- Called MAKARIOS Luxury Place In IBEJU-LEKKI
Have you heard about a new estate that has just taken off in the Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos? It is 95 acres of land. That is where many rich people are now buying service plots, Terraces, Duplexes and Apartments.
As you read this, there is a mad rush by many rich people to secure a space at this estate, which is 15 minutes drive from the new Lekki Airport, 20 minutes from Dangote Refinery at the Lekki Free Trade Zone. It is located in what is now called The New Lagos.
Matthew Ashimolowo told City People last week, that the 1st set of offers advertised a few months back was over subscribed and the 2nd offer will soon be opened to more investors. The next land sale will be in December.
The estate is called Makarios Luxury Place. And it is located at KM 48 along Lekki-Epe Expressway, Ayeteju, Ibeju-Lekki. It is a brand new city in the making. As you drive through the Ibeju-Lekki end of Lekki-Epe Expressway you will see 2 huge and imposing bill boards shooting up inside the Estate, by the road side, opposite a Mobil Filling Station, welcoming you to Makarios Luxury Place.
One of the bill boards has the bold message: Experience sub-Saharan Africa’s 1st of its kind edifice of water extravaganza. The 2nd bill board that welcomes you to Makarios Luxury Place has the message: Secure your fully serviced plots, Terraces, duplexes, and Apartments.
The 95 acre estate is being developed by Matthew Ashimolowo. He is the Chairman of Makarios Luxury Properties. Many don’t know that he is into real estate. Many also don’t know that he is in fact, one of the big players in that sector.
Work has already begun on the first phase of the estate which will involve the construction of a massive Water Display by a German company and the construction of the 1st set of 24 terraces which is currently under construction. In the next 9 months, the houses will be ready for occupation and the next set will take off.
City People visited the big estate last Tuesday and met Matthew Ashimolowo on site, dressed in a black Makarios branded tee-shirt over black jeans, with black snickers and a faze cap to match, supervising the progress of work, along with a coterie of engineers, and construction workers, as the humming sound of Caterpillars and Escavators rent the air.
Right now, that is where he resumes, every morning to supervise work. He has had to leave every other commitment he has, to resume there every morning. He has also invested his life savings on the project which is estimated to cost over $70 billion dollars. Already, he has spent over $10 billion on providing Infrastructural facilities, like Road, Mechanical and Electrical and Plumbing work. The estate will have 21 Transformers and 2 substations. And he is to spend about $6 billion for the provision of Water, Drainage and Light. The estate has been designed in such a way that once you move into your property, all you need do is to plug into the already laid out constructed points. In the estate, there will be no electrical poles, as everything has been laid out underground.
The project is being supervised by both expatriates and Nigerian engineers. And also several experts have been brought in to execute the project. As you read this, he has on site, several Engineers who are experts in the various sectors of Construction, ably assisted by hundreds of construction workers.
According to the layout, the Estate has been divided neatly into 2 broad parts. There is the Commercial section to the right, and the Residential section to the left.
The Commercial section has been so designed to allow for outsiders to come in and visit the Water Fountain, Childrens Park, the Mall, places of worship and other commercial facilities. This will all be opened to the public. The 2nd part is purely residential and that falls into various categories. You can either buy land in the service plots, and build, or buy Terraces, Duplexes and Apartments.
“All the streets are named after birds. That is why you have names like Peacock, Sugarbird, Eagle, Hornbill, Swan. Makarios wants to celebrate the environment. We would plant trees, parks, I want to replicate what I have seen all over the world”.
What has attracted many buyers and investors to Makarios is the solid reputation of Matthew Ashimolowo. “My name is at stake here at Makarios, he told City People.”
A lot of Nigerians in the diaspora are investing in Makarios. He conducted City People round the vast estate to see the state of work and to explain his dream of Makarios. Right now, massive work has started on the first 24 houses and over the next few months the buildings will be ready. Work is also on going on the water display area, as the expatriate contractor is working fast to be able to deliver on the scheduled date.
The Water Display place will cost $7 million. After this the Childrens Water Park will follow. It will be a combination of Water Place & Train. It is to be built by a South African Company.
After explaining what to expect at the Water Display area, Matthew Ashimolowo who turned 70 last year, took us on a guided tour of the new estate that will have 4 dual carriage ways and 27 roads done with paving stones. 3 of the arterial dual carriage roads are ready. They have been tarred.
“In Makarios, there are Roads and Streets. We have spent the last 1 year doing roads.
Why did he embark on the project that has gulped billions already? He said it is because he is widely travelled and he has seen beautiful estates all over the world, and he wants to replicate such here. “The vision is to create a place people can bring their family and experience luxury.”
“It is a vision that will soon become a reality. Makarios houses are luxury houses at affordable prices.
Unlike many other Real Estate developers, Ashimolowo has adopted a different kind of project model. He has handed over the project to a well qualified professional to supervise. Many of those handling key aspects of the projects are expatriates, assisted by a long list of Nigerian engineers.
He is also working closely with the relevant officials of the Lagos State Government to monitor progress on the projects.
What does Makarios mean we asked him? “It means Fortune, Abundance, Blessings’ Prosperity, to be Kingly.”
– Seye Kehinde & Sunday Adigun
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