6 TYPES OF RESIDENTIAL ESTATE HOUSING SCHEMES IN NIGERIA

Many times I’ve heard clients seeking for land and/or landed property mostly for residential accommodation purpose having special preference for different types of estate schemes as the major determining factor for them in acquiring such land and/or landed property. 

Some of the reasons for this special preference are largely due in part to the way these residential estates housing schemes are well planned and arranged, coupled with the provision of adequate infrastructural amenities as well as level of security. 

Another reason is also due to the high level of ownership genuniety of the estate schemes which goes a long way in discouraging any doubtfulness on the part of the buyers seeking for land and/or landed property in the estate schemes.

So today, I have decided to write on the various types of residential estates housing schemes that are found in Nigeria. The motive for writing this particular post is to expose and enlighten you on the different residential housing estates schemes available in Nigeria which will serve as a guide whenever you are contemplating or decides to acquire land and/or landed property for your accommodation needs.

The different types of residential estates housing schemes in Nigeria are:

1.      PUBLIC ESTATES RESIDENTIAL HOUSING SCHEMES

As the name implies, public estates residential schemes are those types of residential housing estate schemes been developed and constructed by government (State and Federal) for the masses mostly low-income earners and generality of the populace without any restrictions to who can acquire them.

Public estate schemes are of two types; namely; Site and Service residential estate schemes and Built-up residential housing estates schemes.

Site and Service residential public estate schemes are those types of public estate schemes where government (State and Federal) acquires large expanse of large for the sole purpose of dividing it into lots/units/plots to be allocated and sold to all those willing and interested in acquiring land for accommodation purpose. 

Also in the site and service residential public estate scheme, what government actually sells and allocates is the large expanse of bare land that has been surveyed and divided into different lots/units/plots to the masses who has applied to government for such estate scheme. 

Examples of site and service public estate schemes in Nigeria are: Isheri-North residential estate scheme, Abijo residential estate scheme, Banana Island estate, Ayobo residential housing estate, Ikeja GRA, Ogudu GRA, Magodo residential estate phase 1 & 2, Agbara residential estate, Sango-Ota Government Residential Area, etc

It is the sole responsibility of government to make provision for infrastructural amenities (tarred road, drainage system, electrification, drinkable water) in the estate scheme layout.

Built-up residential housing estate schemes on the other hand are those types of public estate schemes where government acquires large expanse of land and thereafter constructs different classes of residential accommodations (duplex, 1bedroom, 2bedroom or 3bedroom apartments) which are later sold to the general public.

Built-up residential public housing estate schemes could be high rise units of flats, detached houses, duplexes or roles bungalow structures.

Unlike the site and service public estate schemes, what government actually sells to people in built-up residential housing estates are the different classes of residential apartments/structures that have been constructed and sold per unit. 

Examples of built-up public housing estates in Nigeria are: The popular Jakande estates found in various parts of Lagos state, Festac Town estate, Millennium estates, MKO Gardens, LSDPC estates, Federal Housing Authority low cost housing estates found in all states of the federation.

The title documents which government gives to purchasers/applicants of public residential housing estate schemes in Nigeria are: Certificate of Occupancy, Deed of Assignment or Conveyance.

2.      PRIVATE ESTATE SCHEMES

Private estates residential housing schemes are those types of estate schemes been acquired, developed, advertised, sold and managed by private property development companies with the aim of generating income/profit for the company through the development of different kinds of residential estate schemes for the general populace. 

Just like the public estate schemes, private residential housing estate schemes are also of two: types (Built-up residential estates and Site and service residential estates) in Nigeria. 

Private built-up residential housing estate schemes are those types of private estate schemes where a private property development company acquires large expanse of land in any part of the country and thereafter develop or construct different classes of residential accommodation or apartments to be sold to people.

Examples of built-up private residential housing estates are: Amen estate, Eden garden estate, Hagar estate, etc

In selling any of the private built-up residential housing estates, the developer (property development company) of such estate embarks on massive marketing, rigorous awareness, purchase incentives, mortgage options and advertisement of the private estate scheme to people.

Most private residential housing estate schemes been developed by a property development company are mainly for investment purpose and usually of the same design, structure and finishes.

While site and service private residential housing estate schemes are those types of private estate schemes where a property development company acquires large expanse of land and thereafter divides it into lots/units/plots to be sold to the general public. 

In selling private site and service residential housing estate schemes to the public, the property development company who is the developer of the estate makes provision for different options for payment when buying the estate either through one-off direct payment option or installment payment option which is to be spread over certain period of time.

Unlike the public residential estates where provision of infrastructural amenities (Tarred road, street lights, drinkable water, drainage systems, etc) is the sole responsibility of the government, that of private residential housing estate schemes is not so as it is the responsibility of the property development company embarking on any site and service private residential estate housing scheme to provide for all the various infrastructural amenities in the estate.

Developers of some private residential housing estates stipulates the acceptable building design and structure to be constructed by all interested subscribers of their estates while some permits different designs of residential accommodations in their estates.

Title documents that can be issued to successful subscribers of any of these private estate residential schemes are either Deed of Assignment or Deed of Conveyance. 

Examples of private estate residential housing schemes are: Victoria Garden City (VGC) estate, Victory estate, Oakwood estate, UAPDC Estates, etc 

Subsequent management of the private residential housing estate scheme lies with the property development company who owns the estate.

3.      CORPORATE RESIDENTIAL ESTATE HOUSING SCHEMES

Corporate residential estate housing schemes is another type of residential estate scheme found in Nigeria. 

They are usually embarked upon by various multinational companies who are carrying out business activities in Nigeria. 

Most corporate residential estate housing schemes are usually in form of built-up residential apartments been constructed in a well organized and planned large expanse of land by corporate multinational companies to allocate various units to their staff workers in need of housing accommodation.

Corporate residential estate housing schemes are usually made up of different classes of built-up residential apartments which are specifically constructed to house and accommodate some staff workers of various multinational organizations carrying out business activities in Nigeria.

It is the multinational companies that provide all the various infrastructural amenities needed in the estate as well as the control, management and allocation of each unit of residential apartments.

The main distinction between corporate residential estate housing schemes is that while every other type of residential estate schemes are either acquired out-rightly, allocated, assigned or can even be disposed off, mortgaged and inherited, that of the corporate residential estate housing schemes are restricted to what can be done on them by the occupiers. This is largely due to the fact that corporate residential estate housing schemes are privately owned by multinational organizations whose management boards have developed such estates to basically cater for the accommodation needs of some of their staff workers. 

Some of the corporate residential housing estate schemes in Nigeria are: Chevron estate, Shell Quarters, Mobil estate, La’Farge estate, etc

4.      CO-OPERATIVE ASSOCIATION RESIDENTIAL ESTATE HOUSING SCHEMES

Co-operative association residential estate housing schemes are those type of estate schemes been developed and allocated to staff members of business organizations (Private, Public, Corporate etc) by the worker’s co-operative society/association of  such organization.

Co-operative association residential estate housing schemes are always in the form of site and service estate scheme where large expanse of land is usually acquired in the name of the business organization’s workers association and thereafter divided into different units/plots by the board of trustees of  the business organizations’ workers union. The units/plots of land are afterwards allocated to only the staff members/workers of the business organization’s co-operative society/association. 

To qualify for allocation of a plot of land in this type of residential estate scheme, any member of the business organization’s co-operative society/association must have contributed money through their salary and/or other employment incentives to the co-operative association’s residential estate housing scheme fund been floated by their business organization co-operative society before such staff member can even be considered for allocation of a plot of land in the estate scheme.

The development and management of co-operative residential estate housing schemes are usually taken care of by the business organization’s co-operative society/association of its workers/staff members. 

5.      INDIVIDUAL PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL ESTATE HOUSING SCHEMES

Individual residential estate schemes are the type of residential estates housing scheme where an individual personally acquires large expanse of land in his/her name and afterwards re-sells such large expanse of land to the general public in units/plots.

Some very rich individuals can even go as far as acquiring a large expanse of land and thereafter develop such land with the construction of different classes of built-up residential apartments so as to either sell or lease to people that can afford the sales or rental value of those built-up residential apartments.

While the management and provision of infrastructural amenities lies with the purchasers of the bare land sold in the individual private estate residential schemes or the government, other individual owners of these residential estate schemes takes it upon themselves to manage the estate scheme as well as provide infrastructural amenities.

Examples of individual private residential estate housing schemes are: Oluwa Ni’Sola estate, Adeniran Ajao Estate, Atunrashe estate, etc

6.      FAMILY RESIDENTIAL ESTATE HOUSING SCHEMES

This is the most popular type of estate schemes that is been acquired by people in Nigeria. 

It refers to all those large expanse of land that was owned by an individual in the olden days but which has been transferred now to the family members of such an individual.

Portions of the family land been transferred to each group of family members is thereafter named after such group of family members and afterwards sold to the general populace.

What anybody buying this type of residential estate housing scheme gets from the family land owners is a receipt of purchase and in some cases an agreement of transfer of their interest in the estate to the purchaser but this must be with the consent of the head of that family.

Majority of the family residential estate schemes in Nigeria are not well planned and which in turn have adverse negative effect on the arrangement and development patterns of land and/or landed properties been developed  in the estate scheme.

The management and provision of infrastructural amenities is most times embarked upon by the community development association (CDA) of landlords residing inside the family residential estate schemes which in turn also makes the level of infrastructural development to be very slow and stagnant. 

I hope with my explanations on the various types of residential estate housing schemes above, you are well equipped to choose the best option for yourself whenever the need to acquire/secure residential accommodation arises.

While you are contemplating on the best type of residential estate housing scheme most suitable for you, do not forget to seek the professional guidance and services of an Estate Surveyor and Valuer to assist you in this rigorous process.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adeniyi Akinjiyan is a Higher National Diploma (HND) holder of Estate Management from the prestigious Yaba College of Technology, Yaba, Lagos state, Nigeria. He possesses a Professional Practice Certificate in Estate Surveying and Valuation from the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV).

He is the principal consultant of Aakient Consultants Ltd, a highly progressive and consolidated property and construction project management company, which is committed to providing the highest level of professional services in meeting clients’ real estate needs.

Feel free to contact him at: aakientconsultants@gmail.com