- Voted Emerging Project of the Year
Bennett Oghifo
Good roads drive a city’s sustainable development and this is the importance of the high standard being applied by the promoters of the iconic Alaro City in the development of the city’s first 3.5km road, a four-lane, asphalt thoroughfare with a four-metre median.
Alaro City is an inclusive, mixed-use city-scale development in the Lekki Free Zone that has adopted innovative infrastructure building systems that serve as a benchmark for new cities in Nigeria, said officials of constructing the new city.
Also, Alaro City has been awarded “Emerging Project of The Year” at the Africa Real Estate Awards (AFRECA) organised by PropertyPro.ng, a property portal in Nigeria.
Alaro City’s developer has adopted modern best practices and delivered an efficient drainage system of the road currently being constructed.
The city’s Construction Manager, Bailey Ligtas told journalists during a tour of the city, recently, that the road, designed by leading engineering firm Arup, is the first of four major access points from the Lekki-Epe Expressway.
“Alaro City is also developing an independent power plant solution by connecting to a nearby gas pipeline. Water supply for the first phase is also at an advanced stage,” he said.
Launched in January 2019, Alaro City is planned as a 2,000-hectare new city located in the North West Quadrant of the Lekki Free Zone. The city will include industrial and logistics locations, complemented by offices, homes, schools, healthcare facilities, hotels, entertainment and parks and open spaces. The project is a joint venture between the Lagos State Government and Rendeavour, the largest new city builder in Africa.
In building Alaro City, Rendeavour has provided solutions to urban planning and city-building problems unique to Lagos. According to Ligtas, to ensure effective flood management, Rendeavour have adopted a rain garden drainage system that not only provides a unique landscaping opportunity but ensures the development is not afflicted by open drainage systems.
Green areas, parks and open spaces at Alaro City total over 150 hectares and form part of the drainage strategy of the city via five “greenways”. These are designed to provide an area for leisure activities and also carry surface water to the lagoon.
Alaro City has gained increasing recognition for its world-class master plan and the innovation it represents in modern city building. In July, the city’s master plan won the international Architizer A+ Popular Choice Award, besting prestigious projects such as the Amazon HQ2 supersite in Dallas and the 5M project in San Francisco. In September, Alaro City was voted “Emerging Project of the Year” by PropertyPro.ng at the Africa Real Estate Awards.
Chief Executive Officer of Alaro City, Odunayo Ojo said the city has already sold out phase one of its residential “buy-and-build” plots, with phase two well underway, adding that several Nigerian, regional and multinational companies are building commercial and industrial facilities in the city. “Alaro City lies in the growth path of Lagos and aims to serve as a model for what a modern mixed-use city looks like,” he said. “We have partnered with renowned experts in various fields to ensure that our culture of high standards is sustained.”
Commenting on the award, Ojo said: “We are honoured by this latest recognition of Alaro City’s innovation and success. It is a demonstration of the professionalism that characterises our work at Alaro City, which serves as a magnet for the numerous international and local investors building their businesses and homes with us.”
In July, Alaro City also won the international Architizer A+ Popular Choice Award in the masterplan category. The city’s masterplan was shortlisted from a range of large-scale international projects and was the only entrant from the African region. Alaro City was nominated alongside prestigious projects such as the Amazon HQ2 supersite in Dallas and the 5M project in San Francisco.
“Alaro City leaves no-one in doubt that the model for an inclusive satellite city is finally here in Nigeria. This award is well deserved,” said Sulaiman Balogun, co-founder of PropertyPro. “As this exciting city takes shape, the property market is delighted that it will shape the future of real estate in Nigeria.”
PropertyPro.ng, which acquired Jumia House Nigeria in 2017, has over 200,000 property listings of both public and private property. AFRECA is an annual gathering of the industry’s finest minds, top-level business leaders and decision-makers across Africa.
Alaro City has already sold out phase one of its residential “buy-and-build” plots, with phase two well underway. Several Nigerian, regional and multinational companies are building commercial and industrial facilities in the city. The construction of the city’s first 3.5 km road is in progress; with completion of the first phase expected this year.
The pedigree of the city’s developers, Rendeavour, has also been identified by industry experts as a key contributor to the growing success of the satellite city. Rendeavour is currently building seven new cities in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Zambia and Democratic Republic of Congo, with over 60 industries already building their businesses at the cities and over 6,000 homes in development.
Alaro City is a mixed-income, city-scale development with master-planned areas for offices, logistics and warehousing, homes, schools, healthcare facilities, hotels, entertainment and 150 hectares of parks and open spaces. Rendeavour and Lagos State Government have planned Alaro City as a 2,000-hectare, market-led project. Alaro City is authorised by both the Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority, and the Lagos State Government as an entity to develop, operate, administer and manage the city.
Rendeavour is Africa’s largest new city developer, with over 12,000 hectares (30,000 acres) of city-scale developments in the growth trajectories of large cities in Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia and Democratic Republic of Congo. Rendeavour is creating the living and working spaces that will help sustain and accelerate Africa’s economic growth, meet the aspirations of Africa’s burgeoning middle classes, and serve as a catalyst for further urban development.
