Mixta, Edo State Partner to Produce 1,400 Housing Units in Emotan Gardens
There is an existing deficit in Edo State’s housing that an ongoing 1400-housing-unit Emotan Gardens Estate will bridge, using the government’s partnership with Mixta Nigeria, a Nigerian subsidiary of Mixta Africa, one of Africa’s leading players in the r
Tell us about Mixta Nigeria’s projects and what you do for the company?
We are a real estate development company focused on providing quality real estate products. We have operations across the entire market spectrum, and our focus is in affordable housing market. As our slogan says, “We Build Communities Across Africa”. Just as our fingers are different in size, in the communities we build, everybody is represented. So, we offer different housing types to everybody within these communities. As Head of Sales, I am in-charge of making sure that all our projects across Nigeria get the requisite visibility for the value we create and that they get to the right people seeking that value. For us, it means giving real estate value to different market segments in Nigeria.
What housing project do you have in Edo State?
We are in Edo State to develop Emotan Gardens, which is located on approximately 70.1 hectares of land on Upper Sokponba Road, in Benin City. The plan is to offer, affordable and quality housing to every stakeholder in the State. To achieve this, we have partnered with the Edo State Government through the Edo Development and Property Agency (EDPA) to make sure this is a success.
Tell us about the estate’s infrastructure, the roads, water and other facilities and how they will be managed
The plan as earlier stated is to bring value. For us, value is what is on the table. I will go back to our pedigree. We have done this in Nigeria and we are in other countries in Africa, in Senegal, Ivory Coast, among others. We have experience in this field. Depending on where we build an estate, we inculcate some amenities and something to change that environment and give value. In the case of Emotan Gardens, we will have a onehectare lake, which is man-made. It would allow the residents to relax. Road network is huge for us; electricity is particularly huge for us. In our estates, our pedigree is that we offer 24/7 electricity. It is what we do and what we have done. All of these obviously come at a cost. The plan is that, within that community, in whichever direction you go, you should be able to either go five minutes to leisure or five minutes to an area that is planned specifically for commercial activities. As it is, there are many people that want to bring their businesses to the commercial areas- hospitals, shopping malls and so on. The truth is that it will be a town within a town. That is what an estate is. An estate is that location where you comfortably obtain everything that enriches your life without moving. That is what we want to bring to Emotan Garden.
How affordable are these homes you are building?
The thing about the word ‘affordable’ is that it is a relative term. We are however sensitive to the economic realities and have priced our offerings to cater to this. With as low as N5.7 million, subscribers can move into their own homes in the fully serviced estate- Emotan Gardens. We also have medium-high priced homes in the same estate to cater to those in these categories. There really is a house for everyone within Emotan Gardens. But the bigger question is really about access to funding. So, that probably is one of the hindrances. With us, even though we are real estate developers that are into the business for financial gain, we are primarily into the business of creating real estate value. Mixta Africa is wholly owned by Asset & Resource Management Holding Company Limited. From our investment background, spanning well over 20 years, we have sought to add value to people’s lives, from the cradle to even the legacies our customers leave after they exit this world. With a huge portfolio of products that allow you to take care of children, and parents, the emphasis on the quality of life for individuals remains paramount throughout our offerings. We are in real estate business with the same ethos, which is about value creation and that is what we brought to building houses and building commercial spaces for Nigerians.
Is there an arrangement for mortgage financing for the housing units?
There are quite a number of mortgage banks that are interested in offering accredited people, that is, those that they have vetted to buy these houses. There are a few of them that we usually do business with on a regular basis. They are already here, looking for customers to avail funds. There are about six of them. It is not only for people in the formal sector, like bankers, they will also look for people in the informal sector, that is, people that trade. This housing estate is for everybody. As long as you have a will to participate, we will try to make sure we accommodate that prospective client.
How do you intend to access the diaspora market?
We see a lot of activities online, especially with the Edo State Diaspora community. They are looking back home always to see what is going on. Our plan is to be visible to them, wherever they are and to get them to visit the site. They need to see it and know that this is happening for real. The potential that they have heard it from somebody is very high. Somebody will tell them, ‘dem dey do this thing for here, una don see?” So, by the time they check online, they should be able to see some kind of representation that shows them that Emotan Gardens is here and is viable. Today, there are housing types that are already standing because one of the things we found is that there was a lot of skepticism. We see that a lot of people are wondering if this would happen. Some have asked, if these people do this, how much will we get it? It is because of such questions that we are making ourselves more visible online. We are offering as much information to give comfort and reassurance. This is not like previous experiences that some people had in the state. We take every opportunity to put information out there to assure people from day one that you are dealing with the right people. We have sales representatives on site, who speak languages people understand. We can also be contacted through EDPA. Our website and telephone numbers are out there for people to know they are dealing with genuine people.