LBIC May introduce shops in Jakande Estate zones

By Kola Ladapo

More than two years after a massive demolition of illegal structures rendered the Low and Medium Housing Estate, Ejigbo better known as Jakande Estate bare, a bold plan to introduce block of shops to each of the 39 zones by the Lagos Building Investment Company is on the drawing board.

The plan seeks to ensure that that illegal shops do not sprout indiscriminately on the Estate again by providing a block of shops in each zone to provide neighbourhood serviçes.

The services would include barring, sewing, retail services, provisions and basic household accessories.

Echonews learnt that in a bid to give persons who lost shops during the demolition an advantage,

residents of each zone would be given preferential right to apply for the shops before other residents of the estate. The plan envisages that no non-resident of the estate would be entitled to the shops to maintain the community social responsibility initiative of the project.

The project is expected to be the pilot for all the other estates if it proves successful and would finally solve the scarcity of shop spaces that has dogged the estate since the demolition of illegal structures was done.

LBIC officials are expected to evaluate the feasibility study of Kablat Ventures, the partners to the project when the company resumes from the COVID-19 stay at home period.