Michael Ovat
No fewer than 72 estate developers have tendered proposals for the Anambra State Smart Mega City Project as envisioned by the state governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo.
As a consequence, the state government has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with seven of the developers to transform the state capital into a smart mega city.
The Managing Director, of Anambra State Investment Promotion and Protection Agency (ANSIPPA), Mark Okoye and Commissioner for Lands, Prof Offornze Amucheazi signed the pact on behalf of the state government on Tuesday.
Okoye said the pact was in line with Governor Soludo’s vision of building a smart mega city and transforming the investment and economic landscape of the state.
He said the firms were selected after a rigorous screening from many companies in quality and timely delivery.
He said, “The Governor’s brief to us is to reach out, engage and work with the private sector to attract investment for the state. For the last four months, we have screened over 60 real estate proposals with detailed analysis.
“The Governor who is passionate about quality products, with an agenda for the deadline, insisted on a three-year deadline as long as the firms are competent to deliver quality jobs.
Speaking, the Commissioner for Lands, Prof Offornze Amucheazi, expressed confidence over the calibre of firms chosen for the project, assuring of the government’s continued support.
The Commissioner said, “We had altogether 72 proposals; but after going through them, seven of you were successful. The place you’re developing is unique and we’re expecting nothing less considering your pedigree.
“The ANSIPPA MD and I are coming from the private sector and we’re working for a government where things are done entirely differently. We’ll continue to monitor the project until completion as we look towards a harmonious relationship.”
In his speech, one of the estate developers, Rainbow Heritage Projects Services limited (RHPS), pledged its readiness to create a reference point for infrastructure development in the state.
The Managing Director, Biedima Oliver said, “We appreciate housing challenges as a national issue. We’ve identified Anambra as a critical state for such intervention.
“As real estate developers, we plan to change the state landscape and to find solutions to erosion menace and other development issues in the state.
“We’re going to be working on 110 hectares of 1000 units, focusing on medium and high-income earners for now. We intend to create a functional estate that provides a certain level of ambience, entertainment and tourism for people to feel at home.
“We’ll ensure people don’t break the bank to pay for the facilities. Our strategy is to strike a balance between the middle, high and low with a strong commercial backbone.”
