Harmony Gardens, FG Launch Renewed Hope Estate for Nigerians Abroad

Top Lagos-based real estate powerhouse, Harmony Gardens & Estate Development Ltd, is once again making waves, this time through a landmark partnership with the Federal Government of Nigeria to deliver 1,000 modern duplexes at Lekki Aviation Town, directly opposite the proposed Lekki International Airport.

The project, part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, is targeted at middle-income Nigerians in the diaspora seeking to invest in sustainable, high-quality housing back home. It is being financed by the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) and reflects the government’s commitment to easing access to homeownership.

President Tinubu is set to perform the official groundbreaking on May 29, 2025, signaling not just political will but also strategic action toward diaspora inclusion and infrastructure expansion.

Speaking on the initiative, Harmony Gardens Chairman, Mogaji Wole Arisekola, confirmed a whopping ₦106 billion investment into the FGN Harmony Partnership. The company’s innovative Executive Managing Director, Hon. (Dr.) Abdullahi Saheed Mosadoluwa, widely known as The Lagos Landlord is rolling out a game-changing Ibile Traditional Mortgage Scheme. The plan offers Nigerians at home and abroad the ability to rent-to-own homes on a single-digit annual interest rate for up to 20 years.

The Renewed Hope Estate will boast modern infrastructure, green areas, high-grade finishes, security systems, and effective drainage, setting a new standard for residential developments in Lagos. It will also provide over 5,000 direct and indirect jobs, boosting the construction and logistics sectors significantly.

Harmony Gardens has continued to solidify its reputation as a premium developer, currently overseeing seven prestigious estates, including GranVille Estate, The Parliament, Majestic Bay, Harmony Casa, and the flagship Lekki Aviation Town, collectively known as the Seven Citadel of Joy.

As the federal government collaborates with developers and international consultants to ensure timely delivery and top-tier quality, Harmony Gardens is once again demonstrating why it remains a pillar of excellence in Nigeria’s real estate industry.

Forging a Continental Future: Nigeria and South Africa Unite to Unlock Africa’s Mineral Wealth

By George O. Sylvester, Reporting from South Africa

CAPE TOWN, April 17, 2025 – In a landmark move aimed at reshaping Africa’s economic future, Nigeria and South Africa signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate in the solid minerals sector. The agreement, reached during the 11th session of the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission (BNC), represents a strategic alliance focused on harnessing Africa’s vast mineral wealth for mutual benefit and sustainable development.

The deal marks a bold shift towards intra-African cooperation, at a time when global competition for mineral resources—especially critical minerals for green technologies—is intensifying. With the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) now operational, this bilateral partnership lays the groundwork for a new continental approach to resource governance and economic diversification.

A Tale of Two Giants
Nigeria, long regarded as a mono-economy reliant on oil (which accounts for over 85% of its export revenue), has begun to prioritize the mining sector as a vehicle for economic diversification. According to the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), the country’s solid minerals sector contributed a mere 0.63% to GDP as of 2022, despite holding an estimated $700 billion in untapped mineral reserves including gold, lithium, columbite, iron ore, and uranium.

In contrast, South Africa’s mining sector, which contributed approximately 7.5% to GDP in 2023 (StatsSA), is globally renowned for its depth, technological sophistication, and regulatory framework. With over 100 years of mining history, it boasts world-class infrastructure and expertise in areas such as deep-level mining, beneficiation, and environmental management.

The union of Nigeria’s raw potential and South Africa’s technical prowess could become a game-changer—not just for both economies but for Africa’s collective push toward industrialization and self-reliance.

Key Components of the MoU
1. Joint Geological Mapping
Using satellite imaging, geospatial technologies, and AI-powered mineral detection tools, both countries will collaborate on large-scale geological surveys. This effort is critical in Nigeria, where over 80% of the land remains geologically underexplored, according to the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA).

2. Data Exchange and Transparency
A core pillar of the agreement is real-time data exchange between the NGSA and South Africa’s Council for Geoscience. This will enhance transparency, reduce investor risk, and improve planning. By adopting South Africa’s data management frameworks, Nigeria aims to move toward international best practices in resource classification and public disclosure.

3. Capacity Building and Technology Transfer
To reduce Nigeria’s dependence on foreign consultants, South Africa will assist in training geologists, metallurgists, and mining engineers through academic exchanges, short courses, and certification programs. Nigerian professionals will also be trained in advanced techniques such as Elemental Fingerprint Technology, which determines mineral origin—crucial for combatting illegal mining and smuggling.

4. Exploration of Agro and Energy Minerals
The MoU includes joint ventures in exploring agro-minerals like phosphate and potash (needed for local fertilizer production) and energy minerals like lithium and cobalt—essential components of electric vehicle batteries and clean energy storage systems. Nigeria’s nascent lithium reserves in Nasarawa and Ekiti states could prove critical as the world pivots toward decarbonization.

Economic Potential
According to PwC’s Nigeria Mining Sector Report, the solid minerals industry could contribute up to $27 billion annually to Nigeria’s GDP by 2030, if adequately developed. This partnership is expected to catalyze investment and attract global mining companies previously hesitant about Nigeria’s regulatory unpredictability.

Already, projections suggest the MoU could generate over $500 million in direct foreign investment during the first phase. Furthermore, the Nigerian Ministry of Solid Minerals forecasts the creation of 3 million jobs across the mining value chain—ranging from exploration and extraction to logistics and beneficiation.

For South Africa, this is a strategic economic expansion. With its traditional mining output slowing due to resource depletion and labor unrest, South Africa is seeking new avenues for growth. By investing in West Africa, it not only expands its mining footprint but deepens its diplomatic influence and commercial engagement with Africa’s largest economy.

Institutional Support and Structural Reforms
Nigeria’s reforms have not gone unnoticed. The introduction of the Electronic Mining Cadastral System (EMC+) has streamlined licensing and reduced corruption, enabling a transparent “first come, first served” process. In 2024 alone, over 1,500 mineral titles were processed electronically—a significant improvement from previous years marred by bureaucracy.

Moreover, the Nigeria Minerals Decision Support System (NMDSS) has made investor-relevant data—such as infrastructure availability, environmental regulations, and geoscience—accessible through a centralized portal. These tools are modeled after global standards, including Australia’s Geoscience Portal and South Africa’s SAMREC Code.

Diplomatic and Regional Impact
This partnership is more than a commercial endeavor; it is a diplomatic signal. Both countries, which combined account for over 30% of Africa’s GDP and nearly 300 million people, are demonstrating leadership in Pan-Africanism. The agreement comes at a time when Africa must assert control over its mineral wealth, especially with rising concerns over neocolonial extraction by foreign powers.

As Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the WTO, noted in 2024:
“Africa cannot be the source of raw materials for global value chains without being part of those chains.”

The Nigeria-South Africa MoU embodies this vision. By focusing on value addition, local content development, and environmental sustainability, the partnership seeks to reverse the continent’s historical pattern of extractive exploitation.

A New African Vision
Underpinning this alliance is a deeper aspiration: a unified African response to global economic challenges. With AfCFTA aiming to boost intra-African trade by over 50% by 2030 (UNECA estimates), resource-rich countries must lead the charge. If this mining collaboration succeeds, it could set a precedent for other sectors—agriculture, energy, technology—where African synergies remain largely untapped.

It is also a message to African youth, millions of whom face unemployment despite living in the most resource-endowed continent on Earth. The partnership can create meaningful employment while fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and skills development.

Conclusion
The Nigeria-South Africa mining partnership is not just a bilateral deal—it is a continental statement. It reflects a long-overdue shift in how African nations view their resources, their allies, and their future. By choosing cooperation over competition and value creation over mere extraction, both countries are redefining what African leadership means in the 21st century.

This agreement could well be remembered as a turning point—when two of Africa’s most influential nations chose not only to collaborate but to lead.

As the late Kofi Annan once said:
“Resources are not curses. Mismanagement is.”

This partnership offers Africa a rare opportunity to get it right.

Senator Gbenga Daniel Celebrates Aare Adetola EmmanuelKing at 50

The distinguished Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Navy, His Excellency, Otunba Engr. Gbenga Daniel, has extended warm congratulations to Aare Adetola EmmanuelKing, Chairman/CEO of Adron Group, on the occasion of his 50th birthday.

In a heartfelt message, Senator Daniel praised Aare Adetola EmmanuelKing for his outstanding dedication and immense contributions to the Nigerian housing sector. He described the celebrant as a shining example in the business community, whose passion and commitment have left an indelible mark on the real estate industry across Nigeria.

“You are indeed a source of inspiration to your generation and a shining example within the business environment. There is no doubt that you had written your name in an indelible ink across Nigeria and most especially among the real estate developers,” he wrote.

Senator Daniel also acknowledged Aare Adetola EmmanuelKing’s conferment as the ‘Otun-Asiwaju of Remo Christians’ by the Ogun State branch of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), as a reflection of his God-fearing nature, philanthropic spirit, and commitment to humanity.

The senator offered prayers for good health, greater accomplishments, and many more remarkable years ahead for the business mogul.

He concluded by affirming his highest regards and admiration for the celebrant