Opportunities open for commerce, investment at Heartland Market, Estate

The Imo State government and Graceland Channels Limited, a real estate, oil and gas and engineering company, are in joint venture agreement to build an ultra-modern market and a befitting housing estate which offer commercial, investment and residential opportunities.

The market, which has been described by its promoters as a ‘home call’ for the trading Igbo sons and daughters all over Nigeria and beyond, promises 8,000 lock-up shops and 2,000 open shades, while the housing estate will deliver 3,000 housing units of various house-types.

At a consultative forum and unveiling of the market to Imo State Towns Development Association (ISDA), Lagos Branch, Meckson Innocent Okoro, principal/managing partner, M.I.Okoro & Associates, the project marketer, disclosed that the market, to be named Heartland Gateway International Market, would be located along Okwelis-Oguta junction, Mgbidi in Oru West Local Government Area of Imo State.

“Time is now for us to have presence back home; we have invested so much in ‘foreign lands’ and time has come for us to go home to invest in the development of own communities because no amount of investment in any other part of this country will qualify you as an indigene of wherever you find yourself,” Okoro told his audience in a highly emotion-laden voice.

According to him, Heartland Gateway International Market would be the most ambitious market to be built east of the Niger, explaining that it would comprise 1,008 lock up shops and 2,000 opens shops plus 3,000 housing units.

“The market is envisaged as a multi-purpose commercial and business services centre which will serve as a key destination for Imo State in particular and Igboland in general; it is proposed to be high profile, mixed-use commercial development which will sit on approximately 28.097 hectares of land which has been fully prepared for this development,” he said.

On the housing estate, Okoro explained that the 3,000-unit estate was aimed to cater for the housing needs of those that would use the market and would be located just two minutes’ drive away from the market, adding that it was proposed to comprise various house-types such as detached, semi-detached, terrace houses and flats.

Giving the specific and technical details of the market, Nat Omoruyi, CEO, Graceland Channels, said the shop sizes are 8, 12 and 16 square metres, adding that there would be more than 80 units of warehouses, each measuring 68 square metres, to take care of the needs of those who might want to store their goods.

“Ancillary services and infrastructural facilities within the market will include banking halls, parking spaces for cars and articulated vehicles, clinic, good road networks, fire station, police station, school, mini waterworks, sewage treatment plants, electrical installations, waste management systems, security arrangements, international hotels plus medium class hotels,” he assured.

Okoro said that interested buyers should give a firm commitment on the type of shop they want by getting an application form at N10,000 and thereafter pay 30 percent of the value of the shop to the project bank account, or provide a guarantee from their banks to back up the commitment.

“First Bank plc, Keystone Bank Ltd and Fidelity Bank plc have been selected to coordinate the financial contribution to be made by the traders and other stakeholders for this market,” he said.

Chuka Uroko