ChimaAdeoye:


I am glad more of our people are taking the bull by the horn and providing decent commercial flats. Those types of buildings are the only hope for decent mass housing in the SE. Else slums will fill all our cities.

I have done my research on building duplexes for renting and i discovered that a massive duplex might cost up tp N40 million to build. Yet you will struggle to rent it out for 1 million naira per year. A four storey build of 8 flats will cost about N49 million to build and you will easily get N5 million per year on them. For an investor in real estate, it does not make sense to build duplexes unless you intend to live in it.

Not just that in the SE, those who can pay for duplexes already have their own, these types of buildings are the best way to gey good return on your investment and help provide decent houses for working families. I hope our people continue building commercial flats, but just make sure they are in well planned estates.

Thank Goodness for those 4 to 5 storey buildings littered all over south east. It has really prevented the proliferation of slums in all our cities. And yes, it is a far much better investment than building duplexes for rent.

UMUNUKO-UKPOR IN NNEWI SOUTH LGA OF ANAMBRA STATE

ONITSHA

I had been passing through Agbor expressway to and fro Lagos in the past 25yrs without stepping into Agbor until my car broke down recently. Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! What I always thought was a chaotic hamlet from the highway is a well planned, organized and clean thriving town with a lot of institutions , government agencies and opportunities . This is a hidden jewel millions of passersby never knew exists. I was blown away by Agbor to say the least. In fact, i later became happy I had the issue because I had a plesant unprepared tourism. The mechanics fixing my car and other workshops i went all spoke intelligible igbo and are even passionate about biafra issue. Even the church I worshipped on Sunday sang igbo Christian songs and preaching in Engligbo.I hired a bike and toured the town extensively. The people are nice ,well behaved and laidback in a pleasant way. I really felt at home and since that time, anytime i drive through the express, the memories floor back.So when next you're travelling, spare 20 minutes in Agbor and you will thank me for a plesant discovery. Can anybody post pictures of Agbor because Agbor is Igbo land too.

allcomage:
I had been passing through Agbor expressway to and fro Lagos in the past 25yrs without stepping into Agbor until my car broke down recently. Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! What I always thought was a chaotic hamlet from the highway is a well planned, organized and clean thriving town with a lot of institutions , government agencies and opportunities . This is a hidden jewel millions of passersby never knew exists. I was blown away by Agbor to say the least. In fact, i later became happy I had the issue because I had a plesant unprepared tourism. The mechanics fixing my car and other workshops i went all spoke intelligible igbo and are even passionate about biafra issue. Even the church I worshipped on Sunday sang igbo Christian songs and preaching in Engligbo.I hired a bike and toured the town extensively. The people are nice ,well behaved and laidback in a pleasant way. I really felt at home and since that time, anytime i drive through the express, the memories floor back.So when next you're travelling, spare 20 minutes in Agbor and you will thank me for a plesant discovery. Can anybody post pictures of Agbor because Agbor is Igbo land too.

My brother thanks for sharing such a lovely story. Its always good to hear different perspectives and experiences on this forum.

allcomage:
I had been passing through Agbor expressway to and fro Lagos in the past 25yrs without stepping into Agbor until my car broke down recently. Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! What I always thought was a chaotic hamlet from the highway is a well planned, organized and clean thriving town with a lot of institutions , government agencies and opportunities . This is a hidden jewel millions of passersby never knew exists. I was blown away by Agbor to say the least. In fact, i later became happy I had the issue because I had a plesant unprepared tourism. The mechanics fixing my car and other workshops i went all spoke intelligible igbo and are even passionate about biafra issue. Even the church I worshipped on Sunday sang igbo Christian songs and preaching in Engligbo.I hired a bike and toured the town extensively. The people are nice ,well behaved and laidback in a pleasant way. I really felt at home and since that time, anytime i drive through the express, the memories floor back.So when next you're travelling, spare 20 minutes in Agbor and you will thank me for a plesant discovery. Can anybody post pictures of Agbor because Agbor is Igbo land too.

This your exposition gladdens my heart for two key reasons. First,it showed,contrary to long and endless debate on this thread that Agbor as well as the entire Anioma axis remain fundamentally and proud Igbo enclaves same way as Umuahia and Awka. Secondly,it finally reinforced the need for first hand experience over online phantom debates. Let us all be reminded that IPOB protest to release Nnamdi Kanu happened first in Agbor and Asaba before it occurred in Aba and Onitsha. This fact alone is highly significant. Aniomafirstson,CJrane and Nnamdijonathan(?) are the few Anioma sons on this thread. Sadly,none of them lives close to home to bless us with pictures of Agbor and other nearby communities perhaps until after Xmas celebrations if any of them travels.

allcomage:
I had been passing through Agbor expressway to and fro Lagos in the past 25yrs without stepping into Agbor until my car broke down recently. Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! What I always thought was a chaotic hamlet from the highway is a well planned, organized and clean thriving town with a lot of institutions , government agencies and opportunities . This is a hidden jewel millions of passersby never knew exists. I was blown away by Agbor to say the least. In fact, i later became happy I had the issue because I had a plesant unprepared tourism. The mechanics fixing my car and other workshops i went all spoke intelligible igbo and are even passionate about biafra issue. Even the church I worshipped on Sunday sang igbo Christian songs and preaching in Engligbo.I hired a bike and toured the town extensively. The people are nice ,well behaved and laidback in a pleasant way. I really felt at home and since that time, anytime i drive through the express, the memories floor back.So when next you're travelling, spare 20 minutes in Agbor and you will thank me for a plesant discovery. Can anybody post pictures of Agbor because Agbor is Igbo land too.

Agbor is Ika and Ika is a tribe still searching for identity. Inside Anioma only Oshimili and Aniocha are sure of their Igboness and participate fully in Igbo affairs hence the inclusion of Asaba in this thread. I personally have long stopped seeing Kwale and Agbor as Igbo towns and never see them as Igbos.

bestview:



Even these pictures of Owerri can serve as a better antidote for ndi owhemmanu

Your picture is not Owerri and your response os unnecessary. That Nnewi photo is not necessary here because of the reason I gave. Here is a street at Nnewi.

nnamdijonathan:


let's take it this way. Lagos is the smallest state in Nigeria with a landmass of slightly over 3,500 sqkm of which water covers about 30% of the landmass thereby further reducing the landmass of the state to about 3,000 sqkm. Lagos is the most populated state in Africa, has the highest number of companies, headquarters, factories, financial institutions and residential houses in West Africa when compared to other states, houses Africa's largest refinery and tomato processing plant, working on the lekki free trade zone, building 2 new seaports in Lekki and Badagry to add to the existing Apapa port, has the busiest airport in Nigeria, receives the most foreign visitors in Nigeria, investing in agriculture etc. All these things are in Lagos with its small landmass and yet, the state has not run out of landmass in many areas of the state like Epe, Badagry, Agege, Ikorodu, Ajah, Mile 2, Ikotun, Lekki etc.
The south-east has a landmass of over 29,500 sqkm with an estimated population of over 20 million people. Now, compare the SE to Lagos and tell me if the SE is not big enough for 4 times the total population of the Igbo race?

Chukwu Gozie Gi Nwannem.

This is similar thing I educated folks on facebook and their eyes opened, from 3_3 Onitsha to Otuocha and Nteje can comfortably accommodate Onitsha, Nnewi and Awka population when the land is judiciously used.

You failed to mention that SE build vertical houses in 50*100ft plot of land housing 8 or 12 flats accommodating same number of family, but Lagos build duplex in 100*100ft plot of land than can end up accommodating only four families. Lagos have more horizontal buildings than vertical and city population is high in the areas with poor housing.

From Agbor to Asaba is farther from Awka to Onitsha but from Agbor is sparsely populated and much of rush rainforest.

Many people don't understand land economics and prudent management, SE is very prudent with land.

Abagworo:


Your picture is not Owerri and your response os unnecessary. That Nnewi photo is not necessary here because of the reason I gave. Here is a street at Nnewi.

This is also another Owerri. Stop fooling yourself here old man.

I was only saying that pictures of Owerri can also be an antidote for owehemmanu just like you said.

Bede2u:
ya...if u travel around SE...especially in enugu and ebonyi, u will see acres and acres of fallow land just wasting away....i will say that in general, available land for housing is the least of our problems...

Land for agriculture is however another matter...cos a land needs to be arable b4 u can use for agriculture

yes but when that time comes we improvise. Maybe we stop building houses on soft land.

Abagworo:


Agbor is Ika and Ika is a tribe still searching for identity. Inside Anioma only Oshimili and Aniocha are sure of their Igboness and participate fully in Igbo affairs hence the inclusion of Asaba in this thread. I personally have long stopped seeing Kwale and Agbor as Igbo towns and never see them as Igbos.

True to type,here you go again. Someone just gave a real life account that countered and dispel your type of POV. His real life experience finally laid to rest views such as yours even as we know there exists remnants who propose your divisive views like yours.Now you've migrated from Ikwere and Ndoni to Ika and Ukwuani? Oga,let people be.

AnambraDota:


Chukwu Gozie Gi Nwannem.

This is similar thing I educated folks on facebook and their eyes opened, from 3_3 Onitsha to Otuocha and Nteje can comfortably accommodate Onitsha, Nnewi and Awka population when the land is judiciously used.

You failed to mention that SE build horizontal houses in 50*100ft plot of land housing 8 or 12 flats accommodating same number of family, but Lagos build duplex in 100*100ft plot of land than can end up accommodating only four families. Lagos have more vertical buildings than horizontal and city population is high in the areas with poor housing.

From Agbor to Asaba is farther from Awka to Onitsha but from Agbor is sparsely populated and much of rush rainforest.

Many people don't understand land economics and prudent management, SE is very prudent with land.

Good observation.
Though I think you mixed up horizontal with vertical.

SE builds more vertical (upwards) in urban/semi urban areas on small plots (100x50 feet)

Enugu

Abagworo:


Your picture is not Owerri and your response os unnecessary. That Nnewi photo is not necessary here because of the reason I gave. Here is a street at Nnewi.

If this is Nnewi, that's so impressive! Didn't know nice looking, regular streets like this exist in the town!

Abagworo:


Agbor is Ika and Ika is a tribe still searching for identity. Inside Anioma only Oshimili and Aniocha are sure of their Igboness and participate fully in Igbo affairs hence the inclusion of Asaba in this thread. I personally have long stopped seeing Kwale and Agbor as Igbo towns and never see them as Igbos.

Chino, all these are going on in your little troubled mind. In real life, Agbor is Igbo

I was a kid during the 1993 chaos that erupted following the annulment of the presidential election. We lived in Lagos. As more tension rose, my father decided we should temporarily relocate to the SE until the situation becomes calm.

Lots of Igbos in the SW also made that decision to at least take their families back home. My father drove us to the village that period. Since my mother had travelled earlier, I had the luxury of occupying the front passenger seat. So, little me was the assistant driver/co-pilot on that trip
Those who remembered that period will also recollect that there was fuel scarcity.
Now, it was during this trip that I got to navigate the backstreets of Onitsha due to the heavy traffic that ensued from the mass exodus, referred to as "ösö Abiola", beginning from Umunede till after Obosi or so. The Onitsha bridge was the choke point/bottleneck.

Now, why I'm writing this is because of the eye opening experience I had when we had to abandon the Owerri-Onitsha expressway because of the gridlock and navigated some backstreets in Onitsha, as we were heading to Imo state.

Wow! I was overwhelmed by the sheer concentration of 5 storey buildings in those back streets. Never knew that such residential buildings in those numbers existed inside Onitsha. I had seen taller buildings in Lagos, but never in such concentration. I mean, every single building in those streets are all 4 or 5 storeys. I kept asking my father where are we?
He replied that we are still in Onitsha.
Yes, but I never knew that such tall buildings existed in these "backyard" streets!
It looked surreal. I kept gaping. When were all those buildings erected?

They were owned by different individuals. I doubt that till this day, there is a more concentrated settlement with 5 storey residential buildings in Nigeria.
The downside was, those areas were never planned. They looked haphazard. The streets were in ruins, but all the buildings were fully occupied.

I don't knw in what condition those buildings and those areas are presently in. Just narrating what I witnessed in 1993. I don't even remember exactly what part of Onitsha it is. Should be around Iweka. I may be wrong though.

Most of those buildings were erected in the 80s. This goes to show the undying spirit of the Igbos. Till this day, such building prowess has never been matched by any part or people of the country.

We can surely do better if the right leaders are in place.

whirlwind7:
I was a kid during the 1993 chaos that erupted following the annulment of the presidential election. We lived in Lagos. As more tension rose, my father decided we should temporarily relocate to the SE until the situation becomes calm.

Lots of Igbos in the SW also made that decision to at least take their families back home. My father drove us to the village that period. Since my mother had travelled earlier, I had the luxury of occupying the front passenger seat. So, little me was the assistant driver/co-pilot on that trip
Those who remembered that period will also recollect that there was fuel scarcity.
Now, it was during this trip that I got to navigate the backstreets of Onitsha due to the heavy traffic that ensued from the mass exodus (referred to as "ösö Abiola" beginning from Umunede till after Obosi or so. The Onitsha bridge was the choke point/bottleneck.

Now, why I'm writing this is because of the eye opening experience I had when we had to abandon the Owerri-Onitsha expressway because of the gridlock and navigate some backstreets in Onitsha town.

Wow! I was overwhelmed by the sheer concentration of 5 storey buildings in those back streets. Never knew that such residential buildings existed. I had seen taller buildings in Lagos, but never in such concentration. I mean, every single building in those streets are all 4 or 5 storeys. I kept asking my father where are we?
He replied that we are in Onitsha.
Yes, but I never knew that such tall buildings existed in these "backyard" streets!
It looked surreal. I kept gaping. When were all those buildings erected?
They were owned by different individuals. I doubt that till this day, there is a more concentrated settlement with 5 storey residential buildings in Nigeria.
The downside was, those areas were never planned. They looked haphazard. The streets were in ruins, but all the buildings were fully occupied.

I don't knw in what condition those buildings and those areas are presently in. Just narrating what I witnessed in 1993. I don't even remember exactly what part of Onitsha it is. Should be around Iweka. I may be wrong though.

Most of those buildings were erected in the 80s. This goes to show the undying spirit of the Igbos. Till this day, such building prowess has never been matched by any part or people of the country.

We can surely do better if the right leaders are in place.

Even as of 25 years ago Onitsha high rises where already spring up everywhere. Igbo Esike. Those trying to hold us down are just wasting their time.

raker300:
Enugu

I think it's now time to enforce a rule that says ALL open lands (whether gov't or privately owned) not built on should be covered with well-tended lawns! If the private individual doesn't have the time or tools for the job, then they could pay a little monthly sum to a gov't agency that will come around say every fortnight to mow it! This would also help find jobs for unemployed youths!

It's very unsightly and frustrating seeing drone shots of city landscapes with overgrown bushes and bald patches of brown earth here and there, as if the land is suffering from alopecia!

Chri08102702694:
Atiku in Onitsha to meet Obi of Onitsha, the most powerful king East of the Niger.


Peter Obi is likely the next vice president of Nigeria. GOD willing.

My brother, there is no such thing as the most powerful "king" in east of the Niger. Pls tone down your honorific before someone will misunderstand Igbo philosophy and culture

horsepower101:


Even as of 25 years ago Onitsha high rises where already spring up everywhere. Igbo Esike. Those trying to hold us down are just wasting their time.

I feel you on this.
However, you need to see this from my point of view. People who grew up around Onitsha back then were used to such sights.
I was born in Lagos. Grew up there. We mostly travel to my village during Christmas or other occasions. Means, we largely stick to the expressway when travelling. Nothing like exploring the SE states.
But, we were forced to abandon the expressway due to traffic gridlock.
Seeing those tall buildings everywhere inside residential neighborhoods was overwhelming. As a kid, I had that notion that such tall buildings were only built by government!

Seeing them all over a place I would have thought as villages shattered every preconceived notion I had before that time. It was an amazing experience.

superlightning:


My brother, there is no such thing as the most powerful "king" in east of the Niger. Pls tone down your honorific before someone will misunderstand Igbo philosophy and culture

You must be new to this thread. The individual you are quoting only comes here to make inflammatory statements.You will derail this thread if you keep quoting or responding to him.

horsepower101:


You must be new to this thread. The individual you are quoting only comes here to make inflammatory statements.You will derail this thread if you keep quoting or responding to him.

Oh.....my sincere apologies

whirlwind7:


I feel you on this.
However, you need to see this from my point of view. People who grew up around Onitsha back then were used to such sights.
I was born in Lagos. Grew up there. We mostly travel to my village during Christmas or other occasions. Means, we largely stick to the expressway when travelling. Nothing like exploring the SE states.
But, we were forced to abandon the expressway due to traffic gridlock.
Seeing those tall buildings everywhere inside residential neighborhoods was overwhelming. As a kid, I had that notion that such tall buildings were only built by government!

Seeing them all over a place I would have thought as villages shattered every preconceived notion I had before that time. It was an amazing experience.

Thanks for sharing this wonderful experience. This is why threads like this are very important. It helps to showcase places and things people living outside igboland don't get to see.

If you don't believe what he said why not flip through and move to the next topic. Your opinion does not matter. Igbos doesn't have an overall king but a king like Obi of Onitsha is the most influential and respected across the country.

The only king in the East you can place alongside Oba of Benin, Ooni of Ife, Sultan of Sokoto is Obi of Onitsha

superlightning:


My brother, there is no such thing as the most powerful "king" in east of the Niger. Pls tone down your honorific before someone will misunderstand Igbo philosophy and culture

Nsukka boy...Paul Ogenyi(Anambranews) we just spoke with one of your sisters. More trouble for you soon. We are gathering a lot of intels.

horsepower101:


Round of applause to you. Somebody has finally gotten my point on this thread. Creating estates was never my issue but there is a very very serious need for URBAN Upgrade and Renewal.

When a village that was traditionally disorganized rapidly turns into a thriving city, there is a need for government to step in immediately. This requires that some village family lands trapped within the rapidly growing urban centers should be bought by the government to enable better urban planning. I don't know why its very hard for people to understand this.

Edit:
Once Government purchase those lands in the city, they can then mark out proper road network, drainage, and future road expansion. Then they can sell the lands to private investors to develop.

In the case of Nnewi, Awka and Ekwulobia for example, there are pockets of old village houses in the thriving and developing urban centers. These places are no longer villages and will never be again. We cannot keep running to precious wooded forests and marking out estates and destroying the environment in the name of development when our urban centers have old and disorganized village houses or settlements trapped in them.

And please don't dare tell me it is our heritage because that's the same excuse yorubas always say for Ibadan.

I know. I agree with you.

[s]

AuntLaVIV:
At an event MOP at Stanel-World Awka

[/s]
What is this?