Could people please tell me what an "Igbotic" building is, maybe a building that uses indigenous designs, please don't get me excited.

spyder880:
Enugu has an enviable development pattern and I think it was a policy from the old eastern region. Centje capped my points with his brilliant arguments but I will walk around town later this weekend to show areal views of some parts of Enugu.

The kind of construction fever that has gripped Enugu has never been seen before, I am building two 3 storey buildings started this month in two parts of Enugu that allows high rises, Nike and Achara layout. Bungalows and duplexes are for the very rich at GRA and Independence layout while our normal shanty towns are at Abakpa, and other hilly settlements.

I am also excited about the future prospects for Enugu housing, with the centenary city coming up with superb layouts comparable to what you see in luxury destinations in the world. The future is surely bright.

I am sure that very soon, we are going to start higher rising buildings with lifts, good parking and good arrangement for water and safety. Its not impossible to have some 30 storey residential blocks inside Enugu. That is what I want to see in the coming years, of course it will be private sector driven, just like everything in this city.

Additionally,when people talk about high rise residences in Enugu,they clearly forget that a part of Abakpa called Ugbene has a flurry of high rise buildings and very much a middle class neighbourhood as obtains in Achara Layout and Uwani.The only snag was the deplorable state of inner street roads. The state housing estate in the eastern part of Abakpa is also an expansive,well laid out trail of well maintained bungalows and duplexes.Former commissioners and other prominent citizens lived there and some still do and the road network is still modest at most. Should the governement treat this area well enough,then we have another jewel rising.I also heard from folks at home that the landscape of the entire Amorji and Edem Nike areas are also beginning to rise with modern and well laid out high rise layouts.
Much as we have ghettos in Abakpa,fine places also abound. Spyder,next time you go to Ibagwa to eat bush meat,biko snap and show the new emerging city within the city! Deme nu!

ezeagu:
Could people please tell me what an "Igbotic" building is, maybe a building that uses indigenous designs, please don't get me excited.

I define it as the regular 4 storey building frequently seen in most Igbo towns and cities or sometimes equally built by Igbos in Lagos, Kano and other major cities. I will give samples from some Igbo towns.

abagoro:


I define it as the regular 4 storey building frequently seen in most Igbo towns and cities or sometimes equally built by Igbos in Lagos, Kano and other major cities. I will give samples from some Igbo towns.

The worst thing any Igboman can do is to take any "Nigerian" seriously, especially when he is Yoruba or some other hypocritical groups

I am glad Abagworo does not refer to mud thatched houses as 'Igbotic'. Any good thing Igbos achieve is derided and somehow attempt Is made to cast it in bad light. If Igbo man works hard, it is a bad thing because he loves money? While the I.diot saying that is a robber and his sister a prostitute. So who is the indecent slave for money?
I am proud of many Igbo people that work hard to better themselves and completely disregard the disparaging jealous comments coming from our enemies.

abagoro:


I define it as the regular 4 storey building frequently seen in most Igbo towns and cities or sometimes equally built by Igbos in Lagos, Kano and other major cities. I will give samples from some Igbo towns.

I am struggling to know what is wrong with those buildings and what da f@*k do u mean by Igbotic? Must we copy alien patterns in all things? Cant people from other climes copy our building model and build them in their localities,too?
If you had advocated that all those silly looking electric and telephone cables be taken off our roof spaces and buried underground,then you will have a fan here but u lost it. The buildings you so much deride are testimonies of a people's resilient and all conquering spirit from the ashes of genocide and incalculable loss barely 4 decades ago.
Gladly, other well meaning brethren have put you through.
Chegharia!!

spyder880:


I am also excited about the future prospects for Enugu housing, with the centenary city coming up with superb layouts comparable to what you see in luxury destinations in the world. The future is surely bright.

I don't think you're as excited as I am. But I have some fears...can we still have someone as passionate as Chime is, concerning the centenary city and real estate in general...initially people were of the opinion that the boom in Enugu real estate is due to southerners running from crisis in the north, but from what is happening in Enugu now I think it has gone beyond Returnees from North. You may ask what's the importance of this to the state economy. Well, Population is an important factor in Economy, especially an organised population. The large population of Nigeria is a big Economic market that has attracted a lot of foreign investments. So, it's promising, if real estate is beginning to boom in Enugu.

My other concern is our finishing which is usually poor. For instance, the Polo Mall is yet to be graced with lawns and palms as designed in the render.
You will agree with me that a bungalow with good design and detailed finishing can be more appealing than a duplex. Why do we find our bars appealing even tho' the canopies were made of thatched roofing, it's simply because they are well designed with good finishing. Same with most of our roads, they are built with the same poor finishing, lack of attention to details, which usually doesn't cost much yet of great importance to creating beautiful streets and durability of the roads. since we can't afford under ground drainage, at least the open gutters can be covered, the side of the road adjoining houses can be paved or lawned, or at worst the excavated earth levelled. It mustn't be only government work, state government can force landlords, legally, to keep their surrounding good. A lot countries have strong laws guiding how developers build, I see no reason why such cannot be replicated in Nigeria. At the initial period of Chime's administration, there was a massive campaign for planting of lawn, flowers around houses but such good move was not sustained or given legal backing.

Eko Atlantic in Lagos was designed with huge zone for skyscrapers but Enugu centenary city has a simple layout, a theme that the state economy can handle. If the finishing is done like we find in the render then the city will definitely be world class with tourist attractions.

Why would an Igbo man say something is Igbotic? What are you? Yorobotic? Is there something wrong with Igbos making a particular building style especially when it's the superior of all building styles in each region? Abagworo a wudi nwafor, simple.

centje:
I don't think you're as excited as I am. But I have some fears...can we still have someone as passionate as Chime is, concerning the centenary city and real estate in general...initially people were of the opinion that the boom in Enugu real estate is due to southerners running from crisis in the north, but from what is happening in Enugu now I think it has gone beyond Returnees from North. You may ask what's the importance of this to the state economy. Well, Population is an important factor in Economy, especially an organised population. The large population of Nigeria is a big Economic market that has attracted a lot of foreign investments. So, it's promising, if real estate is beginning to boom in Enugu.

My other concern is our finishing which is usually poor. For instance, the Polo Mall is yet to be graced with lawns and palms as designed in the render.
You will agree with me that a bungalow with good design and detailed finishing can be more appealing than a duplex. Why do we find our bars appealing even tho' the canopies were made of thatched roofing, it's simply because they are well designed with good finishing. Same with most of our roads, they are built with the same poor finishing, lack of attention to details, which usually doesn't cost much yet of great importance to creating beautiful streets and durability of the roads. since we can't afford under ground drainage, at least the open gutters can be covered, the side of the road adjoining houses can be paved or lawned, or at worst the excavated earth levelled. It mustn't be only government work, state government can force landlords, legally, to keep their surrounding good. A lot countries have strong laws guiding how developers build, I see no reason why such cannot be replicated in Nigeria. At the initial period of Chime's administration, there was a massive campaign for planting of lawn, flowers around houses but such good move was not sustained or given legal backing.

Eko Atlantic in Lagos was designed with huge zone for skyscrapers but Enugu centenary city has a simple layout, a theme that the state economy can handle. If the finishing is done like we find in the render then the city will definitely be world class with tourist attractions.

Enugu is a smart state, simple. Centennary City is in advanced stages while Eko Atlantic is still sand and street lights thus far. With the naira crashing there's a chance that by the time it's done the price would have balloon explosively due to the contractors not predicting the oil crisis and budgeting for otherwise. Cent. City looks to me more livable and sustainable than Eko Atlantic which is more flash and glam. By the time Eko is done Cent. will be fully occupied and Enugu will make it's returns on the investment and be on the verge of the next project.

Eko At. is cool but reminds me of the ghost city projects in China, Angola, Spain and other places.

centje:
I don't think you're as excited as I am. But I have some fears...can we still have someone as passionate as Chime is, concerning the centenary city and real estate in general...initially people were of the opinion that the boom in Enugu real estate is due to southerners running from crisis in the north, but from what is happening in Enugu now I think it has gone beyond Returnees from North. You may ask what's the importance of this to the state economy. Well, Population is an important factor in Economy, especially an organised population. The large population of Nigeria is a big Economic market that has attracted a lot of foreign investments. So, it's promising, if real estate is beginning to boom in Enugu.

My other concern is our finishing which is usually poor. For instance, the Polo Mall is yet to be graced with lawns and palms as designed in the render.
You will agree with me that a bungalow with good design and detailed finishing can be more appealing than a duplex. Why do we find our bars appealing even tho' the canopies were made of thatched roofing, it's simply because they are well designed with good finishing. Same with most of our roads, they are built with the same poor finishing, lack of attention to details, which usually doesn't cost much yet of great importance to creating beautiful streets and durability of the roads. since we can't afford under ground drainage, at least the open gutters can be covered, the side of the road adjoining houses can be paved or lawned, or at worst the excavated earth levelled. It mustn't be only government work, state government can force landlords, legally, to keep their surrounding good. A lot countries have strong laws guiding how developers build, I see no reason why such cannot be replicated in Nigeria. At the initial period of Chime's administration, there was a massive campaign for planting of lawn, flowers around houses but such good move was not sustained or given legal backing.

Eko Atlantic in Lagos was designed with huge zone for skyscrapers but Enugu centenary city has a simple layout, a theme that the state economy can handle. If the finishing is done like we find in the render then the city will definitely be world class with tourist attractions.

Bro, you are RIGHT! Finishing is EVERYTHING.

I have been to many places in the world and discovered that Nigeria would have been a very beautiful place if we finished every project with attention to detail. Our roads are unmarked, with no traffic lights or street lights. In spite of the road being smooth, it still looks and feels substandard. I like your example of thatched bar and a beautiful bungalow. If we can cultivate a culture of planting trees and flowers along our roads and around our houses, part of the ugliness we see in Nigeria will disappear.

Sadly the advocates of a pleasant and beautiful environment in Igboland are so very few in number compared to those that want all the trees cut down and making our environment so dusty. I hope the Centenary city will be completed soon to set the pace on how residential areas should look as we develop into the future. Already, I have seen pictures of nicely gated estates resembling the centenary city coming up in neighboring states. Which tells you the Centenary city will create a powerful modern awareness of city planning in Nigeria when it is completed.

abagoro:


I define it as the regular 4 storey building frequently seen in most Igbo towns and cities or sometimes equally built by Igbos in Lagos, Kano and other major cities. I will give samples from some Igbo towns.

Abagoro, these houses are fine, for me and the layout is also good. I guess it's a part of Enugu as I can see yellow Buses. The last one probably owerri. And they are also economical good as they save land. I don't know why you have problem with them. Many towns in other part of Nigeria wish they have this our style of houses. Former Minister of FCT said it clearly that Igbos are developers. He wouldn't say such if our architecture is that bad, as you tend to put it.

abagoro:


I define it as the regular 4 storey building frequently seen in most Igbo towns and cities or sometimes equally built by Igbos in Lagos, Kano and other major cities. I will give samples from some Igbo towns.

They're not too bad, but of course they can be greatly improved.

As an Igbo man born and raised in London, England, I don’t see anything wrong with those buildings, in fact, they look almost identical to many of the housing estates here, with probably a little more flair, because the homes can be a little stale in London.

The only major difference I see is the streets, the roads don’t have any markings, nor are there any pavements. Road signs seem to be used sparingly also, but these are easy things to fix, which I’m sure doesn’t cost too much money.

The states governments in Nigeria appear to be too fixated on building as much road as possible that they cut corners on the things, they deem are not priorities. In England, we have the complete opposite mindset, in that governments would rather spend as much money as possible building 1 mile of road, rather than spending the least amount of money so that they can build 10 miles of road.

rdokoye:
As an Igbo man born and raised in London, England, I don’t see anything wrong with those buildings, in fact, they look almost identical to many of the housing estates here, with probably a little more flair, because the homes can be a little stale in London.
The only major difference I see is the streets, the roads don’t have any markings, nor are there any pavements. Road signs seem to be used sparingly also, but these are easy things to fix, which I’m sure doesn’t cost too much money.
The states governments in Nigeria appear to be too fixated on building as much road as possible that they cut corners on the things, they deem are not priorities. In England, we have the complete opposite mindset, in that governments would rather spend as much money as possible building 1 mile of road, rather than spending the least amount of money so that they can build 10 miles of road.

Yeah, I like the buildings, maybe they could be taller and just have a rooftop instead of a pitched roof. The main problem in the streets is civil engineering and lack of detail. This is why I dislike placing Dubai or anywhere in the Gulf as examples for development because the detail on their streets are terrible due to their low-paid imported work force. Cities like on the following list should be considered as case studies: http://www.businessinsider.com/10-cities-with-the-best-infrastructures-2012-12?op=1&IR=T

Handsomegod:

I am struggling to know what is wrong with those buildings and what da f@*k do u mean by Igbotic? Must we copy alien patterns in all things? Cant people from other climes copy our building model and build them in their localities,too?
If you had advocated that all those silly looking electric and telephone cables be taken off our roof spaces and buried underground,then you will have a fan here but u lost it. The buildings you so much deride are testimonies of a people's resilient and all conquering spirit from the ashes of genocide and incalculable loss barely 4 decades ago.
Gladly, other well meaning brethren have put you through.
Chegharia!!

Nigerians are too much against themselves. I'm even in support of more "Igbotic" elements being brought back. Everything Nigerians have thrown away is now reigning in the west. For example, instead of expensive rusting corrugated iron and cement, I'd like to see rural areas go back to thatch and rammed earth like in the UK example below:

LOL, people are comparing London to Enugu LOL


Look, Enugu has potential, but to celebrate mediocre planning is shameful. With 16 years of democracy, each year the state has had like n800 billion and nothing

Hmm

mensdept:
LOL, people are comparing London to Enugu LOL


Look, Enugu has potential, but to celebrate mediocre planning is shameful. With 16 years of democracy, each year the state has had like n800 billion and nothing

Huh!

Ikengawo:


Enugu is a smart state, simple. Centennary City is in advanced stages while Eko Atlantic is still sand and street lights thus far. With the naira crashing there's a chance that by the time it's done the price would have balloon explosively due to the contractors not predicting the oil crisis and budgeting for otherwise. Cent. City looks to me more livable and sustainable than Eko Atlantic which is more flash and glam. By the time Eko is done Cent. will be fully occupied and Enugu will make it's returns on the investment and be on the verge of the next project.

Eko At. is cool but reminds me of the ghost city projects in China, Angola, Spain and other places.

really! I haven't been following the progress in Eko Atlantic, last I saw update, it was at sand filling stage. Have they stopped?

mensdept:
LOL, people are comparing London to Enugu LOL


Look, Enugu has potential, but to celebrate mediocre planning is shameful. With 16 years of democracy, each year the state has had like n800 billion and nothing

Of course, we can do such comparison. The idea is not that they are of the same class but if we agree that London got it right then we need to adapt those elements that made London great. We may not copy wholly but adapt to our environment.

centje:
really! I haven't been following the progress in Eko Atlantic, last I saw update, it was at sand filling stage. Have they stopped?

they're paving roads already and putting up street lights
the project is huge, and the issue with huge projects (reason why western countries now avoid them) is they take years to finish. In those years you can't predict the weather, legislation, state of the economy and labor market. The price of the goods needed to execute the project will ween and wax, as will the currency and economy. You can budget a project for 2 billion and build it for 10 years. in those 10 years the end cost could by 15 billion but it was only structured to make profit for a 2 billion dollar expenditure.

On a microeconomic scale consider the changing price of cement. Imagine being something for 10 years using cement on a large scale. What cement costs in 2005, is not what it costs today. Take steel into consideration, and all other components of construction. Now consider the fact that the Naira you budgeted with is now 210+ to the dollar and you started this project and the budgeting when it was 130-140.

Consider the new auto policy that makes it hard to get the parts needed for imported vehicles (which you already imported before the policy) and other legislative hurdles such as the new policy of bringing money into Nigeria in Naira.

As the world changes it become smarter to do several small to mid size projects as opposed to one giant one. This is why like like projects like Cent. city. They could have even broken that into 4 small projects.

abagoro:


I define it as the regular 4 storey building frequently seen in most Igbo towns and cities or sometimes equally built by Igbos in Lagos, Kano and other major cities. I will give samples from some Igbo towns.

so in your dim mind this..
www.nairaland.com/attachments/2409927_aba2_jpeg899130eaf291f72c0c013e510714e4f3
is worthy of criticism but this

is normal?

Abagworo, Aba looks like like a city than your own PH because of 'igbotic' buildings. Stop trolling my ethnicity.

Within the next 10 years, there will be 2 "centenary" cities in Nigeria - in the FCT and Enugu. That could be create some confusion.

I would implore the Ugwuanyi administration to also lead the effort in developing Nsukka into a centenary-type city. All the focus shouldn't be on Enugu. And the rural areas should be made more accessible to the cities by maintaining good highway links.

Two live able, world class cities will put Enugu on the map as one of the most developed states in Nigeria.

asha80:
Sometimes abagworo talks like a mischievous person.. expecting individuals to build skyscrapers when it is well known that it is govt and companies that do so...even if single individuals decides to embark on building skyscrapers what about the running and maintenance of the buildings?

He's mischief personified.

---

This is Port Harcourt secretariat complex, if its in Enugu, Abagworo will say it is Igbotic

http://amazingviewpoints..com/?m=1

Awgu ulu ejee,
these stones are well sought after and of good quality. Presenting to you, the iron stones from Awgu town.

Enugu amaka!!

I wonder if property owners pay taxes in Enugu. Also more formal retail trade should be encouraged to generate more sales tax.

Unemadu:
Enugu amaka!!

I wonder if property owners pay taxes in Enugu. Also more formal retail trade should be encouraged to generate more sales tax.

We have discussed this issue in this thread.There has to be property taxes in Enugu and indeed Nigeria to help the state government meet her financial obligation.

Property taxes should not be made exorbitant that it will be better to bribe the state officials than pay the taxes. A bungalow can pay N1000 naira per year and a Duplex perhaps N2,000 naira per year. A commercial two storey about N5,000 per year. Also the property taxes should be paid into select banks and a photocopy of the receipt pasted where it is visible to state tax agents going round to pick out tax evaders. Enugu can generate billions of naira every year just on property taxes if they make it affordable for people to pay easily.

OreMI22:


We have discussed this issue in this thread.There has to be property taxes in Enugu and indeed Nigeria to help the state government meet her financial obligation.

Property taxes should not be made exorbitant that it will be better to bribe the state officials than pay the taxes. A bungalow can pay N1000 naira per year and a Duplex perhaps N2,000 naira per year. A commercial two storey about N5,000 per year. Also the property taxes should be paid into select banks and a photocopy of the receipt pasted where it is visible to state tax agents going round to pick out tax evaders. Enugu can generate billions of naira every year just on property taxes if they make it affordable for people to pay easily.

We pay ground rent for lands. I will think they are supposed to cover for this. Or should I pay ground rents and also property taxes at the same time? This year, I paid N9200 for a land I have in Enugu.

Chimaroke Nnamani ensured that the property recertification he did forced people to pay all owed rates before they will re certify your land.

wonderful thread