Concerns over undeveloped land, buildings in Abuja

Undeveloped land and uncompleted buildings abound in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), especially in the city center. Some of these building and land have been abandoned by their owners for quite a long period, a development experts say is not healthy for the city. The experts noted that the uncompleted buildings that have been abandoned […]

Undeveloped land and uncompleted buildings abound in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), especially in the city center.
Some of these building and land have been abandoned by their owners for quite a long period, a development experts say is not healthy for the city.
The experts noted that the uncompleted buildings that have been abandoned for a long period tend to lose its structural integrity that may eventually lead to failure of such projects when completed.
They added that the undeveloped lands serve as haven for nefarious activities.
The FCT Minister,  Muhammed Bello last month during a courtesy call on him, by the of the Abuja branch of the Nigeria Institute of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), said the administration was considering taking over undeveloped plots and uncompleted buildings in areas where infrastructures have already been provided in the city.
He said the takeover was necessary because anywhere there is infrastructures, it does not help the economy of the city as well as the people to leave it empty, adding that the uncompleted buildings obviously blocked the space, deface the town and serve as haven for criminals.
“If you have been following my press statement, we state that all areas where infrastructure is already on ground and lands are not developed, we are going to apply the law written on everybody’s certificate of occupancy. So within a certain period of time, all undeveloped land would obviously  revert to government for re-allocation to others for development. The same thing would apply to building under construction left uncompleted for a very long time,” he said.
Speaking on the issue, the President Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) Engr. Kashim Ali said the move was a welcome development if actualised.
 He said buildings under construction when abandoned for a long period tend to lose their structural integrity which may eventually lead to failure.
“Once a building is left for a long time without completion it loses structural integrity and if you go ahead and continue as if the building was still strong it will lead to failure. Though there are professional way of handling this but it is better to complete a building within a reasonable time frame,” he said.
“ I am familiar with undeveloped plots and abandoned uncompleted buildings in Abuja and some of them are really very dangerous while others will even require outright demolition. If the minister can do that it will bring sanity to the operation of the FCT, ensure better management as well as adding to the beauty of the city,” he said.
He explained that if the move is successful, it would send strong signal to those who want to create chaos in the arrangement of the city by leaving their property uncompleted.
Ali blamed the development on the slow pace and frustrating monitoring process by government officials and urged the government to step up its monitoring on the development of the city.
“FCT administration should outsource its monitoring to professionals in the built environment.  Development Control that is doing it currently is very slow and should outsource some of its monitoring function, especially technical function to professionals, who would do it and still return everything to them for approval.
The power of approval would still be with the Development Control, but the professionals would only carry out the monitoring and returned their findings to them for endorsement. The nitty gritty of the job would be done by very competent professionals and in that way they would be able to deliver quality services and also on time too,’’ he said.
On his part, the FCT chairman Abuja branch of the Nigeria Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), Emmanuel Alao ,  noted that the development would continue to breed criminals and constitute a haven for nefarious activities.
He urged owners of such buildings and plots to obey the term and condition of conveyance of approval as well as term and condition of certificate of occupancy (C of O), saying the FCT gives the approval or conveyance for development and not for them to abandoned.
“ The move if implemented would bring development and create employment because lots of people will get involved in the construction of such buildings, and it would also reduce crime in those areas where you have them because it would no longer be haven for criminals,’’ he said.
Alao called on owners of such building to solicit for fund from mortgage institutions in order to complete their buildings  so that they  should not be caught unaware and in the process help in the development of the FCT.
He however advised  the FCT minister not to be biased in carrying out the exercise, give notices and ultimatum to owners of such buildings and lands so that it would not lead to litigation whenever it happened.