 |
| P&T building at Obalende |
Lagos State was the former
capital of Nigeria before it was moved to a more central location which is Abuja
also regarded to as the Federal Capital Territory. The movement of the capital
really help to reduce the population in Lagos because of the land mass and
other economic activities that happens in Lagos. However, the properties of the
Federal Government are in ruins after 25 years.
These buildings are predominantly
on the Island spanning Onikan, McCarthy Street, Federal Secretariat, Nitel
building, Defence Headquarters, Broad Street and residence scattered all over
the sprawling neighbourhood of Ikoyi. Many of these buildings are sky scrapers,
as far as Nigeria is concerned, and each of these buildings is not maximized
and used by miscreants to perpetrate their evil deeds.
 |
| The Nitel Building |
The political class has also
taken undue advantage of the situation. Some years ago the Bureau for Public
Enterprises (BPE) sold some Federal Government properties to different people
and many of these landmark buildings that contribute significantly to the
development of the country was sold to the political class, who can afford it,
at the expense of the citizenry. The story of the sale of NITEL building comes easily to the mind of Nigerians.
These buildings have been
vandalized by street urchins who remove the entire fittings one after the other
selling it as imported second-hand products to unsuspecting buyers. All these have
turned these houses to shadow of their former selves. These houses now look like
a frame that would need a lot of refurbishment to get it habitable for
commercial usage.
 |
| 2nd left- Theo Lawson, CEO, Total Consult Ltd; Prof Wole Soyinka; Igwe Alfred Achebe and other inspecting the National Archives dilapidated building on Broad Street |
Before these abandoned building
of 25 years can be put to use, there needs to be a holistic scrutiny of the buildings
to ensure that it is safe for habitation, so that, when repairs are completed;
it does not collapse in the course of usage neither does it become an
environmental threat.
The Economist Intelligence Unit,
according to the BBC has placed Nigeria’s economic capital, Lagos as
the third worst place in the world to live in. The report says the worst
city is Dhaka- Bangladesh followed by Port Moresby- Papua
in New Guinea; then Lagos- Nigeria, ranking 138th of 140 cities surveyed
for worst living conditions. Unfortunately, some of these government
properties can be used to change this report.
The residential quarters in Ikoyi
that is either uninhabited or inhabited by illegal occupants should be discovered
and made to pay accumulated rent, outright purchase of the property or
evacuation. Government should not be treated as a ‘father christmas’ who doles
out properties without a cause. Government ventures should also be profitable
and that is why all the Federal ministries and parastatals need to be
generating revenue for the government but many of them are cost centres.
 |
| Prof Wole Soyinka; Igwe Alfred Achebe and other inspecting the National Archives dilapidated building on Broad Street |
The cost of renting an office
space or a living apartment on the Island is a fortune. If all these government
houses are renovated and well refurbished, there would be respite for many
people dreaming of being an entrepreneur if the cost of getting an office space
is minimal. This will also make landlords to reduce the cost of renting
out office spaces generally in Lagos.
 |
| The Federal Secretariat in Lagos |
There are a lot of private
facility management companies in Lagos and estate management companies that can
bid for the management of these buildings under the Private-Public Partnership
arrangement with the Federal Government. These companies would be charged with
the responsibility of managing the buildings and remitting funds into
government coffers for other developmental purposes.
Taxes used in constructing these
buildings must not be wasted. 25 years is such a long time that money had been lost as these buildings have not been maximized. The
administration of President Muhammadu Buhari through the Honourable Minister of
Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN must put these buildings into profitable
use to the delight of Lagosians and the nation at large.
Reference:
Naij.com
Facebook pictures of Theo Lawson.