![]() As a British-Malawian, Chim speaks several languages including French and is passionate about developing Africa. She is the Country Director for the UK Government Department for International Trade (DIT) in Nigeria and has a wealth of experience covering a multitude of sectors across several countries including the UK, Nigeria, South Africa, DRC, Malawi and Zambia. Lets save Isale-Eko before it is too late.Chim is a multiple-award winning Quantity Surveyor by profession. ![]() Otherwise, Government will one day be forced to embark on slum clearance. Really, of what pride and benefit is it if you cannot even access your family home (Iga) or find the neighborhood extremely inhabitable. ![]() All in all, majority of the effort is in the hands of its natives (Landholding families) who must put sentiments aside and face reality if they truly want to salvage the fate of their dear ancestral home. Government must also enforce a buffer between commercial and residential neighborhoods to protect the sanctity of neighborhoods and secure investment values. There has to be deliberate effort to save and preserve the few remaining Brazilian Styled Homes in Campos, Bamgbose, Kakawa areas before they all become extinct. There are numerous sites scattered around this rich neighborhood which are of great historical significance. Development must be in unison to achieve optimum values and desired resultsĪnother potential which shouldn't be overlooked is tourism. New home owners will own renewable leasehold titles. Families will hold proprietary land rights plus a unit or more within each building depending on land area and design. Due to the complex and crowded nature of Land ownership, i would suggest the concept of LAND POOLING- consolidating parcels of land (within whole streets) and develop into various units of Multiple dwelling apartment- Terrace(Townhouses) with penthouses or Maisonettes/ Flats are best suited because of high pressure on land. Accessibility and superb road network are already Isale Eko's biggest market advantage. There is a huge but silent demand of people ready to buy into this neighborhood ONLY if these are available: MODERN homes in a conducive, SECURE environment with modern amenities. T.O Nubi would say, its the same water that passes through Makoko and Banana Island. Its funny that Isale Eko along with Banana Island, Victoria Island and Lekki Phase One are all connected by the Lagos Lagoon within a swimming distance from one another, yet the first has extremely low real estate value compared to the rest. While nearby neighborhoods of Ikoyi keeps evolving, Ebute Metta undergoing consistent regeneration, Isale Eko seems frozen in a time web of perpetual degeneration. Development seems to keep eluding this rich neighborhood despite its enviable and well appointed location within the very heart of Lagos metropolis. Fast-forward to today, Isale-Eko has become a huge swathe of over-crowded prime real estate mess occupied by impoverished aliens (Non-indigenes) and dilapidating ancestral family homes. ![]() Still, most indigenous families retained their family homes in Isale-Eko. British settlers and elites started looking for new living spaces which berth Ikoyi, Ebute Metta and Victoria Island. Overtime, this former prominent neighborhood started to lose appeal, due to several bouts of epidemic, poor sanitation and encroaching commercial activities. Within a short time, Lagos island became a sprawling residential and commercial center of the young British colony. Beginning in 1861 after Lagos became a British protectorate, many Brazilian and Creole returnees built Brazilian styled architectural edifices in their distinct neighborhoods, the wealthy natives also followed suit. This historical neighborhood was once the premier real estate location in Nigeria even before the conception of Ikoyi. It has a very rich cultural history dating as far back as the 16th century. This is the ancestral home of the indigenous people of Lagos Island, the Afro-Brazilian immigrants and the Creoles/Saros- descendants of Sierra Leonean immigrants. Driving through 3rd mainland bridge, i always cant help but notice the changing landscapes, from the distinct and beautiful University of Lagos Lagoon front to the shanties of Makoko, the slums of Ebute Metta lagoon front and most striking of all is the emptiness of a large swathe of overpopulated, underdeveloped area abutting the high-rises of Marina- ISALE EKO. ![]()
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