.

The State’s Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Ladi Lawanson who briefed Government House Correspondents on the resolutions reached after the meeting which lasted for over three hours and said all stakeholders had resolved to work together to bring back sanity on the Apapa axis and would therefore not hesitate to sanction recalcitrant operators who flout the resolutions going forward.

Lawanson, who was joined at the briefing by the Managing Director of NPA, Mrs. Hadiza Bala-Usman, Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Tunji Bello and other stakeholders, said that a Security Task Force has been constituted by the Federal Government and the Lagos State Government and would work continuously for 30 days to bring sanity to the roads, while shipping companies sanctioned for non compliance on utilisation of holding bays in the ports have been extended by five days.

He said that to also cushion the effect on the traffic experienced by motorists in the area, the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing would immediately commence palliative measures on bad portions on access roads.

“The Department of Petroleum Resource (DPR) is to ensure that Tank Farm owners comply with holding bay requirements, while trailers not called upon and found trampling will be impounded and sanctioned in Lagos.

“With immediate effect, Lagos State Government suspends the approval of Tank Farms and the Government is going to accelerate the completion of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Trailer Park and it should be ready within a month,” Lawanson said.
The State Government also directed that all truck and tanker owners must be duly registered and well regulated by their unions, adding that the unions would be held accountable for their adherence to extant rules and regulations.

“The Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) in collaboration with the Lagos State Government will going forward license trailer parks whereby only trucks housed in those designated parks will be granted access. Furthermore, tank farms without adequate loading bays within the next 30 days will be sanctioned. 

“These resolutions were arrived at and agreed by all parties and all parties have resolved to jointly implement these resolutions and the effects will be seen by Nigerians very shortly,” the Commissioner said.

Prior to the meeting, it would be recalled that  the State Government had last week set up a Joint Task Force involving security agencies and stakeholders in the maritime sector to remove all containerized trucks and tankers parked along the Apapa axis.

Tagged 'Operation Restore Sanity On Lagos Roads,' the Task Force involving 2,271 personnel drawn from the Police, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), and Nigerian Military including Army, Air Force and the Navy moved into the area on Friday in an operation that lasted for over 72 hours to open up the service lane in the axis to ease traffic.