Housing magazine

HOUSING JAN-MAR, 2015

THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME IN THE HOUSING SECTOR

HOUSING JOURNALISM AT IT’S BEST

The Icon: Sheltering Nigeria The FMBN Way

KANO STATE GOVERNMENT TO CONSTRUCT 2,000 HOUSES IN 2016 – GANDUJE

HOSPITALITY FOCUS ON BOLTON WHITE HOTELS, ABUJA

HOUSING Magazine

HOUSING JOURNALISM AT IT’S BEST

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CONTENTS

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THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME IN THE HOUSING SECTOR

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KANO STATE GOVERNMENT TO CONSTRUCT 2,000 HOUSES IN 2016 – GOV. GANDUJE ASSURES

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FOCUS ON BOLTON WHITE HOTELS, ABUJA

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WEALTHY MANSIONS ABOUND IN NIGERIA, WHILE THE POOR GO WITHOUT HOUSING

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MR GIMBA YA'U KUMO: SHELTERING NIGERIA THE FMBN WAY

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NESREA TASKS STAKEHOLDERS ON ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE

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HOMAGE

BMW OFFICE IN MUNICH, GERMANY

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HOMEPAGE

New DAWN It’s a

Editor-in-Chief Collins A. Igbinougie Editor Sunday Williams

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he housing sector is one of the emerging sectors in the nation's economy. Emerging because though it has been on for very long time yet it has refused to grow into what is obtainable in other parts of the world. The sector for many years has been neglected or left to some small time players until the government of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan recognised the crucial role of housing in providing employment and creating multiplier effect in the national economy which then led to a number of activities on the part of the administration.

Writers Usman Garba Hembafan Nyoto Babangid Adamu Contributors Sunday Nasiru Hadiza Musa

With the coming of the present administration it is yet another new dawn for the housing sector considering the plans, policies and programmes the present administration has for the housing sector.

Marketing Managers Hassan Ibrahim Alice Solomon Daniel Hassan

Interestingly, the Minister of Housing, Works and Power, Babatunde Raji Fashola has assured that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari will embark on an aggressive intervention in the housing sector by undertaking construction of public housing and formulating policies that will further enhance private participation and ownership.

Sales Managers Solomon Joseph Bridget Obiora Vanessa Ajayi

While they are at it, it is also a new dawn for us who are recently joining the sector to provide the media intervention required to inform, educate and entertain stakeholders in the built environment.

The good thing about the housing sector is that shelter ranks as one of the critical needs of man. It is this singular reason that makes every Nigerian a stakeholder in the housing sector.

Photography Friday Adayi Designer Sokunbi Oladipupo IT Consultant Charles M. Agu

For us, at Zanocom Mediahub Concepts, publishers of Housing Magazine, it is a new dawn. This is our first offering and we are in it for good. As you flip through the pages you will find that the publication is unique in many ways considering the fact that it was designed to give you the best reader experience, especially when you weigh the amount of thoughts invested in the design, selection of content and the choice of segments.

Logistics Monday Andrew Samuel Joseph Editorial Ofce Plot 1245, Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent, Wuse 2, Abuja

As a young business concern, we wish to use this medium to urge you to encourage us in any ways you can to assist us in furthering the cause of taking housing journalism to greater heights.

Tel: 08039735678; 08028953876 Email: housingmagzine@gmail.com Web: www.housingmagzine.com

Housing Magazine is published by Zanocom Mediahub Concepts.

Collins A. Igbinougie 07

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THE SHAPE OF

THINGS TO COME IN THE

HOUSING SECTOR

A

paper entitled Housing Sustainability In Nigeria: A Mirage Or Reality by Jimoh, R.A et al published in the Maiden Edition of Covenant Journal of Research in the Built Environment in June 2014 began thus: One of the present and continuing challenges confronting all countries in Africa according to UN-Habitat (2011) is

adequate and affordable housing.

This challenge is largely due to affordability since housing is expensive and incomes are too low.

As a result of this, substantial numbers of the populace either live in slums or informal settlements because they cannot access better quality housing at affordable prices (UN-Habitat, 2011). Ownership of

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property especially houses, as stated

by Ayedun and Oluwatobi (2011) is germane to Nigerian way of life.

Apart from being used for shelter, it is also a measure of one's standing in the society. In spite of the high premium placed on houses, Ayedun and Oluwatobi (ibid) asserted that evidence has shown that only 10% of the population that is desirous of

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houses can afford it through outright purchase or self-construction. This is ridiculously low when compared with countries such as the USA, UK and Singapore with 72%, 78% and 92% achievements respectively. This situation, as indicated by Acquaye (cited by Aribigbola and Ayeniyo, 2012) may not be improving anytime soon due to factors such as the increase in population, towns becoming urbanised and industrialisation. These have created an increase in demand for houses without a commensurate supply.

Olotuah and Fasakin (cited by Olotuah and Ajenifujah, 2009), state that more worrisome is the housing situation of the low-income earners.

No significant improvements over

the years, however, Olotuah and Ajenifujah (ibid) and Ademiluyi (2010) established that Governments (Federal, State and Local) have been making efforts at reducing the housing deficit but the success rate has been low for the past eighty-four years.

According to Ademiluyi (2010), the reasons for the abysmal performance are a mismatch in plan implementation, lack of adequate data, policy somersault and ineffective coordination among the housing agencies and politicisation of housing issues among others. It is therefore not surprising that from 1972 to 2012, as stated by Alitheia Capital Reinsight (2012), only

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200,000 housing units were constructed through the National Housing Policy initiative of the Federal Government. No wonder that the housing shortage in Nigeria is estimated to affect between 14 and 16 million people (UN-Habitat, 2008). Mabogunje (cited by Kabir and Bustani, 2009) indicates that N12 trillion will be required to finance the housing deficit. The urgent task as stated by UN-Habitat (2011) is to make the urban housing sector function more effectively to increase access to affordable land and housing, especially for lowincome households hence, available housing has to be adequate and affordable.

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THE ADMINISTRATION OF PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI WILL EMBARK ON AN AGGRESSIVE INTERVENTION IN THE HOUSING SECTOR BY UNDERTAKING CONSTRUCTION OF PUBLIC HOUSING AND FORMULATE POLICIES THAT WILL FURTHER ENHANCE PRIVATE PARTICIPATION AND OWNERSHIP IN A DETERMINED EFFORT BY THE ADMINISTRATION TO REDUCE THE HOUSING DEFICIT IN THE COUNTRY.

From the look of things, there is palpable fear that the housing sector in Nigeria could be neglected given the fact that the ministry of housing has been lumped with two other ministries, in this case, the Ministries of Works and Power which require far more attention than anyone can imagine. The choice of Babatunde Raji Fashola as the substantive Minister of Housing, Works and Power was greeted with mixed reactions with people taking sides some in favour and some against. To the proponents, it can best be described as placing square pegs in square holes, while those opposed to the appointment think otherwise and even query the merger of the Ministries of Housing, Works and Power.

To this end, some stakeholders in the built environment under the aegis of the Lagos State branch of the Nigerian Institute of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) faulted the merger of the three hitherto separate ministries and the failure of the present administration to appoint one of their own as the

President Muhammadu Buhari

minister of housing in view of the fact that they are best qualified to handle the ministry. To them, the land professionals are more competent and knowledgeable to be entrusted with the Ministry of Housing than a career politician.

Mr Samuel Ukpong the Chairman of the Lagos State branch of the Nigerian Institute of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) made this known to the public the during a function. Mr Ukpong who though joined in showering praises on the Federal Government on the

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ministerial appointment also declared that the President erred in merging the ministries of Housing, Works and Power into one.

According to him, “Thirty (30) years ago when the president was in government, the population of Nigeria was about 90 million. Right now, we are in the region of 170 million, we also have a housing deficit of 17 million which means it is a very serious matter. So, putting the three major sectors of the nation's economy in the purview of just one person is not right. Nigeria as a

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country is expanding and responsibilities need to be given to the people. Now another thing that worries us about that appointment is that someone from the built environment was not even appointed.

siblings are Power and Works. The strange one in the new equation is probably Power because it would be the first time Housing would be hooked up with Power in the same ministry. The writer stands to be corrected.

“So, why are we not putting round pegs in round hole?” he asked. “I cannot remember the last time an estate surveyor was made a minister in this country. But I discovered we have a minister of water resources and you know every activity starts on land. Why don't we have someone from the real estate sector, someone who understands the nitty-gritty of the environment as a minister?”

Given Fashola's pedigree in terms of the achievements he recorded in the housing sector while he held sway as the Executive Governor of Lagos, there is no doubt that he can replicate the same feat in the Nigerian housing sector.

“Fundamentally, all the sectors in the new super ministry are the critical sectors the performance of which would determine how far the country would go in its developmental strides and what progress it can make in the comity of developing nations. The sectors are all so important that they require equal attention and commitments if the nation must move forward in these areas. In fact,

many would adduce the country's general failure in the development index to the dismal failure in these sectors.

“Every ministry is important but even George Orwell would let you know that all animals are equal but some are equal than others. In this context, the emergent ministry of Power, Works and Housing can be likened to the elixir needed to grease the nation's wheels to move forward.

Take a quick look: a nation with a failed power sector is a nation groping in the dark where dreams are cut short; can anyone imagine a country without good roads and infrastructure for the movement of

H o w e v e r, i f t h e f e a r s b e i n g expressed by some stakeholders and the general public alike is anything to go by it is that the housing sector might not be given due attention. The reason being that works and power alone have more than enough challenges to engender the neglect of the housing sector, although the Minister would love to treat them equally. In expressing his fears, Mr Paul Ojenagbon, an estate surveyor & Valuer also based in Lagos writes: “My fears are that Fashola would not be able to give housing the required attention it deserves in order to solve the myriad of issues that hinder the nation's housing delivery. There is probably no other ministry that has more ex and current sectorial siblings as Housing. At various times; housing has been hooked with various other sectors.

“At a time, it was with Environment to have a ministry of Housing & Environment. Some other time, it was Housing, Urban Development & Environment. For long, Housing was famously merged with Works & Urban Development in various dispensations. At some other time, it was Land &Housing. One can go on and on. Now, it appears Housing's

Babatunde Raji Fashola SAN, Minister of Housing, Works and Power

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“CONSISTENCY IS THE KEY, ANNUAL SPENDING IS AN IMPERATIVE. WE MUST CHANGE THE BUDGET FOR NATIONAL HOUSING FROM N1.8B IN 2015 TO SOMETHING IN THE HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF NAIRA THAT MATCHES OUR AMBITION”

goods and persons and to stimulate economic activities in all frontiers?

“It is to imagine the worst of a truly failed country with failed economy, failed everything cast in the mould of a banana republic. And a failed housing sector is to imagine a modern man drawback to the early era where men lived on a tree top.

Thus, the new ministry holds the key to Nigeria's future. Fashola has credible credentials to assume the headship of these key sectors as President Muhammadu Buhari had found it expedient to merge them into one ministry. As a young man, he has great drive, dynamism, rare Intellects, energy and everything it takes to record immense success in the new ministry.

“It is a measure of the trust and confidence the president has in him to appoint him minister over all these key, troublesome sectors. The issues and challenges in just one of the sectors are intimidating enough to make a minister grow grey hairs overnight talk less of three! Fashola is in for a very tough time but he is equal to the task and certainly needs no pity.

“But I have this fear for housing that just won't go away. My fears are that he would be so dissipated deploying his time, energies and resources to Power and Works that little would be left for Housing. This is also founded on Fashola's record of not too impressive performance in housing as governor of Lagos. Whilst he

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recorded spectacular performance in several other sectors of Lagos especially in infrastructural development, the same could not be said of housing in the nation's state of excellence.

“His housing efforts were few and all of them were built and tailored to meet elitist demand and not for the ''common man'' that ace Television star, Frank Olize went searching for some years back. Perhaps, one would not blame the ex-governor now minister because he was acting the typical script of his own dispensation and times. In fact, not since the 80s has the country witnessed the conscious and deliberate development of mass housing for the poor.

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“EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE WIDELY CRITICISED, EX-PRESIDENT SHEHU SHAGARI AND FORMER LAGOS GOVERNOR, LATEEF JAKANDE DID VERY WELL IN THIS REGARD. OTHER GOVERNMENTS' EFFORTS AT THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVELS CHANNELLED IN THIS DIRECTION ARE JUST AS PROFIT DRIVEN AS THE PRIVATE OPERATOR AND HAVE NOT BENEFITED THE MASS MAJORITY.

“Even though they were widely criticised, ex-president Shehu Shagari and former Lagos governor, Lateef Jakande did very well in this regard. Other governments' efforts at the state and federal levels channelled in this direction are just as profit driven as the private operator and have not benefited the mass majority. With national housing deficit estimated at 17 million units by the World Bank and the Bureau of Statistics and increasing on daily basis, many would wish for the declaration of a state emergency in the housing sector. This is not likely to happen because Fashola does not have the same passion for housing as he does for infrastructure. One would give in to the other. Unfortunately, housing is likely to get the short end of the stick.

levels to settle millions of people who have been displaced by crises and natural disasters. Not just in the Boko Haram overrun North–East but also in Plateau, Rivers and indeed every other part of the country. Being a shrewd lawyer (which shows that the professional background does not matter but the drive) superintending a construction-driven ministry, the most we can expect from Fashola in the housing sector in the coming days is an overhaul of the land administration system, land tenure system to remove the impediments that stand in the way of acquiring land for development purpose.

“Not even the recent pronouncement of the minister that thousands of flats would be built all over the country would douse my pessimism on housing expectations in the Fashola era. It would make sense to tell Fashola not to build any houses at all because even if he does, they will be hijacked by politicians as it happened severally before, the poor would never benefit.

“Also, assessing him by his legacies in Lagos, we are likely going to have an upward review of land taxes accruing to the government. But for what we already know him for, he is expected to provide the infrastructure and access roads to new estates. It is left to the private sector to come up with initiatives for housing development efforts but the products of such campaign will not come cheap to the end user and the monstrous problems of housing would have been left largely unsolved.”

“Ironically, this is a dispensation when we need mass housing programmes at both federal and state

There are fears that Fashola may not be suitable for the role as the Minister of housing others fear that given the

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myriad of challenges facing Works and Power he might inadvertently neglect the housing sector. A commentator who thinks Fashola is not suitable quoted the legendary Fela to support his thought: Lawyer wey dey work like carpenter na suwegbe eeeee, na suwegbe ee...Fela. Corruption is fuelled by putting square pegs in round holes, and when they get there because they have no requisite knowledge they start stealing a typical example is a lawyer being appointed the minister of petroleum, a lawyer being appointed the minister of works, power. A doctor appointed as minister of labour. Na suwegbe ehhhhh ehhhhh na suwegbe ohhh.

Those who believe he is capable have no qualms with him being a lawyer.

"Truth be told, you don't need a surveyor or an engineer to be a housing minister rather you need a first class brain that has a deep knowledge of the sector. I have few friends who are first class brains, they are engineers but can discuss medicine, economics etc. with great understanding. Britain's minister of finance George Osborne read History." Said a commentator who believes Fashola can deliver.

While the debate as to whether he is competent or whether he won't spearhead the neglect of the housing sector is on, the Minister has assured that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari will embark on an aggressive intervention in the housing sector by undertaking construction of public housing and formulate policies that will further enhance private participation and ownership in a determined effort by the administration to reduce the housing deficit in the country.

He gave this hint at his maiden press briefing to unveil his ministry's policy thrust in line with the change

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mantra of the administration, the Minister said it was time to move beyond formulation of Housing policies alone, to being consistent in their implementation, stating that the housing sector presents enormous opportunity that will positively impact the economy and promote growth and inclusion in the housing value chain.

The minister called for a change in the budgetary allocation to the sector.

According to him, “consistency is the key, annual spending is an imperative. We must change the budget for national housing from N1.8b in 2015 to something in the hundreds of billions of Naira that matches our ambition”, he said, calling on the need to spend more on capital budget to reflect the commitment of the government to its social contract promise to Nigerians.

He explained that if as much as N10b, for instance, is expended on housing annually on each state of the federation and the FCT, subject to the capacity to raise and utilize the funds in line with current construction methods and completion timelines, it will address the economic commitments of change by

stimulating job creation across the states especially for the low income class like the bricklayers, welders, carpenters, plumbers and vendors.

He also said the ministry will consider the re-designing of existing housing Roof types to make them ready to receive solar panels for electricity without damaging the roof or causing leakage during installation, adding that the initiative will open a new vista for local manufacture of solar panels, create jobs at manufacturing, distribution and installation levels for technicians as is the case with cable TV installations.

He promised to complete on-going projects and start off new projects borrowing the LagosHoms model he introduced in Lagos state during his tenure as the governor. He said that the project could take off with 40 blocks per state of the model type which he explained is capable of delivering 12 flats (homes) per block and 480 flats (homes) per state and 17,760 flats (homes) nationwide for a start.

In attendance at the press briefing were; the Hon. Minister of State,

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Power, Works and Housing, Alhaji Mustapha Baba Shehuri, Permanent Secretary, Works and Housing, Engr.

Abubakar Magaji, Permanent Secretary, Power, Mr Louis Edozien, Directors in the Ministry, Chief Executives of parastatals in the Ministry and representatives of the professional and regulatory bodies of the Ministry.

One doesn't have to be an estate surveyor to handle the ministry of housing, based on his antecedent Fashola has proven he can do it. The fear most people are expressing, however, is that wouldn't the overwhelming challenges in the sectors of works and power relegate the housing sector to the background? Will it not slow down the rate at which things ought to be done in these three sectors of the economy? Will the tasks not be too strenuous for the current occupier of the office and others in the future?

Would a particular sector not gain more attention or preference over the other? Whether this will be the case or not . . . the shape of the Nigerian housing sector, for now, remains amorphous.

IDEAS

2O GREAT HOME IDEAS

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IDEAS

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IDEAS

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IDEAS

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REPORTS

Kano State Government To Construct 2,000 Houses In 2016 – Gov. Ganduje Assures HALILU IBRAHIM DANTIYE

He maintained that his government believes that housing development is not only a social responsibility but also an investment opportunity that contribute to the provision of accusation, employment, income generation, improved health and labour productivity.

The governor, therefore, commended the Kano Emirate Council for embarking on the housing project assuring of government's support towards is speedy completion.

Earlier, the Emir of Kano, Malam Muhammdu Sanusi II, said the project, initiated by the Late Emir Ado Bayero, comprises 500 housing units covering a total area of about 52 hectares.

The three bedroom houses are being constructed in collaboration with private developers and would be sold at the cost of about N9.4 million each, the Emir highlighted, adding that the project would be completed within a period of two years.

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ano state government would construct 2,000 low cost houses at the cost of N1. 85 billion in the 2016 financial year, the state governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has announced. The ultimate objective, according to the governor, is to enable citizens of the state access and possess houses, thus improving their well-being.

The governor, who announced this during the launch of Ado Bayero Royal City, Darmanawa in the o u t s k i r t s o f K a n o c i t y, a l s o announced that another 5, 000 prototype low cost houses would be built across the 44 local government areas of the state through collaborative effort between the state

- owned Kano Investment and Properties Limited and private investors.

“The houses would be sold to low income earners in the public, private and NGO sectors, while the repayment plan would be made affordable to prospective buyers”, the governor explained.

Governor Ganduje stated that through the public – private partnership arrangement, the government would go a long way in addressing the housing deficit experienced in the state as government would tap from the financial resources and competencies of the private sector.

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Halilu Ibrahim Dantiye is the Director-General, Media and Communications, to the Executive Governor, Kano state.

. . .Another 5, 000 prototype low cost houses would be built across the 44 local government areas of the state through collaborative effort between the state - owned Kano Investment and Properties Limited and private investors.

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federal civil servants as a means of improving their moral and commitment.

The acting HOS also said that the programme was designed to improve civil servants' productivity and their quality of life during and after service.

The programme, she added, would motivate and equip civil servants to become efficient, productive, incorruptible and citizen-centred.

FG Inaugurates FISH To Address Civil Servants Housing Needs

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rs Winifred Oyo-Ita, Acting Head of the Civil Service of the Federal (HOS), says Federal Government is poised to address the housing needs of civil servants in the country. She stated this while inaugurating an 11Man Committee of the Federal Integrated Staff Housing (FISH) Programme in Abuja.

“Civil servants deserve quality housing estates like their counterparts in the Army, Navy, Air Force and the Police,” she said.

She explained that government's decision to address workers housing challenge was premised on the fact that housing was a basic need/necessity in every society and a prerequisite for motivating workers.

She noted that civil servants were motivated by the provision of staff

quarters in the past, “and this accounted for their diligence, professionalism and high level of productivity.

“The fortune of civil servants in terms of decent accommodation is dwindling, following the abolition of such programme by government.

“Effort by previous administration to engage private developers to address the housing needs of civil servants did not yield positive result.

“This is especially so as civil servants could not afford modest accommodation at the market price charged by developers.”

Oyo-Ita explained that the FISH programme had been designed to provide cost-effective and affordable houses for various categories of

She asked members of the committee to deliver on their mandate, adding that the expectations of Nigerians and government on them were high.

“Mr President is watching and I have great expectations as civil servants look up to you to deliver affordable houses for them with your track records,” she said.

She expressed confidence that the members would deliver, adding that they were nominated because of their track records.

Chairman of the committee, Mr Yemi Adelakun, promised that they would deliver on the mandate of ensuring affordable and decent houses for civil servants.

NAN reports that the committee is expected to secure group land and title documents and coordinate the participation of relevant agencies in the programme.

It is also expected to enlist the support of proven dealers of building materials in the programme and come up with modalities on how civil servants could access the houses on completion and mode of payment.

Public Forum On National Housing Fund Scheme Underway

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he Public Complaints Commission (PCC) is to convene a public forum for stakeholders to discuss the problems associated with the National

Housing Fund Scheme.

This was revealed by the chief commissioner of the commission, Chief Emmanuel Ogbile, at an interactive session between the

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commission and the management of Federal Mortgage Bank, held inside the Conference Hall of the commission's corporate headquarters in Abuja.

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Ogbile said the interactive session was informed by the myriad of complaints the commission received from members of the public nationwide, stressing that as part of its mandate, the commission is empowered to do a systemic review of MDAs with a view to ensuring good service delivery.

“This interactive session convened to sensitise the bank is the first stage of its systemic review which

will be followed by the public forum in due course”, Ogbile disclosed.

management is doing everything possible to alleviate the problems”, he assured.

Responding, the managing director of Federal Mortgage Bank, Mr Ya'u Kumo, represented by Ayobola Abiola, the executive director, Organisation Resourcing, thanked the commission for the interactive session, and explained that the bank was not unaware of the public's grievances. “The

Ministry of Housing, Power and Works Budget Increased by 700% I n t h e 2 0 1 5 Appropriation Act, the ministries of Power, W o r k s a n d Lands/Housing/Urban Development got a budget of N9.61bn, N40.98bn and N7.31bn, r e s p e c t i v e l y. T h e i r recurrent expenditures for 2015 were as follows: Power, N 4 . 4 8 b n ; Wo r k s , N21.17bn and Lands/Housing/Urban Development, N5.65bn.

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he budget for the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing in 2016 is over 700 per cent higher than the combined budgets of the ministries of Power, Works, and Lands/Housing/Urban Development as captured in the 2015 Appropriation Act. President Muhammadu Buhari had merged the three ministries into one when he appointed the former Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, as the substantive Minister of Power, Works and Housing.

An analysis of the 2016 Appropriation Bill shows that the enlarged ministry's budget is 707.64 per cent higher than the combined budgets of the three ministries as contained in the Appropriation Act of 2015.

Although the Federal Government has yet to give details of what will go to each arm of the ministry, findings show that its N467.65bn budget is N409.74bn higher than the amount budgeted for the three ministries in 2015.

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Their capital expenditures for the same year were: Power, N5.13bn; Works, N19.81bn and Lands/Housing/Urban Development, N1.66bn.

But in the Appropriation Bill for 2016, the enlarged ministry's recurrent (non-debt) expenditure is N34.25bn, while its capital budget is N433.4bn, indicating a sharp difference from what was budgeted as capital spending in the preceding year. Industry analysts lauded the budget, although they expressed fears about the government's plan to finance the 2016 Appropriation Bill.

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Substandard Goods: SON To Introduce Reference Code For Products In 2016

repatriate products and get your FOB value, and the Chinese must ensure that we get certified products in Nigeria.

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he Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has announced that it has taken additional measures to combat the influx of fake and substandard goods into the country by introducing a reference code on products in 2016.

The Director General, SON, Dr. Joseph Odumodu, explained that every SONCAP certificate issued on products must have reference code to ease traceability of substandard products in the country. Odumodu stated this during a review meeting for 2015 with International Accredited Firms (IAFs).

In his words, "Going forward, we are introducing additional measures to improve the effectiveness of the SONCAP and some of those measures will be increasing our market surveillance activities and within the first half of next year, to be precise by June, every product we find in the market place without a code, we will interrogate more painstakingly and by September, we will not allow any imported products

without the code into the country.

“What that means is that by September, any product we find within the market in Nigeria will be removed and destroyed. I have stated severally that the Nigerian economy deserves a lot more in terms of local manufacturing capacity and the only way we can achieve that is to ensure that Nigerian made products do not compete with products that are of questionable background and integrity," he said.

According to him, in the last four years, SON has entered into agreement with the Chinese government, which he said never happened in order to deliberate on how best to combat the influx of substandard goods into the country.

"There is a renewed commitment from the Chinese government but we need to see this in action. Even without that agreement, the initiative we have put in place in SON would actually help us to clean up the markets. The major provision of what we put in place is the ability to

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The challenge we have is that our own people go over there to ask for something that looks like the real products. If people cannot go to the United Kingdom or the United States of America to get what looks like the original, why should they get them in China," he added.

The SON boss added that the agency is also focusing on product liability, saying that anybody who sells a substandard product would be held accountable till the agency traces the original manufacturer of the substandard product.

"If I walk into a shop to get a product and it is substandard, it is the person who sold that product that has the liability and until we are able to trace the product to the original owner, the seller of that products will be in our custody.

What we are also saying is that we are putting some responsibility on the retailers and wholesalers. We have told them to ask for documentation before buying a product because they need to protect themselves," he said.

He said: "Our system going forward must be evidence-driven.

If you sell a product to someone and it does not work, you will pay.

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People should demand their rights.

If you buy a product and it does not work, you must return the product and get your full value and if you do not get it, you have a right to respond to. If you have a product in the market, it must be registered to enable us capture it into our database so that when the product fail to conform to standards, we will know where to trace it to."

He said Nigeria has a new government that is focused on promoting agriculture and manufacturing to create employment for Nigerians, pointing out that once the agency's initiatives gets into action, the level of substandard products will be reduced to less than 15 per cent.

"We want you to join us as we journey to a safer and a more productive Nigeria.

There are lots of expectations from this new government in Nigeria and the indications are already there because the relationship between Nigeria and China is getting closer and I know that closeness will lead to a lot more commitment on both sides," he said.

Also speaking at the event, a representative of one of the IAFs, China Certification and Inspection

Company Limited (CCIC), Mr. Zhao Long, who stated the Chinese government is 100 per cent commitment to the SONCAP project.

He said CCIC as a government corporation, has moved a further step with China customs in trying to stop influx of substandard goods into Nigeria by ensuring that every that every goods leaving China must have SONCAP certification.

"CCIC is 100 per cent committed to help stop the influx of substandard goods into Nigeria. The Chinese and Nigerian government have a cordial and traditional relationship.

Our government has a strong support to this project and instructed us to provide solace to play an important role in this project. We have put together lot of resources in this project. So we will provide a continuous support to this project," he said.

Another representative of the IAFs, Intertek International Limited, Mr. Victor Faleye, said Intertek is proud to have pioneered this programme on behalf of SON. saying that it is practically impossible for SON to be everywhere around the globe

especially the Asian market that has been a source of concern in terms of importation of substandard products.

"We act as a representation to SON to ensure that the NIS mark for quality specification for products coming in are met before they are shipped. We have done this diligently in the last 10 years. I want to advocate for attitudinal change of Nigerians. If a department of government is working very hard to ensure that what we consume and the goods we buy with our hard earned currency is of the highest quality, it is regrettable that Nigerians are frustrating the agency's effort by engaging in such illicit trade," he said.

"These goods, when they are destroyed does not only mean a loss to the importers but also to the economy at large. We are aware of the scarcity of foreign exchange in the country. We expect Nigeria to use the available resources to bring in materials that will be of benefit to the country so that the little that we earn do not get destroyed again as a result of substandard issues.," he added.

FHA Seeks Partnership With States The Managing Director, Federal Housing Authority (FHA), Prof.

Mohammed Al-Amin, has called for partnership between the authority and state governments to ensure access to land for housing development.

Al-Amin made the call in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.

The managing director noted that the Land Use Act of 1978 vested the ownership of land on state governors, hence the need to work with the state governments.

He said that FHA, as an agency of the Federal Government, had to solicit

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for land from the state governors before building houses for the citizenry.

“There is no special vehicle for the FHA; therefore, the authority goes as a n y o t h e r d e v e l o p e r, p a y s compensation and does all the necessary things private developers do to get land.

“That is not helping matters because if we spend a lot of money in getting land and pay compensation, then other things are being added to the cost of the housing. “ We n e e d p a r t n e r s h i p w i t h

REPORTS

governments at the state level particularly, where you give us land; you help us with infrastructure and we build the houses and allocate them to citizens of Nigeria in the states.”

In order to overcome the challenge, he said that the authority had started interacting with state governors and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The managing director said that the authority had designed 37 partnership blueprints for each state government and the FCT. He said that the blueprints became imperative to show the state governors areas they could work

together with the authority and to point out the problems and specific potential for each state and how to harness them.

“These are some of the things we have been doing to overcome the challenges; but the challenges are numerous.”

He further said that trying to compete in a market economy, driven by profit is a major challenge facing the authority.

“The global economy is being determined by market forces and market forces are driven by profit.

“And our system of housing provision is to take the interest of

Nigerians at heart, to give them houses that are affordable, accessible and available.

“So, we have to break the jinx of the market-driven economy and come to a compromise where ordinary Nigerians can have houses.”

He further explained that the many unforeseeable challenges in the housing sector made housing delivery difficult in Nigeria.

According to him, a developer has to plan for such unforeseeable challenges so that he will be able to build houses that are qualitative at competitive prices.

ITF and Other Stakeholders to Engage Retrained Artisans

S

et to boost the lots of Nigerian youths and artisans in the construction industry, the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and a Non-Governmental Organisation, Shelter Watch Initiative have developed a template to encourage more jobs for group. To this end, both ITF and the NGO recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which would ultimately make the youths to heave a sigh of relief in the area of job creation in the country.

It was designed to build a bridge between the ageing artisans and the youths. The coming together will not only create jobs for 4,000 youths in each state of the federation, it will also help in removing artisans from the streets and repositioning as well as reengineering the construction sub sector.

This assurance was given by the

With the signing of MoU, SWI and ITF will be moving the nation from the usual classroom training to onsite retraining of both artisans and millions of unemployed youths.

The 70 per cent practical and 30 per cent theory training and retraining programme for the youths and artisans respectively, was designed to identify good artisans across the country who will be capable of empowering Nigerian youths.

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Director-General of, at a signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding between the Industrial Training Fund & The MoU, according the ITF Director-General, Dr. Juliet Chukka Onaeko would facilitate job creation by encouraging government parastatals, corporate organizations and individuals to use retrained artisans by both the

REPORTS

ITF and Shelter Watch for their construction projects.

The joint venture is to establish job centres in all the states of the federation. With the retrained artisans, the duo targets training and engagement of 4,000 youths in each state of the federation.

ITF – a federal government agency with global recognition was established not only to set training standards in all sectors of the economy but also to evaluate and certify vocational skills acquired by apprentices, craftsmen and

technicians. With the MoU, ITF with SWI will be using housing development to fight youth unemployment and under unemployment in the sub sector of the building/construction industry.

While signing, the Executive Director of Shelter Watch Initiative Mr. Segun Olutade, stated that the organization, which was the first to retrain building artisans in Nigeria, has over 2000 retrained artisans in its database. With the MoU, the hitherto retraining of artisans in polytechnics by the NGO has been replaced with 70 per cent onsite

retraining and 30 per cent theory.

ITF and SWI will also be establishing 'Job Centres” across the country. With the Job Centre Project the duo will be sourcing jobs for the retrained artisans and using same to empower Nigerian youths. The Job Centre project is designed not only to ensure jobs for good artisans across the country but also to restore the lost glory of Nigerian building artisans and ensure that Nigerians now have value for their money.

This is Now The World's Most Expensive Home Middle Eastern buyer for more than $301 million.

The previous world record holder was a London penthouse that sold for the considerably lower price of $221 million.

C

hateau Louis XIV, located about 15 minutes outside the Parisian neighbourhood of Triangle d'Or, just broke the world record for most expensive home.

The villa was developed by the “haute-couture” estate designer Cogemad and brokered by Christie's International Real Estate, Bloomberg reports. It was said to have been sold to an anonymous

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The Chateau, which lies on 56 acres of land, blends 17th century-inspired design with cutting edge technology, according to Cogemad's website. The high-tech controls are s u p p o s e d l y indistinguishable from the decor. Household amenities include an aquarium, a movie theatre, a wine cellar, a gold-leafed fountain, and even a hedged labyrinth.

Though the website states that it was built only recently, Cogemad boasts that the Chateau Louis XIV fulfils the French standards for what constitutes a historical monument.

REPORTS

Saudi Arabia

To Build World's Tallest Tower

D

ubai's iconic Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, could be stripped of its Guinness title if Saudi Arabia succeeds in its plans to construct the even larger Jeddah Tower -- a prospect looking more likely as funds for the $1.23 billion project have been secured.

A Saudi government press release on Sunday said Jeddah Economic Company and Saudi Arabia's Alinma Investment had signed a financing deal for 8.4 billion Saudi riyals (or $2.2 billion) to build Jeddah City, including the sky-piercing tower.

world-class urban center that offers an advanced lifestyle, so that Jeddah may have a new iconic landmark that attracts people from all walks of society with comprehensive services and a multitude of uses," said Mounib Hammoud, Chief Executive Officer of Jeddah Economic Company.

Previously dubbed Kingdom Tower, the building will boast 200 floors and overlook the Red Sea. Constructing

The project is currently built up to the 26th floor, it added. The 3,280-feet (1 kilometer) skyscraper is scheduled for completion in 2020. The Burj Khalifa, by comparison, stands at a meeker 2,716 feet, or 827 meters.

"With this deal, we will reach new, as yet unheard of highs in real estate development, and will fulfill the company's objective of creating a

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it will require about 5.7 million square feet of concrete and 80,000 tons of steel, according to the Saudi Gazette.

Building a structure that tall, particularly on the coast, where saltwater could potentially damage it, is no easy feat. The foundations, which will be 200 feet (60 meters) deep, need to be able to withstand the saltwater of the nearby ocean. As a result, Advanced Construction

REPORTS

architects for the project.

Delivering the concrete to higher floors will also be a challenge.

Possibly, engineers could use similar methods to those employed when building the Burj Khalifa; 6 million cubic feet of concrete was pushed through a single pump, usually at night when temperatures were low enough to ensure that it would set.

Though ambitious, building the Kingdom Tower should be feasible, according to Sang Dae Kim, the director of the Council on Tall Buildings.

Technology Services will test the strength of different concretes.

Wind load is another issue for buildings of this magnitude. To counter this challenge, the tower will change shape regularly. "Because it

changes shape every few floors, the wind loads go round the building and won't be as extreme as on a really solid block," Gordon Gill explained to Construction Weekly. Gill is a partner at Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, the design

"At this point in time we can build a tower that is one kilometre, maybe two kilometres. Any higher than that and we will have to do a lot of homework," he told Construction Weekly.

How Do Housing Conditions Compare Around The World? sq metres of floor space on average) in all of Europe, closely followed by Italy and Ireland. Denmark boast some of the biggest floor spaces in Europe, at almost twice the size of those houses in the UK.

L

iving conditions vary massively, wherever you live in the world.

The UK is one of the most advanced countries in the world, yet new houses are just over a third of the size of those in the USA, so how do other countries weigh up? And what other factors are related to the both the size of your house and the country that you live in?

The UK currently has the smallest average size of new-build houses (76

However, when you look at highly developed nations in other areas of the world, houses in Europe are dwarfed by those in New Zealand, Australia and the US; new-build houses in these areas of the world often have floor spaces upwards of 200 sq metres.

55% of new English homes have less floor space than the London Housing Design Guide recommends (University of Cambridge) and in comparison, houses in the US and Australia are over 260% larger!

There are several downsides to living in small accommodation; it can cause anxiety, stress, depression and even physical illnesses such as asthma. It can also be a decisive factor in relationships breaking down due to the inability or unwillingness to

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entertain guests.

In richer nations of the world, there is a strong correlation between the size of your house and the amount of people that live in it. For example, in the UK there is an average household size of just 2.3 people, compared with 2.6 and 2.7 in the US and Australia respectively.

Comparing this to poorer nations, it's typically smaller houses that hold more people. In India, the average number of people per household is 5.3, in Palestine it is 5.8 and the highest (on record) in the world is Burkina Faso, with 5.9 people per household.

The world's busiest city (in terms of population density) is Dhaka in Bangladesh, with over 112,000 people per square mile. Compare this to some of the world's most popular cities, with which London has the most dense population – 14,600 people per square mile, almost 10% of that in Dhaka.

THE HOTEL

FOCUS ON BOLTON WHITE HOTELS, ABUJA

H

ospitality as we all know refers to the relationship between a guest and a host, wherein the host receives the guest with goodwill, including the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers. Abuja being the capital of the Nigeria is one city that welcomes the world every day on end.

approximately 30 minutes' drive from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International airport, about 5 minutes' drive from the International Conference Centre/ National Assembly complex and the Federal Secretariat.

In view of this fact, the demand for hospitable places in Abuja is high and Bolton White, a hotel that prides itself as one of the ďŹ nest holiday destinations known to man more than meets this demand!

With 176 comfortable and stylish luxury bedrooms, en-suite selfcatering rooms, great cooling system in all rooms, writing desk and satellite TV, tea/coee making facilities, direct-detail telephone/modern and Wi-Fi. What is more, non-smoking rooms are available on request.

Located in the heartland of Nigeria, This is Bolton White Hotels is

Bolton White Hotels boast of various conference and banqueting facilities

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available with seating capacity from 160 to 200 for conference and banqueting. Each venue is air conditioned, with standard audio visual equipment available on request.

Nearby Leisure include: Silverbird Entertainment Centre about 5 minutes' drive, nearby Banks and ATM, travel agencies within the hotel, nearby shopping malls: Sahad Stores 2 minutes' walk, Ceddi plaza 5 minutes' drive, for cinemas and more.

In this edition Housing Magazine brings you the pictorial grandeur of Bolton White Hotels, Abuja one of the most hospitable destinations in

THE HOTEL

Bolton White Hotels & Apartments Abuja

THE HOTEL

Bolton White Hotels & Apartments Abuja

THE HOTEL

Bolton White Hotels & Apartments Abuja

HOMETRUTH

Wealthy Mansions Abound In Nigeria, While The Poor Go WITHOUT HOUSING This article appeared in globalpropertyguide.com and was posted on 24th July, 2014. Although some of the figures are out-dated and actors mentioned in the article have left the stage, the issues addressed in the article are still very relevant today.

N

igeria is an amazing mess, fifteen years after the reestablishment of democracy, and 54 years after independence.

Corruption reigns from the presidency downwards. US$20 billion of revenue disappeared over 18 months from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corp., according to ex-central bank governor Lamido Sanuisi. The northeast is in thrall to the Islamist terror organization Boko Haram. The police are abusive, violent, and corrupt. Power cuts are frequent, the roads ill-maintained.

The press is under threat. The president systematically impeaches opposition governors. The south periodically wonders whether it should separate from the chaotic north.

Colonized by the British, Nigeria gained its independence in 1960.

The country's oil industry boomed in the 1970s, making Nigeria Africa's largest oil exporter. But with the world recession of the 1980s oil prices plunged, leading to a cycle of massive debt, soaring inflation, and large-scale unemployment. The oil

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price is now surging again, but little trickles down to the masses.

61% of Nigerians lived on less than a dollar a day in 2010, up from 52% in 2004, according to the Nigerian Na onal Bureau of Sta s cs (NBS).

Nigeria's fast-expanding urban population is ill-housed. In major centres such as Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan and Kano housing demand is growing at about 20% per year. Yet Nigeria's housing and construction sector only accounts for only 3.1% of GDP, according to Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

HOMETRUTH

Demand outstrips supply even in Nigeria's high-income housing market. The country has limited lots under formal title and even quality housing can often not be mortgaged, so that the formal housing market serves only the minority, according to Centre for Affordable Housing Finance in Africa (CAHF).

Housing construction is about 100,000 units per year for a country of over 170 million – the largest population in Africa. According to the World Bank, the country has a housing deficit of about 17 million units and needs about 700,000 additional units each year for the next 20 years.

On Lagos mainland, average prices rose by a whopping 26.53% in 2012, but then fell back by 2.77% in 2013 – a sort of cooling effect after the increase of 2012, according to Residen al Auc ons Company (RAC).

On the other hand, average house prices in the high-end Lagos Island market increased 7.71% to N223 million (US$1.37 million). The Lagos Island market has experienced continuous rises in average asking prices over the last three years, with surging demand for luxury houses, particularly from investors and highincome individuals.

Why is Nigeria's property market such a mess?

There are three main structural reasons for the state of Nigeria's property market.

1. Property registration is expensive According to Nigeria's Land Use Act

of 1978, ownership rights for land are vested in the office of the Governors of various State Governments. Land titles are prone to political interference because of the vast powers of governors over state land allocation. Bottlenecks inevitably arise in the property transfer system due to Nigeria's federal structure.

Another hindrance is that 65% to 70% of land is still held under customary title. Even in areas where title deeds are more common, there can be difficulties in clarifying who actually holds title to the land. This title uncertainty often means endless challenges in court.

Nigeria is among the worst globally when it comes to registering property, according to the World Bank's Doing Business 2013 report, which ranks it 182nd out of 185 countries. The registration process can last as long as 6 months to 2 years, taking an average of 12 procedures, and costing about 20.8% of the value of the property.

Neighbouring Ghana only requires 5 procedures, 34 days and 1.3% of the property value. The cost of registering property in Nigeria is double the average for Sub-Saharan Africa and five times the OECD average. In South Africa, similar land registrations are completed in much shorter times and cost only 6% of the property value.

2. Housing construction handicapped by high costs Building a house is very expensive in Nigeria. A three-bedroom house, for example, will cost about US$50,000, compared to US$36,000 in South Africa and US$26,000 in India, according to Finance Minister Ngozi

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Okonjo-Iweala.

The cost of construction is high for three reasons: high costs of building materials, high skilled labour costs, and costs associated with poor roads and sewerage systems.

About 75% of dwellings in Nigeria's urban areas are built of concrete.

Cement prices in Nigeria are about 30-40% higher than in neighbouring countries and world market prices.

The lack of public infrastructure adds as much as 30% to the total costs of the development.

3. Few can access mortgage finance Most Nigerians rely on private savings to pay for their homes. Only about 5% of the 13.7 million housing units in Nigeria are financed with a mortgage, and the mortgage debt to GDP ratio is only about 1%, and mortgage loans account to less than 1% of commercial banks' total assets.

Nevertheless Nigeria had 82 primary mortgage banks (PMBs) as of December 2012, 21 commercial banks, four discount houses, two merchant banks, 66 finance companies, 882 microfinance banks, five development finance institutions, and 2,278 exchange bureaus, according to the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Nigeria's Federal Mortgage Bank also manages a National Housing Fund financed mostly by contributions from public sector workers. But as of August 2012, only about 12,000 mortgages had been provided for a total of 3.8 million eligible contributors.

Housing development agencies in various state governments also have had very limited impact.

HOMETRUTH

According to the Global Financial Inclusion (Global Findex) Database, launched by the World Bank in 2012, 30% of Nigerians over the age of 15 have an account at a formal financial institution. Surprisingly, only 2% of Nigerians over 15 years old have a loan from a financial institution, and a meagre 0.6% has an outstanding loan for home purchase. Loans for home construction are more common, although still miniscule, at 1.7% overall.

“The ecosystem for residential investment development still remains relatively broken… The lack of affordable mortgages is a major challenge, a major deterrent, a major hindrance to the development of residential properties in this market,” said Michael Chu'di Ejekam, Director of Nigerian Real Estate at Actis, a London-based private equity firm.

Nigerians are turning to rented accommodation According to a report by RAC, 6065% of business professionals in

rent on a 3 bedroom multi-family unit increased by 49.9% y-o-y to N1,308,750 (US$8,081).

Lagos Mainland had a slow year in 2011, with average asking rent for single family units falling 9.9%, while multi-family unit asking rents fell 2.7%.

Yields in Lagos are moderate The average yield on residential property for Lagos Mainland is estimated at 4.30% per annum, while the average yield on Lagos Island is

Lagos live in rented accommodation due to the high cost of home ownership and the unavailability of suitable mortgage products.

The rental market is highly cyclical, like the buying market.

Lagos Island In 2012 Lagos Island asking rents rose significantly, with asking rents for a 4-5 bedroom single family unit climbing 28.4% to N7,158,333 (US$44,201), while the average rent for a 3 bedroom multi-family unit was up 17.7% to N6,889,167 (US$42,539), according to RAC's report. ·

·

In Ikoyi the average asking rent on a 3 bedroom apartment rose by 13% in 2012, to N10,167,500 (US$62,782). The average asking rent on a single family unit was N10,525,000 (US$64,989), a rise of 50.4%.

On Victoria Island, the average asking rent on a 3

estimated at 3.64% per annum, according to the RAC. Yields were significantly higher on the Lagos Mainland except in 2010, when Lagos Island yields were marginally higher.

The Central Bank of Nigeria has maintained its key interest rate at 12% since October 2011.

Although the 12% interest rate has helped to bring inflation down to the lowest level in more than five years,

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bedroom apartment increased by 28.3% in 2012, to N7,700,000 (US$47,546) in 2012. But asking rents on single family units have remained flat, with only a 4 . 2 % r i s e .

In Lekki Phase 1, the average asking rent on a 3 bedroom apartment was up 9.6% in 2012, to N2,800,000 (US$17,289). In contrast, average rents on a 4-5 bedroom single family unit were only up 3.9%, to N4,700,000 (US$29,021).

However these rent rises were really a rebound. In 2011, Lagos Island rents had plummeted – with single family unit asking rents falling 25.0%, and multi-family rents falling 8.8%.

Lagos Mainland Lagos Mainland asking rents rose sharply in 2012 as the market rebounded. The average asking rent on a 4-5 bedroom single family unit increased by 29.7%, to N2,510,595 (US$15,502). The average asking

the central bank may increase borrowing costs if government spending surges this year, warns Central Bank Governor Lamido Sanusi.

Insurgencies have hit the North's property market The Islamist insurgency in Nigeria started in 1999 with the establishment of Sharia law in several Muslim-majority states in the north. Tensions between Christians and Muslims have resulted in

HOMETRUTH

thousands of killings, with deaths sharply increasing in recent years as conflict between the Islamic group Boko Haram and the secular government continues to grow.

Terrorist activities and insurgency have scaled up in recent times – as seen in the abduction of 200 high school girls in the Borno state. More than 1,500 people have been killed

by Islamists just this year, according to Amnesty Interna onal.

The Muslim-Christian clashes have hit Northern Nigeria's property market. Many residents in widely attacked areas and known terrorist hotspots (like Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, Yobe and Adamwa) have fled to other parts of the northern region, while some have left the region for good.

“Unarguably, people are moving down south. The insurgency is really affecting the construction industry negatively, though there are other factors like the upcoming general elections. Property values have gone down considerably because demand is very low,” said Fred Akinloye, former chairman of Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) Kano State Chapter.

Security threats have resulted in loss of investment appetite by real estate investors and continue to hamper growth and housing delivery in the property market. “The property market remains the major victim of the insurgency up north and vacancy rate is as high as 30 per cent in Yobe, Adamawa, Borno, Katsina and Kano,” according to online newspaper BusinessDay.

Computerized land registries have also been introduced in Lagos and Abuja to address the lengthy registration process. In August 2010, the governor of Lagos State also signed a bill establishing the Lagos State Mortgage Board whose mandate is “to generate an environment that enables access to mortgage finance”.

Moreover, a National Housing Policy was adopted in December 2011 to ensure that all “Nigerians own or have access to decent, safe and sanitary housing in healthy environment with infrastructural services at affordable cost, with secure tenure.” Separate chapters deal with land for housing, housing finance, housing maintenance, building materials and construction workforce, social housing, and management information systems.

In 2012, President Goodluck Jonathan convened a Roundtable on the Housing Sector which brought together key stakeholders. The Roundtable prompted the government to establish a Housing Finance Programme Committee, chaired by the Finance Minister, tasked with developing a facility that would significantly improve Nigerians' access to mortgages. The Nigeria Mortgage Re-finance Company (NMRC) is the outcome.

Established with US$300 million from the World Bank, the NMRC is a re-financing institution providing mortgage lending banks with increased access to liquidity and

Efforts to spur housing sector: Nigerian Mortgage Re-Financing Company launched, January 2014 In 2000, the government implemented a number of reforms to stimulate the housing sector. These included establishing the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria and the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, as well as restructuring the housing finance system through the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN).

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long-term funds.

Nigerian officials hope the NMRC will encourage property developers to cater to more than just the highend market. Based on World Bank estimates, NMRC should be able to deliver more than 75,000 new homes per year and generate 300,000 direct and 488,000 indirect jobs during the initial phase of the program.

President Jonathan officially launched the NMRC in January 2014 in Abuja, and the company is now in operation.

Others are sceptical. “There's little incentive or money for private developers to provide low-cost housing… The cost of the land, the cost of what an average individual expects to have in terms of square footage in a number of rooms, none of it makes commercial sense,” according to Knight Frank's Peter Welborn.

Nigeria's economy is now visibly the largest in Africa after it “rebased” its gross domestic product (GDP) to N80.3 trillion (US$509.9 billion).

That compares with South Africa's GDP of US$370.3 billion at the end of 2013. GDP growth stood at 7.3 in 2013, after growth 6.8% in 2012, 4.6% in 2011, 7.8% in 2010, and 7.3% average growth 2003-2010.

While the revised figure makes Nigeria the 26th biggest economy in the world, the country lags behind in terms of income per capita, with US$2,688 for each citizen. On a percapita basis, South Africa's GDP is three times higher than Nigeria's.

THE ICON

Mr. Gimba Ya'u Kumo, MD/CE, FEDERAL MORTGAGE BANK OF NIGERIA

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THE ICON

Mr Gimba

Ya'u Kumo:

SHELTERING NIGERIA THE FMBN WAY

he Icon segment of this Magazine shall be dedicated to profiling iconic personalities in the built environment. One personality who merits to be featured in the maiden edition of this publication is Mr Gimba Ya'u Kumo, the Managing Director cum Chief Executive of Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria.

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for Africa Plc. from 1987 – 1989 before moving to Inland Bank Nigeria Plc from 1989 – 1993. He held various positions in the banking sector including Credit Analyst (1989 – 90), Bauchi Branch Accountant (1990), Co-ordinator of New Branches; Manager, Gombe Branch (1992 – 93) and Credit Manager HOB (1993).

Born on November 5, 1959 in Gombe, Gombe State, Mr Gimba Ya'u Kumo is a holder of Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1983 and a Master's Degree in Business Administration and Management (MBA) from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi (ATBU), in 1999.

He also held some top positions in the public service where he was appointed Special Assistant to Honourable Minister of State for Power from 1999 – 2001 and later became Special Assistant to Executive Governor of Gombe State and State Liaison Officer Abuja from 2003 – 2008. It was in December 2008 that President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua appointed him Federal Commissioner representing NorthEast in the Fiscal Responsibility Commission before he left on December 13, 2010 for a new appointment by the Federal Government as Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN). He is a Member, Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM); Associate, Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (ACITN); Member, Institute of Management Executives and Administrators of Nigeria (MIMEA) and Member, Nigeria Institute of Certified Credit Administrators (AICCA).

After his graduation from the university he served in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) at the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife between 1983 – 1984. He was later employed by government of Bauchi State as Education Officer in the Ministry of Education 1984 – 1985 and later as Investment Credit Analyst at Bauchi State Investment and Property Development Company Ltd from 1985 – 1987.

A banker who had wide experience in the financial world, he started his banking career with the United Bank

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Mr Kumo has served in several executive and administrative capacities where he brought c o m p e t e n c e , c r e d i b i l i t y, resourcefulness, integrity and unrivalled professionalism to bear in the onerous discharge of his duties, much to the admiration and approbation of his political superiors, colleagues, subordinates and admirers alike, including the writer of this piece Under his supervision as the Managing Director and Chief Executive of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), Kumo has been able to introduce well thought out initiatives to prove that housing and housing finance are key drivers of economic development, political stability and contribute a huge part to the nation's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Little wonder that home ownership rate that was at a paltry 25 per cent before his intervention has now improved to 40 per cent.

Mr Kumo was instrumental in the introducing a scheme that facilitates access to affordable housing by many low-income earners in the informal sector. The Informal Sector Cooperative Housing Loan Scheme was designed by the FMBN to assist people in the sector to own homes in their lifetime through their respective cooperative societies. The scheme was developed in recognition of the immense benefits

THE ICON

inherent in the housing sector and the need to unleash its potential towards promoting a virile mortgage market in support of mass housing delivery.

Under the scheme, cooperative societies that have acquired parcels of land to develop houses for their members will be given mortgage loans at 10 per cent interest over a 24month period with a moratorium of 12 months. After meeting all the requirements, FMBN will then finance the construction of the houses in the estates 100 per cent and fund the development of infrastructure to the tune of 90 per cent. The FMBN introduced the scheme when it realised that the most reliable and efficient mechanism of availing informal sector workers housing finance was by organising them into cooperative societies in order to confer credibility on their low credit ratings.

Mr Kumo has a vision to transform the bank towards positive economic development in the housing sector.

He believes that employment generation and wealth creation potential embedded in housing are enormous. He said: “If we can jumpstart the housing sector in Nigeria and attain its GDP contribution target of 15 per cent under the Vision 20:2020 Project, incidences of corruption, widespread poverty and mass unemployment that we are battling with today will reduce significantly.”

that Gimba Kumo has been able to accomplish some of the following landmarks: the construction of the Elim Housing Estate, Phase I and II of Yusra Housing Estate, Katsina, provision of 735 housing units for NHF contributors in Adamawa State, construction of FMBN Aviation Village, successful completion of the FMBN office complex in Lokoja, introduction of a housing scheme for the informal sector, introduction of National Housing Fund e-card amongst other notable achievements.

Also, the dynamic Kumo does not believe in a one track or one style fits all approach to multi-tasking or confronting policy challenges.

Rather, the solution must be actively tailored to the prevailing challenges and its attendant negative impact on effective and efficient service delivery to the people. Therefore a self-assured Gimba Kumo had already prepared his insightful p o l i c y, o p e r a t i o n a l a n d administrative reform blueprint ready at hand when he took over the reins of executive authority at FMBN and really hit the ground running with an extensive restructuring, reengineering and re-vitalisation exercise that saw the deployment, training, re-training, and empowerment of staff at all levels with critical tools and skills required

One of the enduring policy thrusts of the Gimba Kumo administration has been the streamlining of the process of mortgage acquisition and payment scheduling to make it less cumbersome, more cost effective and efficiently processed for the benefit of prospective home owners. With an intimidating policy blueprint in place, and his much lauded approach to administrative leadership, it is no surprise to numerous industry watchers and public policy analysts

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to update the housing mortgage regimen to internationally accepted levels and best practices.

Previously, the processing of mortgages and payment schemes had left a sour taste in the mouths of applicants but after a thorough overhauling and restructuring of the system by the reform-minded Gimba Kumo, prospective home owners can now acquire mortgages and pay according to terms that were designed to be customer-friendly and not unduly burdensome on their finances. The rate of default on mortgage payments has accordingly plummeted by a record 70%, a further boost to the housing financial mortgage sector.

In the end, another pleasant outcome of the Gimba Kumo administrative and operational revolution in FMBN is the increased access of affordable housing to all classes of Nigerians even those in the lowest income bracket, without the necessity of being connected to influential power brokers, godfathers or the arcane 'man know man' syndrome notoriously prevalent in many sectors of the nation's bureaucratic sector.

HOMETECH

Xandem Technology will offer home security and integration ive years ago around Halloween, Xandem Technology posted a video on YouTube of a garage-turnedgraveyard. At the back of the graveyard, a skeleton -- lovingly named Chancellor Darkskull -- stood in a cage and spoke to trick-ortreaters. And when kids walked around the space, Darkskull's redeyed gaze would follow them.

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grants from federal agencies and academic institutions to turn the technology behind Chancellor Darkskull into a security system for businesses and an integration system for smart homes. The latter, dubbed Xandem Home, is now live on Indiegogo, and customers who preorder the system for $499 can expect to receive beta versions within fourto-six months.

Xandem Home will also integrate with other proprietary APIs, like Philips Hue's or Nest's. That means you could, in theory, setup Xandem to trigger your Philips Hue lights based on where you are in the house.

A motion sensing light setup could be a big step in the direction of practical smart home living, but it will take careful timing and clever balancing to avoid potential annoyances.

The technology behind this setup was simple, but surprisingly clever.

The hub that controlled the skeleton used nodes, spaced evenly along the graveyard fence, to sense where kids were walking. But the nodes weren't traditional motion sensors; instead, they were radio transmitters that cast a net of signals across the graveyard.

By tracking which communication lines were blocked or altered by a person, the network could tell the skeleton which direction to look.

Using the Xandem Home system will basically look like this: you take the ten included nodes and plug them into wall outlets around your house.

Then, using the app, you sketch a rough diagram of the home layout and indicate where you plugged in the nodes. Finally, you sit back and watch your system track people's movement throughout your home.

On its face, motion tracking doesn't seem too impressive, but a few aspects elevate the potential of Xandem's technology. First, where cameras can be expensive, invasive, and along with traditional motion sensors limited by visional fields, Xandem Home will feature diagrammatic imaging of movement in the home -- even if the motion is on the other side of furniture or a wall.

Although official partnerships with some smart home developers are in the works, CEO Joey Wilson isn't ready to reveal any specifics on them.

Xandem Technology's tomographic approach to motion detection seems really creative, and Wilson assured me that the hardware and firmware necessary for Xandem Home is already in place. I am curious, though, about the particulars of the system. Will installation really be as simple as plugging in the nodes and sketching the architecture of your home on your mobile device? Will the nodes be able to distinguish between a pet running through the hallway at night and an intruder?

Xandem Home looks like an interesting entry into the smart home security industry, but it also could impact daily life, too. At the steep price of 500 bucks, not to mention the likely addition of annual costs, Xandem might intimidate customers looking for smaller-scale smart home technology integration.

But if it works as advertised, and more importantly if it plays nice with other technology, it could be a big addition to the smart home industry.

Five years have passed since the video was posted, and today Xandem Technology is hoping to enter the smart home market. The developers - an assortment of university and government-bred engineers -- have spent the past five years working off

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HOMETECH

The Room Where the Internet Was Born

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tarting a cross-country drive to New York in Los Angeles is pretty inconvenient, unless your cross-country drive is also a vision quest to see the Internet. More specifically, we'd been tasked with going to see “the cloud”—a term I've generally been loath to embrace, as I tend to think of it as a pernicious metaphor encouraging unrealistic collective fictions. Which, as someone who actively chooses to live in New York, is kind of how I imagine Los Angeles.

But we didn't come to L.A. just to ensure that this road trip had adequate Pynchonesque vibes. We came to L.A. because we wanted to start the drive where the cloud started—and we decided that meant going to where the Internet started, which, in turn, meant going down a rabbit hole of debated histories that, for better or worse, deposited us in room 3420 at the University of California, Los Angeles's Boetler Hall. This was the home of UCLA's Network Measurement Centre, which, between 1969 and 1975, served as one of the first nodes of the ARPANET. The problem that cloud computing seeks to solve isn't really all that radically different from the ones that led to the development of A R PA N E T. A c c o r d i n g t o t h e National Institute of Standards and Technology, cloud computing is “a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources … that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service-provider interaction.” That doesn't actually

sound all that different from the objectives of time-sharing, a concept that emerged in the mid-1950s whose name is largely credited to the computer scientist John McCarthy.

Early computers were a really large, expensive, and intensively energyconsuming technology—which meant that they weren't particularly accessible to many people. Timesharing was a way to allow multiple users to simultaneously access and use the same computer, bringing down the cost of access by having a

larger pool of users and maximizing efficient use of the machines. Early time-sharing systems were first developed in the 1960s at the Massachusetts Institute of Te c h n o l o g y a n d e v e n t u a l l y developed into for-profit “time service bureaus” like Tymshare.

ARPANET further expanded upon the principles of time sharing, initially hosting four network nodes at the Stanford Research Institute, UC Santa Barbara, the University of Utah, and UCLA. Watching The Heralds of Resource Sharing, a short documentary about the ARPANET, the dilemmas that they describe and created the ARPANET to solve don't seem entirely far removed from the ones that drive the use of cloud storage.

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In 2011, UCLA's Kleinrock Centre for Internet Studies decided to restore the room to its original appearance in the 1970s, or a reasonable approximation thereof.

Most days of the year the room lies dormant, generally opened up for prospective-student tours and, apparently, people on vision quests who send emails asking for a tour.

The room is actually only about half the size of its original dimensions, a carefully constructed diorama of artefacts and replicas of artefacts that were part of the original centre.

The room is painted in the closest approximation of its colour in archival photos, a pale industrial green that is somehow both soothing and sinister. It is the Muzak equivalent of the colour green, a wall colour that only could have been popular in the 1970s. Most of the period furniture was actually just taken out of UCLA's storage. Not all of the computer hardware from those days was kept in storage or considered historically relevant to preserve. The IMP is original, as is the first packet switch installed on the Arpanet, and the teletype. But the mainframe computer components are replicas, designed according to old specs.

In a strikingly accurate replica of the original IMP log (crafted by UCLA's Fowler Museum of Cultural History) on one of the room's period desks is a note taken at 10:30 p.m., 29 October, 1969—“talked to SRI, host to host.”

In the note, there is no sense of wonder at this event—which marks the first message sent across the ARPANET, and the primary reason the room is now deemed hallowed ground.

THE GARDEN

Lawmakers Make Moves To Save Nigeria From Climate Change Impacts

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awmakers have assured that adequate legislative provisions would be in budgetary allocations to address the impacts of climate change and save the future generation of Nigerians.

A meeting was held recently between the House of Representatives Committee on Climate Change and oďŹƒcials of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to exchange ideas, experiences and also to chart a reliable course on how to tackle devastations in the country occasioned by climate change.

Chairman of the Committee, Sam Onuigbo said the purpose is to enable the House panel to know the concrete and veriďŹ able preparations the MDAs have made towards achieving the Paris Agreement objective of stabilizing the concentrations of climate change damaging emissions in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous impact on environment and humans.

Recall that President Mohammadu Buhari has already set the pace and the tone on climate change governance through his declarations at national and global fora. But the committee says going forward, the parliament is further seeking to address the questions as to: what the MDAs are doing, what practical steps they have taken towards actualizing the

Presidential and national commitments?

Chairman of the Committee, Sam Onuigbo said the National Assembly is constitutionally vested with the power to make laws for the peace, order and good governance of the federation, hence the lower chamber will not sit idly by and wait for the train to

NESREA Tasks Stakeholders On Environmental Performance

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he Director General, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement A g e n c y ( N E S R E A ) , D r.

Lawrence Anukam, has appealed to stakeholders in the environment sector for improved performance in order to achieve a cleaner and healthier environment.

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He made the appeal during the National Dialogue on the Implementation of National Environmental Regulation in Abuja.

Dr. Anukam said the objective of the dialogue was to identify challenges in the implementation of the national environmental regulations.

THE GARDEN

Be More Environment Conscious, US Tells Nigerians

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he government of the United States of America has urged all Nigerians to be more conscious of the environment, stating that there is an urgent need to take up the challenge to preserve the country's forests, stop poaching and halt wildlife trafficking so as to protect the world for the future generations.

In his remarks during his first visit to Calabar, Cross River State, the United States' ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle, stated that the main objective of his trip to the state is to learn more about what the state and the federal governments are doing to protect one of the oldest rainforests in Africa.

Entwistle noted that Cross River's forests are home to a number of endangered species, including pangolins, forest elephants, Cross River gorillas and drill monkeys, adding that while poaching of these species is against the law, limited

enforcement has allowed profiting from ivory, pangolin scales, bush meat, and the live animal trade.

He said that Calabar has been identified as a global biodiversity hotspot teeming with critically endangered species.

The envoy said, ''We also plan to explore ways to help your government and NGO partners to further promote conservation and stop the illicit trade in wildlife.

Doing so in collaboration with government officials, park rangers, a n d N G O s l i k e t h e Wi l d l i f e Conservation Society and Pandrillus will help strengthen the bilateral relationship.'' ''Eastern Africa and Southern Africa have often drawn much of the international community's attention to these issues. Unfortunately, this has meant that West Africa, Nigeria in particular, has become a growing

hub for traffickers and poachers who source and pass wildlife products, ivory, animal parts and exotic pets, through Nigeria en route to other destinations around the globe”.

He said the United States recognises the importance and urgency of combating wildlife trafficking and is committed to taking positive measures to address this global challenge. ''We have also pledged to enact nearly complete bans on ivory imports and exports, and to take significant and timely steps to halt the domestic commercial trade of ivory. ''As part of these efforts, we hope to expand our cooperation in joint training, technical exchanges, information sharing, and public education on promoting conservation, while combating poaching and wildlife trafficking here in Nigeria,'' he stated.

Residents Impacted By The KS Rig Explosion In 2012 Sue Chevron To US Court

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esidents of coastal communities impacted by the Jan. 16, 2012 KS endeavour rig explosion in Bayelsa State have instituted an action against Chevron oil in a Court sitting in San Francisco in the United States.

Commissioner for Environment, Mr Iniruo Wills that the residents commenced legal action against Chevron in San Francisco on Dec. 9.

2015.

27 and made pledge to set up technical and legal committees on the rig explosion to ensure that Chevron was held accountable for the disaster.

Representatives of the victims of the rig explosion paid an advocacy visit to the Bayelsa Ministry of Environment on Thursday to seek the support of the state government in the legal action.

Quoting the Environmentalist, “The Lead Plaintiffs thought it is wise to pay you this advocacy and courtesy visit to formally inform you about the on-going cases in California and interact with you especially as your ministry also carried out some investigations on the incident.

“It is the belief of the Lead Plaintiffs that the government meant well and made those laudable pledges in good faith, we are here to seek assistance from the state government through your ministry.

Mr. Alagoa Morris, the Coordinator of the Lead Plaintiffs told the Bayelsa

“Governor Dickson of Bayelsa visited Koluama 2 Town hall on Feb.

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“We wish to benefit from the positive disposition of the ministry in protecting our environment, livelihood and health of victims of

THE ADVISOR

Have You Decided To Purchase A Home?

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uying a new home can be truly a wonderful experience. Whether you're a first time buyer, upgrading to a larger home, or relocating, purchasing a home is a big decision that can make a difference in the life of you and your family. Finding the right home that fits all of your needs as well as fulfilling your wants can take some time. Our dream team of Advisor's are not only here to help you find the home of your dreams, we take care of all the hassle involved when it comes to the buying process. Call us today and let our experienced professional's find the right home for you and your family. We take pride in customer satisfaction and we have access to the latest technology and resources available to provide you with ALL of the options available for you to choose from. We have listed below some information to help you get started.

lender you wish to use. Some people prefer to use a Mortgage broker while others already know which bank or lending option they wish to use. Getting pre-approved for a home is a fairly quick and easy process and it will determine the total dollar amount you are approved for. This can help you see what price range you need to be in when searching for your home. Once you have found a home and are ready to submit an offer, having a pre-approval letter from your lender to send with your offer will show the seller that you are a serious buyer while giving you the flexibility to negotiate.

Mortgage Pre-approval

Our team of Advisor Real Estate Agents can explain alternative mortgage financing programs, assist you with finding the right financing source, and help you find other resources to help you with your personal finances to determine what you can afford or what steps you need to take to get approved for financing.

The first step you want to consider is to obtain a pre-approval from a

In addition to knowing the local money market, our team can tell you

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what personal and financial data to bring with you when applying for a loan. Already familiar with current real estate values, real estate taxes, utility costs, municipal services and facilities, your agent can also respond to your questions about local zoning changes that could affect your decision to buy.

Searching for your Home Now that you have your pre-approval and you're ready to begin your search, make a list of what you're looking for. This list should include the location, number of bedrooms/bathrooms, age of the home, Square footage, features you "must have" (garage, fenced yard, garden tub, etc..), and features you would "like" to have but aren't necessarily a requirement. Once your list is complete, you now have the tools you need to narrow down your search.

In Addition, when deciding to purchase a home or property, finding the right real estate agent can help

THE ADVISOR

you determine what you can afford, what you want, and can show you only those properties that meet your criteria. We will research your housing needs in advance through a Multiple Listing Service even if you are locating to another city. Our team can also provide you with a checklist to serve as a reminder of some things you should look for in order to make a wise buying decision.

Submitting an offer After finding a home you are interested in purchasing, the next process is to submit an offer. With submitting an offer, your agent will provide a contract which will include the amount you wish to offer, what personal property you may want the seller to include with the home (washer/dryer, furniture, appliances, etc..), any repairs you may want to request to be completed prior to the purchase, the buyers rights in terms of an inspection, the amount of time you may need to close on the property, which party will be responsible for the closing costs, what the legal rights are for each party in the event that either party does not comply with the contract, and any other stipulation you may want to include that will be contingent upon you purchasing the property. After the contract is submitted, the seller has the choice to accept the offer, turn it down completely, or counter your offer.

The contract will not be legally binding until both parties have agreed upon the terms, at which point the buyer and seller will sign the final contract and the process of finalizing the purchase will begin.

· ·

· Typically standard pre-printed purchase contract forms are utilized and filled out by the real estate agents handling the transaction. While most buyers and sellers are usually fully aware of the terms such as price, closing date, and financial terms, there is a tendency to overlook much of the pre-printed portion of the form.

Since all the terms of the contract can be binding it is important to understand all of the terms that you are agreeing to before you sign the contract. Not doing so can be a costly mistake, especially if there are problems or difficulties in the transaction. Our team will assist you in helping you understand every part of the contract and will also provide and complete the form for you as well as handle all of the communication between all parties.

Some of the items that you may be agreeing to when you sign the preprinted form may include ·

·

What personal property will be included or excluded from the sale?

Who will pay for required repairs if any?

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· ·

·

What the seller's disclosure obligations will be?

What the seller's obligation to maintain the property will be?

What the seller is warranting about the property?

What the buyer's inspection rights will be?

What will happen in the event either party does not comply with the contract?

What will the parties' legal rights and attorney fee provisions in the event of a breach of contract?

It is highly recommended that you read and review the pre-printed forms used most commonly in your area before you write and sign an offer to purchase. Our team of agents can provide you copies of the forms and are willing to explain and review them with you. Once a bona-fide offer has been presented, your focus will be on issues such as price, terms, and closing date. By reviewing and understanding the purchase contract form ahead of time you can strengthen your negotiating position, protect yourself from incurring unnecessary costs or problems, and have a better understanding of what you will need to do to conclude the sale.

HOMEFRONT

15 DIY Ways to Update Your Home on a Small Budget

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ome renovations are typically thought of pricey, time-consuming projects.

You don't need a costly contractor or interior designer to update your home — instead, try one of these DIY ways to update your home on a small budget. From freshening up your kitchen to upgrading your light fixtures, you can make your home look like it just came out of a design magazine without clearing out your bank account.

Install a Kitchen Tile Backsplash Adding a tile backsplash to your kitchen is much easier than it looks — and totally affordable, too. Even renters can do this simple DIY upgrade — just be sure your landlord

is okay with a few screws in the wall.

Swap Out Your Light Fixtures You don't need to hire an electrician to change your lighting fixtures. You can easily switch one out for an upgrade that can really change the look and feel of an entire room.

Make a Lighting Fixture Out of Mason Jars You don't need expensive lighting fixtures to update your home. Switch out your existing light fixtures for mason jars to make your home feel inviting and rustic.

Organize Your Kitchen With a Rustic Wall Rack One of the easiest ways to free up

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counter space in your kitchen is with a rustic magnetic wall rack. You can use it to hang anything metal — especially knives — for a functional piece that also doubles as cool decor.

Make Your Own Hanging Wood Shelves Do you need more shelf space but don't have the room or budget for a floor-to-ceiling shelving unit? A few pieces of plywood, rope and steel pipe will make a hanging shelf rack that only looks expensive.

Make Prefab Bookcases Look Like Built-Ins For many people, built-in bookcases are the things of home decor dreams.

It would be costly, timely and

HOMEFRONT

difficult to hire a carpenter to alter your home's walls to build bookshelves. Instead, use this DIY to make your already existing bookcases look like they were built into your walls.

Create a Wood Pallet Accent Wall You can't log into Pinterest without seeing wood pallets being used for some sort of home decor. Add texture and a rustic cabin vibe to a room in only an hour with this easy wood pallet accent wall DIY. Install Crown Moulding Add value and architectural interest to your home by installing crown moulding. It's extremely affordable to buy and the hardest part is just measuring correctly — there's no need to hire a contract for this renovation!

Wallpaper a Feature Wall A gorgeous wallpaper accent wall is one of the biggest trends in home decor right now. Whether you own

your home or you're renting, you can complete this easy upgrade in less than an hour on a Sunday afternoon.

Create a Patterned Accent Wall (Without Wallpaper) Alternatively, if you don't want to use wallpaper for an accent wall, there are other ways to achieve this look.

All you need for this DIY is a sharpie paint pen and a glass bowl.

Build Simple Floating Shelves Floating shelves are a wonderful way to add storage to a room without taking up valuable floor space. Use your new storage space to display books, framed photos or even plants and memorabilia.

Convert a Dresser to a Bath Vanity Counter space is often precious in bathrooms. Turn your pedestal sink into a bath vanity by altering an old dresser in just a few simple steps.

Clean Grout the Easy Way One way to make your bathroom feel

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brand new is by simply cleaning the grout! Buy a grout paint pen and spend an hour or two making your bathroom sparkle.

Remove Even the Most Difficult Wallpaper The wrong wallpaper can make your room and even your entire home feel dated. If you want to ditch the floral pattern your home's previous owner installed, use these tips to easily remove even the most difficult wallpaper.

Build Your Own Living Room Furniture Want new living room furniture but don't have the budget to update the entire room? You can make your own living room furniture like a plant stand, coffee table, storage bench coffee table and more by upgrading yard sale finds or pieces you already have.

Source: http://www.ehow.com

HOMEFRONT

What Makes a Family Strong and Successful?

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here are at least five "L's" which contribute to strong family relationships.

Learning - Families are where we learn values, skills, and behaviour.

Strong families manage and control their learning experiences. They establish a pattern of home life. They select appropriate television programs. They guide their children into the world outside the home.

They do not let social forces rule their family life. They involve themselves in neighbourhood, school, government, church, and business in ways that support their family values. Strong families teach by example and learn through experience as they explain and execute their values.

Loyalty - Strong families have a sense of loyalty and devotion toward family members. The family sticks

together. They stand by each other during times of trouble. They stand up for each other when attacked by someone outside the family. Loyalty builds through sickness and health, want and good fortune, failure and success, and all the things the family faces. The family is a place of shelter for individual family members. In times of personal success or defeat, the family becomes a cheering section or a mourning bench. They also learn a sense of give and take in the family, which helps prepare them for the necessary negotiations in other relationships.

Love - is at the heart of the family. All humans have the need to love and to be loved; the family is normally the place where love is expressed. Love is the close personal blending of physical and mental togetherness. It includes privacy, intimacy, sharing, belonging, and caring. The

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atmosphere of real love is one of honesty, understanding, patience, and forgiveness. Such love does not happen automatically; it requires constant daily effort by each family member. Loving families share activities and express a great deal of gratitude for one another. Love takes time, affection, and a positive attitude.

Laughter - is good family medicine.

Humour is an escape valve for family tension. Through laughter we learn to see ourselves honestly and objectively. Building a strong family is serious business, but if taken too seriously, family life can become very tense. Laughter balances our efforts and gives us a realistic view of things. To be helpful, family laughter must be positive in nature. Laughing t o g e t h e r b u i l d s u p a f a m i l y.

Laughing at each other divides a family. Families that learn to use

HOMEFRONT

laughter in a positive way can release tensions, gain a clearer view, and bond relationships.

Leadership - is essential. Family members, usually the adults, must assume responsibility for leading the family. If no one accepts this vital role, the family will weaken. Each family needs its own special set of rules and guidelines. These rules are based on the family members' greatest understanding of one another, not forces. The guidelines pass along from the adults to the children by example, with firmness and fairness. Strong families can work together to establish their way of life, allowing children to have a voice in decision making and enforcing rules. However, in the initial stages and in times of crisis, adult family members must get the family to work together.

·

Appreciation - Members of strong families show and talk about their appreciation for one another. Along with our need for love, our most important human need is the need for appreciation. Some of why we work so hard in life is not so much motivation by money, power, or position; it is the desire to feel appreciated. And appreciation is vital in healthy families. Each family member's self-esteem is enhanced when he or she feels appreciated.

Appreciation helps motivate all members to continue to behave positively toward one another.

Appreciation in families means: ·

Life Patterns of Strong Families

·

In studies conducted in the United States and around the world several characteristics of strong families were found. These qualities are:

·

Commitment - Members of strong families are devoted to the wellbeing and happiness of the other members. They value family unity.

Commitment serves as a firm foundation for strong family relationships. This means that: the family comes first. · Work responsibilities come second. · Each family member is precious. · Bad times do not destroy relationships. · There is sexual faithfulness to the marriage partner. · Forgiveness is readily available. · Priorities must be established. · Some sacrifices must be made. · Some common goals must

be shared.

Traditions are established and cherished.

· · ·

·

· ·

Looking for the positive instead of the negative.

Treating family members like our best friends.

Showing love in small ways every day.

Expressing lots of appropriate affection.

Saying, "I Love You" a lot.

P r a i s i n g t h e accomplishments and strengths of family members.

Gracefully receiving compliments as well as giving them.

Creating a positive environment in the home.

Remembering (even if you need a list) and celebrating birthdays and special occasions.

Communication - Members of strong families work at developing good communication skills and spend a lot of time talking with each other. They talk about the small, trivial things as well as the deep, important issues of life.

Communication is the lifeblood of

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relationships. It is the way that love and other emotions are expressed.

Relationships are played out in the context of communication. We cannot help but communicate, and it is largely up to us whether the communication in our families will be effective or ineffective. Effective communication means: · · ·

· · · ·

· · · ·

Being open and honest, yet kind.

Listening carefully, without distraction.

Checking the meaning of messages which are not clear.

Avoiding "mind-reading."

Walking a mile in the other person's shoes.

Trusting one another.

Av o i d i n g c r i t i c i z i n g , evaluating, and acting superior.

Dealing with one issue at a time.

Dealing with specifics rather than generalities.

Attacking the problem, not each other .

Having an understanding attitude.

Time together - Strong families spend time—quality time in large quantities—with each other. Some families may say, "We don't spend much time together as a whole family, but what little time we are together is quality time." The studies on strong families indicate that both quality and quantity are necessary for good relationship formation and maintenance. A lot of time together filled with bickering and arguing won't make for a strong family.

Neither will small pieces of highquality activity. Nurturing family relationships takes a lot of good times. Family memories are built around family activities, time spent together. Family time spent together: To be continued

HOMEFRONT

HOMELY QUOTES Love begins by taking care of the closest ones – the ones at home.

Mother Teresa

The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.

-Maya Angelou

Every house where love abides and friendship is a guest, Is surely home, and home sweet home For there the heart can rest.

A house is not a home unless it contains food and re for the mind as well as the body.

Henry Van Dyke

-Benjamin Franklin

Home is the one place in this entire world where hearts are sure of each other. It is the place of condence. It is the place where we tear off that mask of guarded and suspicious coldness which the world forces us to wear in self-defense, and where we pour out the unreserved communications of full and conding hearts. It is the spot where expressions of tenderness gush out without any sensation of awkwardness and without any dread of ridicule.

Frederick W. Robertson

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HOMEFRONT

HOMELY FACTS

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HOMEFRONT

9

Burning Health Questions People Asked Google In 2015

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hances are, one of the first places you turn for quick information on everything from that new diet fad to a troubling rash to a cough that won't quit is your handy search engine (although if you have a medical concern, there's no substitute for an appointment with your doctor). So we asked the experts at Google to share the most popular health-related searches of the past year with us. “These top searched health-related questions are based on Google searches in the U.S. from January to November 2015,” says Simon Rogers, a data editor for Google's News Lab. Here are the burning questions you searched for in 2015, along with answers from doctors and Health experts.

“Is bronchitis contagious?”

Acute bronchitis is a chest cold that occurs when the bronchial tubes get irritated and inflamed, producing mucus that makes you cough. It may or may not be the result of a bacterial infection, which makes this question a difficult one to answer.

“For the most part, bacterial bronchitis and airway inflammation are not contagious per se,” says Health editorial advisory board member David L. Katz., MD, d i r e c t o r o f Ya l e U n i v e r s i t y Prevention Research Centre in New Haven, Conn. and founder of True Health Initiative. “Often, however, the precipitant for a bout of bronchitis is a viral infection of the upper airway—frequently called a cold—and these, of course, are contagious.”

In other words, patients should think of acute bronchitis as more a symptom of an illness rather than an illness itself. “Generally, bronchitis is a complication of an infection involving the upper respiratory tract,” explains Dr. Katz. “That infection is usually viral, and contagious. The complication of the infection—bronchitis—is not contagious, however. The subtlety here is that some viruses can cause bronchial inflammation even in the absence of prior vulnerability of bacterial infection, so the 'no' in this instance is a qualified no.”

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In addition to acute bronchitis, more than 12 million Americans suffer from chronic bronchitis, which is one form of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This condition is typically brought on by cigarette smoking and is not contagious.

“Is pneumonia contagious?”

“The answer here is a qualified 'yes',” says Dr. Katz, explaining that most cases of pneumonia—an infection that causes the lung's air sacs to fill up with fluid—are bacterial. So if you come in contact with someone suffering from bacterial pneumonia, it's possible for those bacteria to be transmitted to you, although that might not necessarily cause you to develop pneumonia. There are also types of pneumonia that are viral rather than bacterial, and those viruses are more contagious.

In general, however, “pneumonia is not spread nearly as readily as viral infections of the upper airway,” says Dr. Katz. “It also stops being contagious when coughing stops,

HOMEFRONT

usually soon after the initiation of appropriate antibiotics.”

“How much water should I drink?”

From coconut water to maple water to cactus water, trendy water-like beverages reigned supreme in 2015.

When it comes to staying healthy and hydrated, though, nothing beats a plain-old glass of H2O. But how much do you really need each day?

“The easiest formula is to take your weight and divide it in half,” says Keri Gans, RDN, a New York Citybased nutrition consultant and author

foods and portion control.”

However, Gans acknowledges that being aware of how many calories in general you're consuming can help keep on you on track. She recommends that a 5'4″ woman consume between 1,400 and 1,600 calories a day if she's slightly to moderately active and upwards of 1,900 calories if she's very active.

“But these numbers can still vary even more if we're talking about an elite athlete or someone who is very sedentary,” she says.

Need help sticking to your goals? In

of The Small Change Diet. “The number you get is the amount of water, in ounces, you should consume each day.” For example, if you weigh 140 pounds, you should be drinking about 70 ounces (or nine cups) of water a day. However, Gans adds that you should always take into account other factors, such as temperature, if you're exercising, and if you're pregnant or breastfeeding, in which case you'll probably need more than that. “Another important thing to remember is that water isn't the only way to meet your hydration needs,” says Gans. “Vegetables, fruit, and unsweetened beverages also count.”

July 2015, the NIH launched a new calorie calculator that uses the latest research to give you a personalized calorie count and exercise regimen to aim for.

“What is lupus?”

Lupus, short for systemic lupus erythematosus, is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects more than 1.5 million Americans.

Depending on its severity, the disease can impact the skin, kidneys, joints, heart, nervous system, and blood cells. Lupus is notoriously

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“How many calories should I eat?”

Unfortunately, there's no one-sizefits-all answer to this question.

“Calorie needs are based on age, height, weight, activity level, health status, and if you're pregnant or breastfeeding,” says Megan Roosevelt, RD, founder and CEO of Healthy Grocery Girl. “For the most accurate calorie intake calculations, you should meet with a registered dietitian.”

Gans agrees: “Honestly, I never tell my patients to cut calories,” she says.

“I much prefer they focus their attention on creating well-balanced meals that include nutrient-rich

difficult to diagnose and is often confused with rheumatoid arthritis.

One reason for this is that the symptoms vary widely from patient to patient and can include headaches, fatigue, joint pain, fever, and rashes (such as a sunburn-like “butterfly rash” that spreads across the face).

In the fall of 2015, pop star Selena Gomez revealed that her time away from the spotlight in 2014—which many tabloids attributed to drug and alcohol addition—was actually to treat lupus. “I was diagnosed with lupus, and I've been through

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chemotherapy. That's what my break was really about. I could've had a stroke,” she said in an interview with Billboard. “I wanted so badly to say, 'You guys have no idea. I'm in chemotherapy.'”

“How far along am I?” “Before we had blood tests and ultrasounds to help us determine how far along a pregnancy was, we relied on primitive information,” says Joshua U. Klein, MD, assistant clinical professor of OB/GYN and reproductive science at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. “Mainly, how large a woman's abdomen was—a pretty inaccurate indicator—and when her last period was.” If a woman has a regular period, then the day of her last period is the most reliable (well, “semireliable,” as Dr. Klein puts it) method for knowing how far along she is.

“For women who don't have regular menstrual cycles, though, that kind of dating will be off.”

Thankfully, physicians today have more accurate methods for determining how far along a pregnancy is. “The primary instrument we use now is an ultrasound to look at fetus development,” says Dr. Klein. “In the first six weeks of pregnancy, you can also get a human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) blood test that measures the level of the pregnancy hormone in your blood.”

Either way, knowing exactly when you conceived is important: “If you're wrong, your OB could incorrectly calculate your due date,” says Dr. Klein. “And if it appears that you're 'late' for that date nine months later, your doctor may induce the pregnancy prematurely without realizing it.”

fallopian tubes, where it can be fertilized by sperm.

For women with regular menstrual cycles, one of the easiest ways to monitor ovulation is by tracking your period. “If you have a period once a month, you're ovulating once a month,” says Dr. Klein. “And the time of ovulation is usually in the middle of that cycle, approximately two weeks after the day of your last period.”

The average menstrual cycle is between 25 and 35 days, Dr. Klein says, but if you have longer intervals between periods—say, every two months—that means you're only ovulating once every two months, too. If that's the case for you, an athome ovulation test can help you pinpoint exactly when ovulation occurs. “These tests typically have strips that can detect hormonal changes in the urine one to two days before ovulation,” says Dr. Klein.

“They can help you get a pretty reliable handle on the one or two days in your cycle that you're going to be ovulating, which is especially helpful if you're trying to get pregnant.”

Other than monitoring your period or taking a test, can specific symptoms alert you to ovulation? “Some women know their bodies very well and come to recognize symptoms like abdominal pain, cramps, and breast tenderness around the time that they're ovulating,” says Dr. Klein. However, because those symptoms can so often be indicators of something else, he cautions against relying on them entirely.

“When do you ovulate?”

“What is gluten?”

In women of reproductive age, ovulation happens when an egg is released from the ovaries into the

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye. Interest in gluten-free

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diets continued to climb in 2015, as more and more people opted for gluten-free alternatives. If you have celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity, cutting gluten out of your diet is critical, since it can damage your intestines and trigger other health issues. But experts agree that eliminating gluten isn't necessary for most people. A diet without gluten “can be very healthy, or it can be junk food,” says Dee Sandquist, RD, a Fairfield, Ohio-based nutritionist and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. And in fact, there are plenty of reasons to keep eating whole grains, which are a great source of fiber and can help aid digestion, control weight, and lower cholesterol and blood pressure.

“How long does the flu last?”

When you're suffering from the seasonal flu, the only thing you can think about is getting better—and quickly. So when can you hope to see relief from symptoms like fever, cough, sore throat, and fatigue?

“This varies to some extent with the strain each year, and obviously goes on longer if complications develop,” says Dr. Katz. “But the typical course of the flu is seven to ten days.” While you're waiting for the virus to pass, prevent it from getting worse by drinking plenty of fluids, washing hands frequently, and eating vitamin D-fortified foods like orange juice and yogurt.