FHA, Hongye group to develop green smart city in Abuja

Plans are underway by the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) and Hongye Group to develop a green smart city in Abuja.

Under the initiative, the two organisations are collaborating through a special purpose vehicle known as FHA-Ketti Investment and Development Company (FKIDC), to develop Ketti District, allocated to the investment group under the Abuja land swap programme.

The Chief Executive Officer of Hongye Group, Moses Ayom, who disclosed this in Abuja, explained that FKIDC has expanded its initial design of the district to incorporate smart green options, ensure environmental safety, boost renewable energy, and climate protection.

He added: “We hope to develop Africa’s foremost Green Smart City, which will be a world-class reference point for technological and environmental excellence.”

Ayom hinted that a pact had been signed between Granite and Marbles Limited and one of the world’s largest manufacturers of mining equipment, SBM China Limited, to establish Africa’s biggest mining processing plant in Abuja.

Ayom, who lauded the Governor of the Nigeria Central Bank (CBN), Godwin Emefile for approving the Group’s loan request from the Real Sector Support Facility, saying, “this plant when completed, will reduce the cost of infrastructure in the FCT.”

The CEO of Hongye International Group, who described the lifting of suspension on the FCT land swap programme as timely, explained that the step will broaden the development of the federal capital and generate employment.

“I am particularly excited about the coincidence of this celebration with the lifting of the suspension of the land swap programme initiated by the FCT Minister, Muhammad Bello and confirmed by the Federal Executive Council. It is an opportunity for us to highlight our plans for Ketti District, which was allocated to us under the Land Swap Programme.

“We have expanded the initial design of the District to incorporate smart Green options as our contribution to environmental safety, renewable energy efforts and climate protection,” he added.

He stated that the target is to develop Africa’s foremost Green Smart City which shall be a world-class reference point for technological and environmental excellence.

Ayom lauded Chinese companies for delivering projects that are visible and verifiable that have been put into use by Nigeria.

“The Chinese are the best people to do business with on the surface of the earth. The railway they built has been put to use. The international wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe airport has been working. The rail line attached to the airport is almost completed. Across Nigeria, most of the infrastructure built by the Chinese have been completed,” he said.

Ayom charged government officials that negotiate trade deals with foreigners to be more diligent and ensure Nigeria is not short-changed, saying, “when Nigerians complain that the number of Chinese expatriates is too many, the question to ask is who negotiated the terms? We as Nigerians must look inwards and act rightly at the right time. We cannot blame others for our inability to pay attention to details when negotiating trade deals.”