Soludo's smart city policy boosting the property development, says property developer

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By Madu Obi

The policy of Governor Chukwuma Soludo to build a liveable smart city in Anambra State during his tenure is boosting property development in the state, a renowned estate developer, Mr Okwuchukwu Okonkwo has said.

Okonkwo made the observation during a conference on sustainable real estate in Awka. The conference with the theme, ' Building for Tomorrow: The role of real estate in sustainable human development', attracted experts in the building industry.

According to Okonkwo, the idea of the conference is to sensitize the people on the need to protect the planet, arguing that it is not only about cutting down trees and building houses that create a conducive environment, but a deliberate effort to ensure a proper habitable environment.

He said that in line with the state government policy, his company is planning a palm city project where it intends to plant 20,000 palm trees in some of the estates they had acquired.

He said: "The palm plantations are to be located in Achalla in Awka North, Umuomaku in Orumba and Ifite Ogwari in Ayamelum. Presently, at our estates at Awba Ofemili, Awka and others, once people buy plots of land, we start cultivating plants for them to ensure green environment in line with Governor Soludo’s policy.

We also manage the crops for those who want us to do so. We don’t need to leave our lands fallow and this helps to avoid encroachment."

He also commended Governor Soludo for bringing sanity into land acquisition for property development.

He added: "Because of the governor's policy of livable smart state, estate developers are now conscious of proper estate development. We now plant economic trees in our estates. Once we acquire land, we start planting and by the time houses are springing up, the trees are already growing.

People can buy plots of those palm trees, which on their own, are as economically viable as houses. So it is not only houses all the time. By planting the trees, we are saving the earth. In all our estates there are places set aside for playgrounds, schools, shopping malls."

Okonkwo said that real estate in the South East is untapped, adding that the good thing is that numerous investors are coming into the state from all parts of the country because of the good roads being built by Governor Soludo.

He said that the Awka conference was mainly about how to sustain the mother earth, to explaining that in addition to real estate, they also plan for ideal environment.

In a keynote address, Mr Kelechi Deca, a property consultant, called for concerted efforts for development in the South East.

He said: "We must keep hosting conferences like this in the South East for the development of the region. You cannot take such conferences to other regions where people pay flight, book hotels to attend, and you expect that your society will grow.

People say the South East has less land mass, but for me, the challenge we have is inability to plan. South East is many times the metropolitan New York City, but there are far more people and buildings there. So we need to plan.

We must prioritize this zone and go back to the old time when our leaders created a system that attracted talents. We must create an opportunity where talent would be able to unleash itself."