Once again, the burning national housing issue, especially the growing housing deficit in the country and the initiative one man has taken to identify and recognise individuals, corporate organisations and government that are working to bridge the gap formed the thrust of celebration on Sunday.
It was a colourful mix of the regulators, players, captains, ambassadors and other relevant stakeholders in the nation’s real estate industry as they all converged at Billing Way Oregun, Ikeja
for the 8th edition of the prestigious
Real Estate Awards 2023, an initiative of City People Magazine, the leading and only surviving celebrity magazine in Nigeria.
Deservedly, the poster boy of Ogun.state real.estate.sector (Dr) Babatunde Adeyemo shined again as he bagged the prestigious City People Magazine Special Recognition Award for remarkable performance to the Real Estate Sector in Nigeria.
Lagos State Government, real estate player Deola Igbokwe and Arc Layi Ladipo among others were also the latest awardees of the City People Real Estate Awards ’23.
Adeyemo, an ECOWAS Youth Ambassador as well as Anti – Corruption Ambassador, is the Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of Pelican Valley Nigeria Limited, a Nigerian foremost real estate firm behind the Pelican Valley Estate, Pelican Brief Estate, Pelican’s Ecostay Apartments and Pelican’s Greenish Acres Farm Estate – all located at the Laderin – Abeokuta – Kobape – Masa corridor of Ogun State.
The Convener of the event, Seyi Kehinde, in his opening remarks gave insight into the Awards, saying it is the Magazine’s continued contribution to the real estate sector by yearly looking at the players, regulators and other key stakeholders to appreciate what they are doing to address the housing challenges facing the country and honour them for the crucial role.
The veteran journalist, publisher and Editor – In – Chief of the magazine noted that despite the gruelling economic down turn this year which, he said, had affected the real estate industry and the media too, some real estate practitioners such as Dr. Adeyemo have performed quite well to merit recognition and awards, explaining that the recognition is meant to celebrate the operators, encourage and spur them to do more.
Reacting, elated Adeyemo, a veteran journalist said he felt particularly highly honoured and deemed it a ” rare privilege getting an award from a senior colleague in the journalism profession,” adding that the “passion for a second address and creativity, drove” him “into the real estate business.”
The multiple awards winning realtor revealed that he has been in the real estate practice in the last 10 years without a single court case or being to the police over land matter with clients and investors in his projects, saying his real estate firm enjoys 100 percent positive reviews and dominates, the international market because the company is steadily well researched on Google.
Citing the Pelican Valley Estate Laderin, Abeokuta where unusual homes happen as one example, Dr Adeyemo said its peculiar landscape that depicts the wonder and beauty of nature is rare to come by anywhere else in the Southwest geopolitical zone of Nigeria.
He also reveals that the company’s real estate project enjoy full government approval in the last three and half years, saying what had consistently kept them marching forward in the nation’s challenging business environment are “integrity, due diligence, quality service delivery and Return on Investment (RoI).
He hailed the organisers of the Awards, especially Mr Seye Kehinde, for fishing him out for recognition and honour since five years ago, saying no fewer than 60 awards had been bestowed on him and his real estate firm afterwards.
He said the latest award from the highly respected City People Magazine, will spur them to do more.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Housing, Lagos State, Hon. Moruf Akinderu – Fatai thanked the organiser for recognising laudable efforts of the Lagos State, revealing that the government under the leadership Governor Babajide Sanwo – Olu had delivered over 3,000 housing units in the five (5) divisions of the State through Direct Budgetary Allocation and Joint Venture Partnership even as there were on-going projects in various locations across the State, citing Ibese phase II, Egan, Sangotedo, Epe and Badagry as few examples.
Akinderu – Fatai who was represented by Yeye Adejoke Ojo, also identified regulation of the real estate sector; mass building of standard and affordable homes; training of over 720 artisans in the built sector with an expansion plan to train and re-train more artisans; allocation for 75% of housing units to rent-to-own scheme in order to balance distribution and promote alternative ownership model and pricing mechanism for Government own estate – an outright and rent-to-own, as some of the laudable housing projects and programs of the ministry to drive standards, promote private sector partnership and improve the entire ecosystem of the housing sector in Lagos State.
Others, according to him are joint ventures and corporate partnership; partnership with private sectors and relevant stakeholders for compliance to standards.
He commend the Convener for giving the State the privilege to show case her giant strides in the housing value chain, especially with regards to the success stories of THEMES+ cardinal focus, which is ‘Governor Sanwo-Olu’s Housing Agenda in Lagos State.’
Some of the dignitaries that graced the celebration include veteran actor, Mr. Kayode Sehinde popularly known as Ajirebi who also doubled as Brand Ambassador of Pelican Valley Nigeria Ltd, Television co – host and real estate player and former Brand Ambassador, Mrs Tope Odigie, Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo – Olu on Housing, Barr. Barakat Odunnuga among others.
