ABIA PPP/IP; HERITAGE CITY ELAPSES ALL PRE-PROJECT PLANNING STAGES, SET FOR BUILDOUT.
In addition to the feat already attained by his administration through the Public Private Partnership/Investment Promotion (PPP/IP) Office, Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu is set to achieve yet another significant milestone, but this time in real estate development. Governor Ikpeazu has tailored the Heritage City project through all the pre-project planning stages and it is now set for infrastructural design and commencement of massive construction.
Facilitated by the Abia PPP/IP Office team ably led by the Vice Chairman/CEO, Mr. Austin Ufomba, the team of experts made up of consultant architects, consultant geologists project engineers among others, who came for the final stage of the pre- project planning works at the project site located mainly in Isiala-Ngwa North and partly in Isialangwa South LGA of the State has just concluded their operations which took a few days working visit to achieve. The exercise which bothered around establishment of actual boundaries/beacons of the site, making other ground and aerial view measurements, collections of soil samples for laboratory examination, and surveying of the Imo River running across the site for its depth measurement and flood modelling, is said to be critical to the proper planning of the project.
Heritage City, a Public Private Partnership (PPP) joint project, is sited on an area of 835 hectares, thrice the size of Victoria Island in Lagos state. Resulting from a journey to develop an idea birthed three years ago, the new city will attract unlimited development and technological exposure to Abia State. Driven by a partnering company known for developing a well planned residential habitation for both the middle and high income home seekers, it will treasure anyone who values clean, green and serene environment similar to what is achievable in the best livable cities of the world.
It is a commercial real estate proposition that compliments the residential proposition, to include Education Zone, Hospitality Zone and Mixed commercial proposition – Malls, Business District and others. Heritage City Project represents state of the art urban development. Its location at the concourse of many States; Owerrinta presents a formidable catchment area comprising cities of Aba, Umuahia and Owerri within distances that are not up to 50 kilometres as well as Port-Hacourt and Uyo within the range of 72 kilometres. The population within the catchment area counts more than four million inhabitants only within the capital cities.
Also, the distance to Sam Mbakwe cargo Airport, Owerri is only thirty kilometres away. The nearest international airport is located in Port-Harcourt, at a distance of 70 kilometres.
The intention of bringing this estate to reality by the development-oriented Governor of Abia State, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu is to supply a product affordable to all class of Abia citizens, specifically; Diaspora Community – the international diaspora community from the South Eastern States totaling about one million persons in key markets – USA, Canada and Europe. THIS PROJECT WOULD BRING THEM HOME TO INVEST LOCALLY.
The anchor components of Heritage City are Education, Medical & Pharmaceutical Village, Recreation Village, Shopping Area, Residential Cluster and Light Manufacturing cluster. Heritage city would have the educational institutions as one of its main anchors. Whether it’s a college, a university or a combination of both, the educational sector in Nigeria is a major driver of footfall and urban development, and it is capable of providing both social and commercial benefits to Heritage City both in the medium and long term.
There is no doubt that Heritage City would provide the much needed medical interventions in the secondary and tertiary health care industry in Abia State, the entire South East and Nigeria at large. One needs to know that Nigeria spends over $1B on medical tourism annually and Heritage City would partner with the best practitioners around the world to provide good medical facility, quality health care and ensure relatively low cost of treatment.
Indeed, Heritage City will be home away from home. In terms of distance, it is an hour away from any part of Abia State, so one can live within the Heritage City and attend a Sunday service in his village and still return for lunch at home.
The Nigeria Corporate and Business Community – South Easterners residing in Lagos, Abuja and other parts of Nigeria will be core targets for the project. They are estimated to be four million in number. Already, the business community in Aba have shown a high level of interest for better living. This group have sought for safer, cleaner, greener and more friendly environment to live, work and play. Heritage City has 850 hectares (3 times the size of Victoria Island) of rain forest and is going to be one of the most functional estates in Africa. With the Imo river flowing on the west side, presence of natural environment, peace and serenity – the Heritage city in Abia, Sub-Saharan Africa is designed to be one’s destination point.
The City is characterized by breathtaking vintage layout and a rare fine blend of functionality that impeccably interconnects how one lives, works and plays. Conceived around the style and comfort offered by the most advanced American cities whilst celebrating our heritage will be the best place in Nigeria to live, work, learn, play and shop. The structures and infrastructures will be constructed with cutting edges and cost effective technology that accentuates finesse and sustainability.
There is therefore need to cash-in on the xenophobic pressures/trend against the Igbo business community across the continent and drag the Igbo investments home for the socio-economic advancement of Abia state, primarily by Abians and Igbos in general.
Importantly too, people should take advantage of the impending exodus of investments out of non Igbo regions occasioned by sustained social attacks on Igbos across the country, especially the Lagos case that has awaken the consciousness of Ndigbo to think-home.
The campaign to create an investment friendly and attractive place for the returning of Igbo wealth towards stemming the tide of unemployment, poverty and insecurity in Abia State has engaged a higher level. Kudos to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, Ph.D. Abia people and residents are encouraged to sustain their support for the Governor as he continues to bring development in all sectors of the economy in the State.
UNU,
A concerned Abia citizen writes.
(newmanubani@yahoo.com)
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