Cross River, Irish investors collaborate on 5,000 housing units

Barely two weeks after Cross River State Governor, Senator Ben Ayade, led a trade delegation to the Repub­lic of Ireland, property devel­opers from that country have arrived Calabar to concretise a partnership deal to build about 5,000 modular homes.

Already, modalities have been worked out between the Cross River State government and an Irish building firm, Affordable Building Concept International, to build afford­able houses across the state in its effort to develop new cities.

Ayade, while receiving the team, which he described as “specialists in affordable housing scheme in Calabar, explained that their presence was a follow up to an earlier discussion held in Dublin on plans by his administration to provide affordable but com­fortable shelter for the poor and unemployed in the state.

While reiterating his pas­sion for the scheme, Ayade noted that, “there is no amount of value you can give to man­kind that will be enough if he is dehumanised by lack of shelter. The investors will come with their technology and expertise and set up a fac­tory where low cost housing will be designed off site and the houses set up in less than three days.”

He further explained that the houses will be in three cat­egories to cater for the needs and taste of the people who will key into the ambition of the government to create a new city in each of the local government area while that of Calabar will be called “Calas Vegas”.

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Ayade disclosed that they will be mindful of the natural endowment of the environ­ment where the houses will be located.

Earlier, the leader and Chairman of Affordable Building Concept Internation­al, Mr. Desmond Cullinane, disclosed that his visit was a continuation of an earlier one made by Ayade to Dublin and expressed optimism that they would achieve some measure of success in the state.

The Irish investors later visited Summit Hills where UAC is currently building housing estate of various cat­egories known as Golf Estate.