GR Diary
Hon. Chukwuemelie Lambert Agu Transforming Housing Development in Enugu: From Civil Service to Private and Profit Oriented Perspective
Driven by the determination to always keep moving, Honourable CHUKWUEMELIE LAMBERT AGU, as a high achiever, figured out the solutions to housing development in Enugu State, writes IKENNA OLUKA
The people who wish to achieve something are always action-oriented. When they feel like work needs to be done, they do it without asking too many questions and ensure that the work is done on time.
Driven by the outcome and the determination to always keep moving, high achievers try to figure out all the possible solutions for their work beforehand.
This analogy perfectly describes the personality of Honourable Chukwuemelie Lambert Agu General Manager/CEO, Enugu State Housing Development Authority (ESHDC).
Background Check:
Hon. Chukwuemelie Lambert Agu, until his appointment as the GM/CEO of Enugu State Housing Development Corporation (ESHDC), was a successful business manager/administrator. He was recruited into the public sector by the present Executive Governor of Enugu State, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to be the GM/CEO of ESHDC April 2016.
He attended St. Patrick’s Secondary School, Emene, Enugu; University of Nigeria, Nsukka and Enugu State University of Science & Technology.
Hon. Chukwuemelie has over 20 years of choice management experience from various positions held in top flight Businesses.
For high achievers, optimism comes naturally. They focus on what is good and offer good vibes in return. Being optimistic leads to a better mindset that everyone needs to fulfill their goals.
No wonder, on his assumption of office as the General Manager/CEO of Enugu State Housing Development Corporation, Hon. Agu swiftly and almost simultaneously embarked on the development of more than 6 estates within 18 months! Starting from Transparency Estate to Heritage, WTC-Citadel 1&2 to Rangers 1&2 and many others, all he and the team have done simply implies enabling people to develop these estates themselves. They provide them with communal living- gated-apartments, water, electricity and other facilities.
ESHDC under Hon. Agu’s leadership also gives them little time to develop; therefore, within one year to two years. The transformation he brought to bear ensures the Corporation now works with only the willing and capable people to develop these estates.
The Impact:
High achievers create a plan for long-term goals and focus on it. You will find them going back and forth from the present to their planned future quickly.
Before now, we were seeing heavy congestion in Enugu which was not there when we were young and growing. Thus, ESHDC under Hon. Agu’s dispensation initiated projects developing the outward parts of the metropolis. They wanted a situation where value is added to the out-sketch of the State. In places like the United States, you see people drive 30minutes to an hour to go to work and still go back. That is the intent with projects located to aid people who can come from Abakpa, Awkunanau, Four-Corner, Nsukka to attend to their daily activities in the metropolis and still go back for a 20 to 30minutes drive.
The future is bright; “basically, we are laying the foundation for those coming after us to think and develop better”, Hon. Chukwuemelie Agu said in one of his interviews with the press. “Technology has improved in the housing sector too. However, you can’t do much without adequate funding. With the number of estates we are developing during my dispensation is going to add values to what my predecessors have done. Many of them we have served in this capacity did creditably well. What this means is that with time, people can afford to have enough funds to maintain the old estates and dig into the future.
“Because land is a scarce commodity, currently, we are trying to discuss with communities where lands are sold at N200,000 or N400,000, so we want to develop estates around them which will automatically add value to the remaining lands. This will also accord them security; normally, we have armed security personnel for all our estates. Apart from that, you are bringing people from different spheres of life to the communities.
“With that, the economy of that community will go up; shops, markets, schools, hotels, and other demands will come up. So, the future is bright for the housing sector in Enugu State. Already, we have 36 estates. With the grant rents, service charges, there will be enough funds to maintain existing estates and develop new ones.
From the foregoing, it is obvious that Hon. Agu came prepared. His well-drafted plans have added value to the Enugu State economy at large.
There is no stopping for high achievers. They deal with exponential growth because they do not like being slowed down!
Hon. Agu has pushed the boundaries. He has pursued projects, building for everybody depending on what the market says. ESHDC under his leadership has developed some ‘nucleus apartments’ in some of the estates. Also, in some estates, people have not started developing their property; they have encouraged them by building in some of them. That shows the human face of this government.
ESHDC has built some 4-bedroom terrace apartment; which is not common in the country. In some they are developing 2-3bedrooms terraces.
The cost of land is high now which could be chief among the reasons they are building terrace forms which will give us more houses in small portions of land.
Before our eyes, Hon. Agu is leading a housing revolution based on his dream of developing a new city entirely. The partners- investors must be appreciated too for selecting Enugu; assisting the government to achieve this.
If you ever wonder how someone gets from the lower level of the hierarchy up to the top, it is all because of their attitude towards opportunities.
Never underestimate what the world has to offer you. Be keen on availing different chances since you never know how they can benefit you.
High achievers are always on a lookout for new and better opportunities for themselves, and you need to follow their lead!
Let’s keep supporting Hon. Chukwuemelie Lambert Agu for the development of our State.
Events
Stakeholders Head to Enugu for first Southeast Educators Conference
Stakeholders in the education circle are warming up for the maiden edition of Southeast Educators’ Conference 2024(SEEC’24).
The two-day SEEC’24 scheduled to hold 18th & 19th, April 2024 at Nike Lake Resort, Enugu under theme: Future-‘Focused Learning – Igniting the Competitive Edge’ promises to host key players in the education sector with a potential attendance of over 500 delegates.
The conference will feature a diverse lineup of speakers, covering topics ranging from holistic learning approaches to cutting-edge technology integration.
Speaking ahead of the conference, Mrs Doris Chinedu-Okoro, CEO, Evergreen Group, said SEEC’24 is the first of its kind in the Southeast region, presenting a historic opportunity for stakeholders to pioneer positive change in the local education sector.
“It brings together diverse perspectives and innovative ideas,fostering collaboration and networking among educators and stakeholders.
Hundreds of delegates will be in attendance.
“SEEC’24 is dedicated to exploring transformative practices, emphasising holistic learning, technology integration, global citizenship, life-long learning, and community engagement”, she said.
Mr. Osita Chidioka, the former Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation, who recently launched an online mentorship and leadership programme for Nigerian youths named Mekaria Mentorship Programme (MMP) Foundation Course, will deliver the keynote at SEEC’24.
Prof. Pieter Verdegem; Dr. Joy Isa, Mrs. Bukola Adewuiyi, Lady Uju Dike, Fr. John Njorteah, Alex Onyia, Rotimi Eyitayo, Rhoda Odigboh, Elfrida Diete-Spiff Omole, Dr. ChibuezeLawrence Ofobuike, Ify Obidi-Essien, Dr. Abimbola Ogundere, Angelina Ikeako, Odetola Ebenezer Israel and OgochukwuOnyia, are some of the speakers lined up for the event.
The Evergreen Group CEO added that the conference thrives on a vision to create a dynamic platform that equips educators with the tools and knowledge needed to make a lasting impact on the educational landscape of South-Eastern Nigeria.
SEEC’24 is open to School Owners, Heads of Schools (Public and Private), Educational Stakeholders, Counselors, Teachers, Parents, Investors, Startups, and others in the education ecosystem.
“Participants will have the opportunity to engage in two full days of conference sessions, diving deep into the future of Education.
“There will be ample networking opportunities with school leaders from across the geopolitical zone and beyond.
“The evening Gala Night promises a delightful atmosphere for dancing, dining, wining, and fostering deeper connections in a relaxed setting”, she further explained.
Registration is N100,000 via: https://bit.ly/3uTcv9e
GR Diary
PAFON: Digital Encode, Cybervergent, Payble Sign Up for Payments Forum Nigeria 1.0
· Experts to Discuss Trust, Security and Privacy in AI Era
Payments Forum Nigeria (PAFON), the cross-industry platform focused on addressing issues that require broad cooperation and coordination across many constituents in the payments industry, has attracted sponsorships from Digital Encode Limited, Cybervergent and Payble.
Financial industry experts are warming up for the first edition of PAFON, scheduled to take place at Oriental Hotel, Lekki Road, Lagos on Thursday March 21, 2024, by 9am.
The Forum aims at providing an inside-look at the industry, offering perspectives from key stakeholders, including payment networks, technology innovators, leading merchants, issuers, acquirers and payment processors.
Throughout the years, the finance world has shifted into something much more than just banking and big corporations.
Speaking ahead of the star-studded PAFON 1.0, with the theme: “Payments: Trust, Security and Privacy in AI Era”, Dr. Adewale Peter Obadare, the Chief Visionary Officer [CVO], Digital Encode Limited, said that customers want to be assured that their sensitive information, such as credit card numbers and personal details, is treated with utmost care hence security has become paramount in the payments industry.
“Secure payment processing ensures that data breaches are minimized, instilling confidence in customers to keep coming back. Nigerian financial institutions reported ₦159 billion ($201.5 million) lost to fraud cases since 2020, according to the Financial Institutions Training Centre (FITC). This is what the experts must tackle and customer awareness is key too”, he said.
Based on a report by Gartner, by 2024, 40% of privacy compliance technology will rely on AI, up from 5% in 2019, and by 2025, 60% of large organizations will use at least one privacy-enhancing computation technique in analytics, business intelligence, or cloud computing, and financial services industry is no exempted.
On the other hand, Roosevelt Elias, the co-founder of Payble, described PAFON as a ‘must-attend’ Forum due to the ‘issues listed to be discussed are germane and require critical attention. For instance, building financial inclusive products requires a mix of technology and illiteracy. The industry can’t achieve this by working in silos; we just have to unite to achieve the set target on financial inclusion, particularly for the rural dwellers.
Digital Encode (a leading consulting and integration that specializes in the design, management, and security of business-critical architecture); Cybervergent (a company dedicated to helping protect business sensitive data from cyber-attacks, including customer information, financial records and intellectual property); Payble (a fintech startup that modernises local government payments such as creating citizen-centric payment experiences, delivering flexible billing and simplified rate collection, will be joined at PAFON 1.0 by Inlaks, an IT company that offers core banking, fraud management, cybersecurity, cloud, data center, enterprise risk management, amongst other industry players.
“Our goal is to enable information exchange and knowledge sharing on key industry insights issues amongst key stakeholders, with the objective of ensuring a collaborative and proactive approach to push for policies that enable growth, tackling/mitigating fraud and limiting occurrences and losses”, said Mr. Chike Onwuegbuchi, the co-founder of TechCastle Foundation, organisers of Payment Forum Nigeria (PAFON).
He said that the Forum is driven by the reasons to; “educate and inform financial service players and other stakeholders on various issues and trends (both locally and globally); proactively share data/information amongst banks, Fintechs and other service providers, to enable prompt responses to prevent and/or limit (customer-related) losses; and discuss key Payments security trends”.
“Speakers will be drawn among industry players such as banks, Fintechs, mobile money operators, blockchain experts, Cybersecurity, etc., as we expect attendees from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN); e-Banking Heads; Chief Compliance Officers of banks in Nigeria; Chief Internal Auditors of banks in Nigeria; Office of The National Security Adviser; Switching companies; the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission; Licensed Mobile Payment Operators; Electronic Payments Providers; Information Security Experts; Consumer Protection; Financial Policy and Regulation; Information Technology; Legal Services; Banking Supervision; Corporate Communication; Shared Services Office; Blockchain Security Experts, etc”, he added.
Participation:
Participation is free; however, you are required to pre-register using the link here: https://bit.ly/4c4N19H
For sponsorship, please contact: Mr. Chike Onwuegbuchi via: 08123355522 or Peter Oluka: 08184346261 or email: [email protected].
GR Diary
Digital Landscape Harmonization: Anambra’s ISPs, HEIs Invited to AFRINIC One-Day Training
By; SANDRA ANI
The Anambra State ICT Agency, in a strategic collaboration with the Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN), recently, successfully organized a one-day interactive session that brought together Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs), to discuss the imperativeness for interconnectivity and to lay the foundation for establishing an Internet Exchange Point in the State.
The collaborative session saw vibrant discussions and resolutions aimed at creating a more livable state and a robust economy through increased internet access and connectivity.
In furtherance of the milestone recorded with the interactive session, and in recognition of the pivotal role of ISPs and HEIs in expediting actions towards this interconnectivity, a one-day AFRINIC virtual training program has been scheduled to take place on Tuesday, 5th December by 12.00pm.
The follow-up virtual training will not only provide participants with invaluable insights, technical expertise, and practical knowledge to optimize their network infrastructures but will further yield answers to key questions posed by ISPs and HEIs.
AFRINIC, the Regional Internet Registry for Africa, is renowned for its commitment to advancing internet development across the continent. The AFRINIC virtual training therefore represents a significant stride towards realizing the goals outlined during the interactive session.
This initiative aligns perfectly with the vision of Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, CFR, of building a technologically advanced state, while the collaborative efforts of the Anambra State ICT Agency and the Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN) underscores practical commitment to positioning Anambra as a digital hub, driving innovation, economic growth, and improved quality of life for its residents.
Participants can expect an interactive and immersive learning experience, equipping them with the skills necessary to navigate the dynamic landscape of internet services in the State.
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