ACTIS, Palms Mall, UPDC, Skye Bank, ARM Properties, Eko Atlantic City & Others Win at the Real Estate Unite 2013

Real Estate Unite Lagos 2013 Summit hosted by 3invest Media 

B y Olumide T. Agunbiade

The Most anticipated real estate event in Africa, Real Estate Unite Lagos 2013 Summit hosted by the 3Invest Media, a media subsidiary of 3Invest Limited, has once again raised the bar in the real estate industry with leading industry exhibitors, influential speakers and top professionals in the finance and built sector. Keynoting the event, Mustapha Chike-Obi commended 3Invest and had a flashback to his first press address when he came into office in 2007 as the AMCON CEO.

He went further to say that the housing problem in Nigeria requires serious attention to tame the humongous population explosion of the nation, which he put at 2.5% annually. Other speakers were Sadiq Mohammed of ARM, Sonnie Ayere of Dunn Loren Merrifield, Uzoma Dozie of Diamond Bank.

Holden Marshall, the Managing Director of Resilient Africa, part of the South African Resilient group one of Africa’s largest retail developers highlighted the huge opportunities in the Nigerian real estate, seating on the panel also was Venon Page of Hotels Partners Africa, Carlo Matta of Laurus Development Partners whilst Micheal Chudi Ejekam, Director of Real Estate, ACTIS gave an insight on foreign direct investments, trends and opportunities.

The Real Estate Unite Awards 2013 Awards

The second day started with a keynote address Advancing Nigeria’s Real Estate for Economic growth fromOlasupo Shashore of Ajumogobia & Okeke Law firm and the Chairman, Lagos Home Ownership Mortgage Scheme who pin-pointed issues affecting the proper implementation of the policy and analyzed the Act as stated in the constitution and explained why the Land Use Act were functions to be carried out by the State government instead of being administered by the federal government and that it was only individuals living within a certain state that were bona-fide to make laws in respect to land, in their jurisdiction.

The Infrastructure and Urban Development Panel opened with an insight from Kunle Adeyemi the urbanist who founded the Makoko floating school whilst highlighting that 30% of Lagos lands are sitting on water, thus government should borrow strategies from cities like Venice and New York which basically was built on water.

As the evening rolled in the Civic Centre witnessed an unprecedented crowd for a real estate event. The night started with a networking cocktail before guest where ushered into the luxuriously decorated seaside banquet hall. 13 Winners emerged and two awards recognition to Diamond Bank and Lagos State Government for Outstanding support to the Real Estate Sector. Ruth Obih, the host of Real Estate Unite Awards welcomed the guest whilst pleading for a communal outcry to the government to enhance Nigeria’s housing sector being a social security owed to the beautiful people of Nigeria. The evening was capped with a continental dinner and captivating musical performance by Multi Award winning music artist D’banj.

The Real Estate Unite Awards 2013 Winners

• Palms Mall by Persianas Group, Best Commercial Property;
• ACTIS, Most Active Real Estate Funding Institution (Equity);
• Hakeem Ogunniran, Real Estate Person of the Year;
• Lakowe Lakes Golf and Country Estate, Future Project Awards;
• Skye Bank, Leading Property Finance Institution (Debt);
• Nicon Town Estate, Lekki, Best Residential Property
• Eko Atlantic City, Outstanding Public Private Partnership;
• ACCL, Architectural Company of the Year;
• Alpha Mead Facility Management Services; Best Real Estate Support Service Company,
• Cappa and D’Alberto, Construction Company of the Year,;
• UACN Property Development Company (UPDC), Developer of the Year;
• Safe Court, Lekki by AIRCOM, Affordable Housing Development of the Year;
• Real Estate Media Person of the Year, which went to Mr. Chinedu Uwaegbulam of the Guardian News
Papers.