Francis Igata
No doubt, the advent of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi in 2015 ushered in a transformative vista of Enugu State socio-economic standard, especially in the area of housing in the state.
His administration has deliberately retooled the paradigm of urban and rural development given its desire to bridge housing deficit to the barest minimum. Housing which formed part of the government’s four-point agenda has received tremendous support and increased budgetary spending with a view to decongesting the Enugu metropolis while expanding and establishing satellite cities to ease the difficulties associated with housing in the state. This administration has left no one in doubt as to it desire to cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples through the Enugu State Housing Development Corporation, ESHDC, led by its General Manager, Chukwuemelie Agu.
The ripples created towards the provision of affordable housing since the assumption of office by the general manager includes the establishment of WTC and Citadel 1&2 Estates expected to provide about 3,000 homes to the beneficiaries.
In line with the Enugu State Housing Development Corporation’s quest to implement government’s policies and programmes for increased affordable housing for the people, especially when over 50 per cent of the people domiciled in the rural areas, it embarked on the construction of Gateway Estate, Ugwuoba and Coal City View Estate. These were in a bid to foster the modernization of the rural society and integrate its traditional isolation with the national economy.
Both estates, where work is ongoing, are expected to provide homes for about 10,000 persons upon completion. The name of the estate, Gateway, is derived from its location at Ugwuoba, the first or gateway community on entering Enugu State through Enugu-Ontisha Expressway. Gateway Estate sprawls on a 150 hectares of land designed in three phases. Phase 1, will be fully residential, with state-of-the arts recreational facilities, ancillaries like; schools, churches, and site and service plots of land.
The phase 2, will be a service center providing tertiary institution of international repute, world class shopping mall, well equipped hospital and a functional police station.
While phase 3, will also be done on a site and service basis using modern housing prototype.
Again, ESHDC is expanding the frontier of provision of affordable housing at the rural areas at City View Estate, Aguabor. This estate measures about 40 hectares. It is located at the rural-urban fringe of Enugu Metropolis cum Ngwo axis of the state. Its name coinage is derived from its vantage view on the hilly part of Enugu.
It is designed for low income earners and will be executed in partnership with the private sector operators. It will be segmented into one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments with flexible payment plan. It will equally boast of ancillary services such schools, police station, churches etc. ESHDC will undertake the construction of the phase 3 through direct labour. Apart from the aforementioned housing interventions at the rural areas, ESHDC has also under Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuianyi, established the Valley, Transparency, Heritage, Rangers, Victory, Trinity and Sandview Estates expected to provide homes for about 10,000 persons upon completion. We believe that upon completion of these estates, a consistent approach in which the micro and macro economic, political, social, cultural and technological factors must have been engineered, combined and implemented for the benefit of the good people of Enugu State.
. • Igata, a media consultant, writes from Enugu