The Managing Director, Ogun State Property and Investment Corporation, Mr. Babajide Odusolu, has said that the ‘New Makun City’ project at the Sagamu interchange along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway will create about 10,000 jobs for Nigerians when completed.
He said those that would benefit from the project included residents of the state and its environs.
The 750-hectare Greenfield housing project was conceived 10 years ago as part of the Gateway Paradise City and is being managed by Gateway City Development Company Limited.
Odusolu, who addressed journalists at the site of the project on Friday, said OPIC took over the project on the orders of Governor Ibikunle Amosun.
The OPIC boss, who spoke during the meeting with the host communities, including Ayetoro, Shomo, Lenuwa and others, said the project was designed to enhance the tourism, industrial and commercial potential of the state.
He said, “This new project is the New Makun City. There is a place where you have industries, businesses and where people live in. It’s going to be a better fashion of the Agbara Estate. We are currently working on the first phase; a seven-kilometre road will be ready in the first quarter of next year.
“In pursuit of this, we have decided to engage communities around the project. We have been engaging everybody; investors, banks, and now, we are engaging the communities to ensure that they are accommodated within the scheme.”
Odusolu added, “It is not a takeover, though the place is already under acquisition. The major benefit is that the whole place will be restructured and properly developed. What it will translate to for them is job for the communities. The first phase will generate minimum of 10,000 jobs. We are going to create jobs for the communities as well as a new master plan.
“At the end of the day, the government will create a village cluster for them (communities). We are going to create services and infrastructure; and when all of that come, the entire place will open up for business.”
While speaking on OPIC’s partnership with investors and builders, Odusolu declared that Lafarge Africa would bring in a new building solution to the estate by providing technology-based homes in addition to OPIC branded houses as well as 700 units that would be built by Practical Habitat and Propertymart as well as other investors coming into the project.
Responding, the Lisa of Makun, Sagamu, Adegbenro Oduwaiye, said the community supported the project but he pleaded for people who would be displaced to be properly re-settled by the government.
“It is right for the government to develop places and we welcome the idea. All we have to say is that the government should have a re-settlement plan for our people. As I said earlier, we need things that will make us happy and that will make our children happy. We have to tell the government to also find a place for us to farm,” he said.
Punch
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