By Cyriacus Nnaji
Agboyi-Ketu Local Council Development Area (LCDA) under the indefatigable and visionary leadership of Mayor Dele Oshinowo has become synonymous with infrastructural development with special focus on mass housing. In close to seven years of his administration, the vibrant young man has indeed redefined local governance with impactful developmental agenda in Agboyi-Ketu LCDA.
Under the leadership of Mayor Dele Oshinowo, this period has seen remarkable strides in various sectors both in SDGs focus approach, infrastructure, education, health, environment, agriculture, social development and technology. From infrastructural revamps to educational advancements, the governance has truly and further emboldened this Mr. Infrastructure in his mission of transforming Agboyi-Ketu LCDA to greater and enviable heights. Mayor Dele Oshinowo’s leadership approach, characterized by inclusivity, responsiveness and a keen emphasis on grassroots development, has significantly impacted the council’s trajectory. His experience and commitment, coupled with the collaborative efforts of other elected officials, have fostered a proactive governance style which has resulted in a community that has witnessed transformative changes.
In security the Oshinowo administration equipped local police divisions with vehicles and motorcycles for rapid response and improved security across the LCDA.
Having executed 271 housing units made of three modern, standard estates, Greenwich Gardens, Sterling Heights and Raymond Estates Oshinowo is already emboldened to engage the top speed gear aimed at pursuing further expansion in the mass housing agenda with, by next month, being March, the launch of 248 units phase 2 Greenwich Gardens and 258 units Lagos Home, all in Agboyi-Ketu LCDA, this is the first of its kind in Nigeria.
Oshinowo made the disclosure during a media tour of his signature housing projects in the LCDA on Thursday, February 8, 2024.
He said, “We are about to launch the Greenwich Gardens phase two, that is about 248 units of two bedroom apartments and three bedroom terraces and four bedroom semi-detached, we are about to launch it and also the Lagos Home will soon be coming up which is about 258 units.”
Oshinowo implored Lagosians and indeed Nigerians to key into the project as the payment is transparent and flexible. “I implore the people in Agboyi-Ketu, Lagos State and Nigeria by extension to all key into this. It is flexible in payment, you don’t need to know anyone, go in there, meet with sales people and put down your name, you have an agreement with them how you want to make your payment, it is a structured payment whereby you can, every month, for the duration of the project, so far you meet up with all the requirements, you are good to go with that.”
Speaking on the already completed estates, the Greenwich Gardens phase one, Sterling Height and Raymond estates, he said that the houses are affordable. “These are affordable housing, we have actually structured the payment to be spread across the construction period, I can tell you that about 80% of it has been sold out because it is flexible in terms of payment, people like the environment, people could not recognize the environment again. This is an estate where you have electricity supply, pipe borne water, green areas, they are well managed estates. This has actually afforded us to say that we have been part of the housing development in Nigeria.”
Oshinowo said that in all, the LCDA has been able to do 271 housing units in all. “If you put it together, 170 units, and the 101 units, that is about 271 units in total and there are other ones coming by next month.
The Greenwich Garden Phase one for instance has 81 apartments, 66 units of two bedroom flats; 14 units of semi-detached 3 bedroom duplexes; and one four bedroom detached duplex with BQ.
The phase two of the housing project would begin next month according to Oshinowo and once it is started that, it takes a period of 24 to 30 months to be completed. “We know the developers, we know they have credibility, and we know that they don’t joke with their work, they are going to do it and they are going to deliver it in record time,” Oshinowo stated.
He added that his government is not only renowned with mass housing; it has done a lot of other things both in health, road construction and empowerment. “So that is not the only thing, we are about to launch one of its kind ICT hub, we actually partner with Microsoft and Google for this and more of software providers across the nation, so we are doing that, it will afford our residents to key into it, to be able to log in, book a session, we have been training people on different skills in relation to ICT to be able to learn about graphics, website design, a lot. You don’t have to know anyone, you just have to go to our portal or our website, you click, you book for your session between 30 minutes and 1 hour, you have access to book two sessions in a week, it is first come, first serve.”
The LCDA has also started to build sports facilities to keep the youth off the streets. “Across our LCDA we have actually started construction of Recreational Centres, the Agboyi 7Aside Stadium, Lawna Territory, Thomas Community Playground. The Agboyi 7Aside will take us about 6 months to complete, and we have completed the filling, you know it is a waterlogged, a waterside, we have to do some embankment to stop the water from coming into the pitch, and we have to fill it. So the size is about 58 meters x 48, and it is about 1.5 in height. We have to fill the place with sharp sand so that our people whenever they are playing ball whether raining season or dry season they will be able to play freely without interference of flooding.”
On his advice to other LCDAs, he said “My advice to other LCDAs, not all LCDAs can do this, in the sense that you have to look at the issue of land, this is part of the advantage we have over others, so if they have their land, to me all of us here in Lagos, LG, LCDAs, we all have different legacy projects, signature projects. You see what is happening in Amuwo-Odofin, Ifelodun, they have one of the best primary healthcare centres, is like the general hospital if you go there, they have all the equipment, which the state is even proposing to continue assisting them. So there are a lot of legacy projects everywhere.
“In Lagos LCDAs we are doing wonderfully well, they are looking inward, and they are thinking outside the box to create something unique, something that would live after the end of their tenure, something that they can showcase as this is what we are doing in Lagos. We all know Lagos as the front runner in relationship development and you know what our governor has been doing, and this is part of what we are doing in Lagos. Our collaborative efforts have actually led to this, and this is what Lagos is made of,” Oshinowo disclosed
Education is the catalyst of sustainable development and the only way you can give that to the people is to give an opportunity to everyone willing to study and make sure they are well educated and that’s what we are doing. As part of our empowerment and welfare programs, our administration is committed since inception to make it as a duty to support the dreams and aspirations of our young scholars who seek admission into higher education of their choice and study their dream courses. Furthermore, Winston Churchill once said that the future of the world belongs to the educated races. It is our desire that everyone in our local government should be educated So that each person can contribute towards the good of the society.
While distributing JAMB forms to indigent students in his LCDA on Thursday, February 8, 2024, Oshinowo has this to say. “The event of today has been organized to demonstrate the total commitment of the local government to her community members’ education. Let me seize this opportunity to advise the beneficiaries to make optimum utilization of this rare opportunity by being good ambassadors of this LCDA because to whom much is given, much is expected, and make sure you face your studies squarely and shun all social vices. I also want to use this medium to urge our parents to endeavor they give their children necessary support both morally and spiritually so that they would become our national pride. I am appealing to us all, parents, community and leaders to please give our children the best, a well-trained child has a guarantee for a secured tomorrow.”
