As the call for standards and best practices for Nigeria’s Real Estate Industry increases; Real Estate Unite Awards, last Friday, rewarded 13 Real Estate entities and personalities who have distinguished themselves in skills, talents and innovations this past year. The Awards is the grand finale of the annual Real Estate Unite Conference, an international business-to-business summit designed to reposition and elevate standards within Nigeria’s Real Estate Industry.

Speaking during the well-attended gala night, Ruth Obih, Managing Director of 3Invest Limited, organiser of the event, said the fact that the awards made it through its second year is a testament to the fact that it is gradually fulfilling the objectives of its conception. She further spoke on the need for standards and best practices in order for the Nigerian Real Estate to compete in the economic scheme of things.

“This is for us, not a profit-making venture. Our interest is to use this medium to identify, recognise and reward spectrum of talents that will not only develop our sector, but that will keep raising the bar in terms of quality of services and products”, she stated. Obih said since the beginning of the awards in 2012, there has been considerable improvement in project and the awareness of quality is gradually spreading. “We are convinced that when standards become core to our service delivery in the sector, investors within and outside the country will feel at ease putting in their funds”.

The Real Estate Unite Awards 2013 recognised 13 real estate entities and personality which include:

• Palms Mall by Persianas, Best Commercial Property;
• ACTIS, Most Active Real Estate Funding Institution (Equity);
• Mr. Hakeem Ogunniran, Real Estate Person of the Year;
• Lakowe Lakes Golf and Country Estate, Future Project Awards;
• Skye Bank, Leading Property Finance Institution (Debt);
• Nicon Town Estate, Best Residential Property
• Eko Atlantic City, Outstanding Public Private Partnership;
• ACCL, Architectural Company of the Year;
• Alpha Mead Facility Management Services; Best Real Estate Support Service Company,
• Cappa and D’Alberto, Construction Company of the Year,;
• UACN Property Development Company, Developer of the Year;
• Safe Court, Lekki by AIRCOM, Affordable Housing Development of the Year;
• Real Estate Media Person of the Year, which went to Mr. Chinedu Uwaegbulam of the Guardian News Papers.

In his earlier address, Managing Director of Sagaci Research, Europe, Terlica Joao, who was in Nigeria to witness the event said, as the Research agency who worked on the selecting, nomination, scaling and compilation of the nominees; he wishes to state that Nigeria’s Real Estate has a lot of potentials. “As an organisation whose focus is on Africa, this awards gives us a new look into the African market and the opportunities available in the sector”, the Spanish national noted.

He further spoke about the process involved, saying, each nominee was contacted and given the opportunity to defend him/herself. This, according to him foregrounds the integrity of the process that produced the winners.

The awards night was well attended by the crème-de-la-crème within the Nigerian Real Estate with electrifying performance by D’banj.

2013-10-22