AGBARA ESTATE

AGBARA ESTATE

Agbara Estate is the foremost private initiative in New Town development in Nigeria. The estate is a model integrated Town development on 454.1 hectares of land being managed by AE Property Services Limited, a subsidiary of Lawsons Corporation Nigeria Limited. It is situated approximately 31 kilometers west of Lagos on the Lagos-Badagry expressway on high ground above the Owo River and derives its name from the neighboring Agbara village.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The initial intention was to start an industrial estate/layout in an area, which was outside Lagos metropolis but still within easy reach of Lagos in keeping with the government of the day’s policy to encourage rural development. Consequently, in the early 1970s, Chief Adeyemi Lawson under the auspices of Lawsons and Company Limited began to purchase land from the original owners/families/settlers at Agbara village. He then commissioned Architects Godwin and Hopwood and Surveyors Knight Frank and Rutley, to prepare a feasibility study into a proposal to develop this land into an industrial and residential estate. As a result of this study, a Master Plan was prepared and approved by the Local Planning Authorities.

However, in 1976, the Ogun State Government compulsorily acquired all land in Agbara, Igbesa and Ado-Odo areas, the over 900 hectares belonging to Lawsons and Company inclusive. The Ogun State Government considered the resources already committed and infrastructural work that had been done on the Agbara Estate project, and agreed to lease back 454.1 hectares to Lawsons and Company; this leasehold interest, for a term of 99 years from 1^st January, 1978, was subsequently transferred to Agbara Estates Limited.

ACCESSIBILITY TO AGBARA ESTATE

A new Federal Highway to Sokoto passes through the Southwestern corner of the Estate. However, the expressway is yet to be completed but steps are being taken to ensure that this is done soon. The Estate is within half an hour from Lagos, within twenty minutes of the border of the Republic of Benin and there is easy access to all parts of Nigeria through the new Federal Highway. Good communication links together with good load-bearing laterite soils combine to make the estate exceptionally conducive for all kinds of development.

Agbara Estate is easily accessible from Mile 2. This has been made easier by the construction of the Festac Bridge which has greatly decongested the traffic. Other routes include the LASU-Iba and the Atan-Otta roads.

PHYSICAL FEATURES/GEOLOGY AND SOIL

Agbara Estate is on a laterite outcrop in an area of lowland behind the swamp forest of the Ologe Lagoon. The estate lies at the boundary of Ogun State. It is fairly flat, approximately 50 feet above the sea level, gently sloping into River Owo and the swamp areas to the South and East while gently undulating to the North and West. A few valleys dissect the site which is in an area of recent geological deposits with sandbanks and creeks behind the coast and a laterite outcrop to the north of the Badagry laterite 200mm to 250mm in depth with a low humus content and low PH level. Subsoil conditions in the estate will not involve EXPENSIVE or SPECIAL foundations. This is a great advantage over places like the Lekki peninsula and parts of Victoria Island and Ikoyi, where the cost of putting a raft foundation is conservatively put at over half a million Naira. This amount is enough to finish the foundation and all block works of a four-bedroom duplex at Agbara Estate.

MASTER PLAN

The overall concept of the Master Plan was the evolution of a total environment, which promotes high standards of healthy living condition for all. Its primary objective was to provide a balanced new town with industrial, commercial, residential and recreational land use which are complemented by efficient infrastructural services and community facilities.

A definite character and identity would be created for the Estate through design of industrial, commercial and residential buildings with greater emphasis placed on landscaping and maintenance. The development at the early stages was carried out under the guidance of the most accomplished firms of estate surveyors and town planners (Knight Frank & Rutley), architects (Godwin & Hopwood: Max Lock and Partners; Anthony Goss and Partners) and engineers in the country who have been able to combine their local knowledge with experience gained from their worldwide activities.

The Estate has been divided into the Northern and Southern Industrial areas; three separate phased residential areas, commercial and recreational areas.

Industrial Areas

The industrial areas constitute 41.55% (188.289 hectares) of the whole estate and provide sites for the under-listed industrial concerns, some of which are members of multinational conglomerates, operating some of their most modern purpose built factories in the country.

LIST OF FACTORIES

Southern Industrial Zone

Beta Glass Nigeria PLC - 14.53 hectares

Vitamalt PLC - 14.47 “

Pharma Deko II - 2.028 “

Nestle Nig. PLC - 16.29 “

Lotus Plastics Nig. PLC - 4.99 “

Reckitt Benckiser Nig. Limited - 4.04 “

DIL/Maltex (Nig.) PLC - 4.437 “

Nestle Nig. Plc. II

Northern Industrial Zone

Evans Medical Nig. PLC - 8.87 “

Unilever Nig. PLC - 9.16 “

Pharma Deko (Nig.) PLC - 2.43 “

Colodense Nig. PLC - 4.41 “

Pace Factory Ltd - 0.79 “

GlaxoSmithkline Nig. PLC - 9.858 “

Cometstar Cables Ltd - 3.20 “

Henley Industries (Sodium Silicate) - 2.414 “

Henley Industries (Lamps Factory) - 3.554 “

Globus Resources Ltd -

Most of these industries belong to the food and beverages and pharmaceutical group. The location and accessibility of Agbara Estate makes it an advantageous place to site an industry since raw materials and finished goods can easily be transported to and away from the factories.

12 HECTARES OF INDUSTRIAL LAND IS STILL AVAILABLE FOR SALE

Commercial Area

There are two commercial areas; one located along Abeokuta Road, one of the primary roads on the estate and, the other area is a strip of land backing the Lagos-Badagry expressway. On the former is located the town center, which accommodates a shopping arcade (already completed but presently belongs to Messrs First Medical Industries Limited) and a number of community facilities. The latter provides sites for the commercial banks e.g. UNION BANK NIG. PLC, FIRST BANK NIG. PLC and THE UBA GROUP PLC, ZENITH BANK PLC, FIRST CITY MONUMENT BANK all of which are in operation.

The remaining UNSOLD space of about 1 hectare has been allocated for the development of office buildings.

Residential Area

There are 3 residential areas in the Estate. It is the aim of the Master Plan to create residential areas each with its identity and character and each with its own facilities. The unifying element in the design of the three residential phases will be the Green Belt. Residential Phase 1 is the phase recently under development and has all its plots serviced. The CLUB DRIVE, which is an extension of Phase 1 lie between the Agbara Estates Limited Site Office and the Estate Club. Plans are afoot to commence the development of Phases II and III.

The design proposals for all the phases are based on the neighbourhood unit principle. The primary objective of this planning principle is the creation of pleasant and safe environment for residents. The residential area is planned in such a way that no house is far from amenities such as the playgrounds and the open spaces.

Today, the Residential Phase I accommodates about 5,000 inhabitants while the Estate receives an extraneous human traffic of more than 50,000 daily. These people come to the various industries to transact one business or the other. In addition, there are five higher institutions (Five Universities plus One College of Education) with distances of few kilometers to Agbara Estate. Each Institution comprises not less than 5,000 population each.

The Estate will commence the development of its Third residential Phase which will accommodate between 15,000 to 20,000 inhabitants.

LAND PURCHASE

By virtue of the Lease Agreement dated 12^th JUNE, 1978 and registered as No. 3 at Page 3 in vol. 4 of the Lands Registry in the office at Abeokuta between Ogun State Government and Lawsons & Company Limited, now Agbara Estates Limited. Subleases are granted for 90 years from 1^st JANUARY 1978, of course with the consent of the former. No ground rent is payable. Land at Agbara Estate is therefore totally free of title disputes. On payment for a plot, the sublease is registered at Lands Registry Abeokuta and a copy of the registered deed is given to the plot owner. No single plot can be registered twice. Except the former Subleassee decides to relinquish or surrender his/her interest to a third party in whose name a fresh registration would be affected. The residential plot is currently sold at N4,000/m² that makes it cheaper than a carpet of same size.

DEVELOPMENT

All developments on the Estate are directly controlled and supervised by Agbara Estates Limited. In as much as plot owners are allowed to develop according to their individual taste, it has to conform with the laid down regulations, a copy of which is given to an intending developer. The residential area is kept strictly for residential purposes. Ditto for industrial and commercial areas. These controls have helped in preventing a re-occurrence of the FESTAC TOWN experience within the estate.

Industries can only be sited if the environmental impact analysis report submitted by them to Agbara Estates Limited shows that no negative impact would be felt or experienced by that industry, its neighbours or the estate as a whole

EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES

The Corona Schools Trust Council in appreciation of the serene and conducive learning environment offered by Agbara Estate started its only secondary school on the Estate in the early 1990’s. It is located within the Phase 1 Residential Area. Each of the other two residential phases will have its school. In addition, there is the Federal Government College, Ijanikin, located about 2 kilometers to the Estate. There is also the Lagos State College of Education, now known as Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education and Lagos State University located less than a kilometer and about 10 kilometers respectively from the Estate. Both institutions run staff schools providing primary and secondary education.

INFRASTRUCTURE

Roads

Two Federal Highways service the estate. The Lagos-Badagry Expressway runs along the Southern fringes of the estate and the yet to be completed Lagos-Sokoto Highway bifurcates the estate. The two sides are linked to the highway through T-junctions. 6 meters tar macadam two-way single carriageway roads service the industrial zones. Residential and Commercial plots have tarred roads accessing into them.

Electricity

The Estate is connected to the National Grid and an 11/33KV Station has already been energized on the estate. Each development is connected to the station through overhead lines. However all the factories have it necessary to have power generating sets as back-ups or standbys. It is only stating the obvious to say that power supply in Agbara estate is more regular than any part of Lagos.

Agbara Estates Limited is presently exploring the idea of installing an Independent Power Plant (IPP) to service all tenants.

Water Treatment Plant

Water is mainly sourced from the under-ground reservoirs through the boreholes drilled by the Management of the Estate. The water is treated in the treatment plant from where it is circulated through underground mains into residential properties for domestic use. Each residential development is connected to the mains on completion. Due to the large volume used by some of the factories each provides its own water supply which is also through boreholes.

Drainage

Natural drainage is by streams that drain down to Ologe Lagoon, a fresh water lake. Artificial drainage is by V-shaped earth drains abutting all the roads to the Estate. The earth drains are grassed (30,000m² of grass planted by hand) and mowed regularly. (Functional landscaping)

Sewage Treatment Plant

There is a Sewage Treatment Plant, an Aerated Lagoon System that collects and treats both domestic and industrial effluents through oxidation process before discharging the treated effluents into the Ologe Lagoon through a stream. The Plant is the first of its type in Nigeria. Sewage pipes are laid to connect individual residential, commercial and industrial properties to the treatment plant and manholes are provided at road boundaries of all plots.

Communication

Nitel now has an office on the estate with lines dedicated for tenants only. It is worthy to note that the telephone has a Lagos exchange. Also, Multilinks, Globacom. And GTE all have their presence on the Estate.

OTHER SERVICES

Security

Managing Agents, AE Property Services Limited (AEPSL) provides Security on the Estate. The Nigerian Police Force, Agbara, provides additional security, to this end; the Managing Agents officially quarter incumbent D.PO.’s within the estate. The Tollgate points on the Estate apart from generating income also serve as security screening points for vehicles on the Estate.

Refuse Collection

The Managing Agents provide each household with refuse disposal bags on a regular basis. The refuse is collected twice weekly from the Residential Sector by a licensed Waste Collection Contractor and dumped only at approved government dumping sites outside the Estate.

EXPECTED NEW PROJECTS

Petrol Station

The ever-increasing population of residents on the estate and the anticipated inconvenience following lack of such a facility has necessitated the inclusion of a standard petrol/service station in the master plan. The designated location for the petrol station is at the entrance of the Estate beside the Police Station.

RECREATIONAL FACILITIES

Club House

Rehabilitation of the Agbara Estate Club house is at an advance stage and should be completed shortly. Provisions will be made to provide outdoor games facilities e.g. Lawn Tennis, Basketball and the rehabilitation of the swimming pool. In-door games will include a complete gymnasium, table tennis boards and a billiard (snooker) table. It will be operated on a membership basis and will have provisions for a conference room/hall as well as accommodation.

The Green Belt, which runs right across the residential phases, is presently being developed in phases. Part of phase one which is located in the Phase 1 residential area has already been fully grassed and is well maintained, there is a football pitch, lawn tennis court, Badminton on joint effort. Some shade trees have been planted and children play things put in place. Provision is being made for the erection of park benches and thatched huts.

Independent Power Plant

The Management of Agbara Estates Limited is working out the modalities for the establishment of an Independent Gas Faired Power Plant to supply electricity to the Industrial and Residential tenants. This project will use Gas to be supplied by the Shell Nigeria Limited, through its new gas pipelines which is nearing completion. Some of the factories have already made substantial investments in the purchase of gas-fired equipment for their operations.

FOR

FURTHER

INFORMATION

AE Property Services Limited

1, Igbesa Road,

Agbara Estate

Email: aepservsltd@yahoo.com