Cooperative, devt partners plan N20bn affordable housing scheme

Staff Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society Limited of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) (NPDC-SMPCS) and their development partners are perfecting plans to build a mini city that will offer affordable housing to the members of the co-operative.
The new housing scheme to be known as Golden City Estate is to be located at Utesi near Benin, in the Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo City and is estimated to cost N2 billion on completion.
Amos Mabur, president, NPDC- SMPCS, explained that the housing project wouldl be executed in partnership with three development partners that would provide funding and technical expertise while the cooperative provides the land. These partners are Dreamcity Property And Investments Limited, Citiprops Limited and Landscape Transformers Limited.
Mabur who spoke at the site re-opening and ground breaking ceremony for the construction of 2-Mega Watts Captive Power Plant in Benin-City, hinted that the estate would feature modern residential areas, hotels, tourism, entertainment and other 21st century and beyond facilities which will be found in the developed world.
“The estate is also planned as a self-sustaining mini city where occupants can live, work and play and enjoy all the amenities and services essential for safe and comfortable modern living; some of the state- of- art include 24 hours dedicated electricity and water, Nursery and Primary school as well as Crèche, clinic, pharmacy, fire department, musical water fountain, international 5-Star hotel among others”, he said.
He disclosed that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed with Highland Energy Solution Services Limited for the provision of a 2 MW Power Plant in the estate for 24 hours.
Akinpelu Shogunke, managing director of HighLand Energy Solution Services Limited (HESSL), managers of the project, said the initiative for the power project was taken by the NPDC-SMPCS. He said the power company and consortium partners which include VTT LNG ( West Africa ) Limited, the fuel supplier and gas aggregator is partnering NPDC-SMPCS and others to provide a sustainable electrical energy supply strategy implementing a Captive Independent Electrical Power Concession Infrastructure Scheme at the site.
He said the estimated $3.5 million power plant become necessary following the perennial epileptic power supply in the state and Nigeria in general with a view to ensuring that a clean and stable supply of electricity is available on a 24-hour basis weekly.
He added that in the Estate, HESSL Consortium shall generate and distribute electric power within the estate to serve all the industries, commercial businesses, recreation centres, educational centres and residents in the estate.
“Excess energy generated in the estate shall be made available, particularly to the existing satellite towns and communities that would develop around the estate, through the national electric grid to which the estate grid shall be connected.
“This connection to the PHCN grid may also serve as a backup for electricity generated within the estate as and when required; to this end HESSL Consortium shall establish a sound working relationship with PHCN or its approved representative to achieve this purpose”, he stated.

IDRIS UMAR MOMOH, BENIN