By Babatunde Adeyemo
A new economic hub is emerging in Ogun, the Gateway State. It is happening along the corridor of Kobape – Siun – Sagamu interchange road. Multinational companies are springing up steadily on that stretch as investors continue to reckon Ogun State as their destination of choice.
The fact is well known that the Abeokuta- Sagamu Interchange road is the ceremonial route to the Gateway state capital, Ibara, Kuto, MKO Abiola Stadium, Oke Mosan, Laderin, Kobape, Siun to Sagamu interchange, which in turn, links the Lagos-Ibadan- Sagamu expressway, Ondo, Benin-Ore and by extension, the northern and South -Eastern parts of Nigeria.
On Tuesday, January 9, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite and the Governor of Ogun State, Prince(Dr) Dapo Abiodun commissioned two new factories and an extension of the Tropical General Investment Group (TGI), at the Sagamu Interchange, Ogun State.
This 36-kilometre corridor also hosts one of the vast government-acquired lands, guided jealousy by the Ogun State Government, which according to the government’s Master Plan, the area is designed to be the emerging Dubai of Nigeria as it is expected and has begun to harbour big industries, sky scrappers and the best of modern housing schemes.
It makes sense to project that with these industries being located along that stretch, it will trigger economic growth, and throw up many job opportunities which will naturally drag people to gravitate towards the area.
This has begun has multiple factories are established within 36 kilometres interchange corridor. such as the unfolding scenario will create increased demand for workers and managers. Other businesses such as real estate development then follow the factories to meet the pressing housing needs of the workers and foreign expertraits. This creates even more jobs and more demand for housing on this corridor with almost 95 % of Government acquired lands.
Interestingly, one of the few modern estates around the 36-kilometre stretch Sagamu – Interchange corridor and free from government-acquired lands is the Pelican Brief Estate, Pelican’s Ecostay apartments and the Pelican”s Greenish acres farm Estate, amongst other state government-owned estates too. The corridor also hosts the largest brewery in West Africa and some existing multinational companies. The Ogun State Agro Cargo Airport is just a few distance away from the axis.
The Pelican’s range of products on the 36-kilometre Siun-Kobape- Interchange corridor was conceived to be an eco-friendly setting, a serene ambience where men and nature would align to promote ‘good health and longevity,’ and away from the congestion of the Abeokuta metropolis.
The essence is to make Pelican’s Ecostay Apartments a zero carbon emission human habitation, a tourist attraction with a specially built lounge, recreation areas, a specially built club and a Gymn centre for the comfort of the calibre of clients that had keyed into the concept.
Interestingly, Pelican Brief Estate and Pelican Ecostay apartments have a FULL government-approved layout. It has its own Master plan which provides for Green Areas and at the same time, an eco-friendly place called Pelican Ecostay apartments. It is conceived to offer comfort and healthy living. Already, about N10million naira have been earmarked for buying plants and tree seedlings in phases. The concept is that a seedling will be put in each plot and compound so that in the next two or three years, one can always have a serene ambience and zero carbon emission in the estate. There will be no home power generator in any apartment. It is going to be 100% eco-friendly in compliance with ecostay, an eco-friendly concept.
in its bid to also compliment the Ogun State’s Government’s efforts on lighting up the Interchange corridor, the management of Pelican Valley Nigeria Limited has also earmarked a whooping sum of (#20m) twenty million naira to provide an industrial solar street lighting for over for kilometres of link roads, connecting their housing projects on the corridor, amidst a strategic collaboration with the Ogun State police command for a possible siting of a police station.
The estate is not a product of happenstance. On the contrary, it was deliberately sited at that particular spot in Masa Kobape area of Abeokuta to give investors peace of mind, it is a place where man and nature will align to promote good health, and longevity and away from the congestion of Abeokuta metropolis. This is why it has become increasingly important that those who cherish a good health-promoting environment should key into the estates now and not delay any further.
One stricken feature of it is its proximity to strategic key economic indicators in the state and neighbouring states. It is a 45-minute drive from Ikeja, Lagos and less than 20 minutes from Abeokuta’s Prof Wole Soyinka Train station. It is all-encompassing and truly an emergency tourist attraction. The estate will host a specially built lounge, recreation areas, a specially built club and a gym centre. All these have been specified in the Master Plan of Ecostay apartments and the same is being extended to the Pelican Brief estate.
Efforts are being regularly to make the setting as natural as possible. There is a Camel and some friendly birds in the estate. The Camel will enhance the movement of tourists.
The estate is well-approved by the relevant government authority. The beauty of government-approved layout estates is that in every layout of government-approved estate, there is a portion mapped out for green areas, recreation, hospitals, worship centres and schools, it is compulsory and you can’t use that portion for any other purpose. Before the government approves a layout, you must have a green area, you must have a place for recreation, and you must have a commercial area so that nobody goes building shops in front of his apartment to sell groundnut or coconut. Such will never happen in Pelican Brief or Pelican Ecostay Apartments because there is purposefully vouched-out facility space for that. There is a commercial zone. There is going to be a 5-storey building corporate headquarters there. One floor will house Oko Opo Foundation. One floor will be for the supervision of the estate.
The last floor will be for the second passion of the promoter, which is broadcasting as plans are underway to have a Radio Station because there is going to be a convergence of bundle of knowledge there. One is referring to Nigerians who have excelled in many endeavours and want to retire to the place. The broadcasting station will tap into their wealth of experience by bringing them to handle one or two live programmes in the envisaged Radio Station. It is going to be the knowledge base of Ogun State, the tourist attraction and the future of Ogun State. What else can ask for in an estate? This is the time to think and invest in Pelican Brief Estate Pelican’s Ecostay Apartments and Pelican Green Acres Farm Estate at Kobape.
