We’re opening up opportunities for citizens, investors in the real estate sector – Bartholomew Egbochie, CEO, ATCO Homes

ATCO Homes, a thriving real estate firm with sprawling estates in the top locations of Lagos, has reiterated its commitment to ensuring citizens and expatriates gain access to affordable housing. The firm affirmed that it is poised to drive foreign direct investment in the country through robust delivery of high yielding real estate products as the impact of the pan African trade agreement widens.

The sectoral and economy focus was delivered in a recent opinion piece developed by the real estate business’ chief executive officer, Mr Bartholomew Egbochie.

Mr Egbochie said the pan African trade agreement, precisely the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), has the potential to lift more than 30 million people out of poverty through wider trade and economic integration as the continent’s sagging intra-trade level, standing at 15% of all trade engagement, is reinvigorated.

He mentioned that the movement of people and goods across borders would come under sharp focus as the visa regimes are relaxed to ease access to key commercial cities in Sahara and sub-Saharan Africa, especially among countries that have signed off on the agreement. This intra-trading effort, he maintained, would stimulate an increased influx of investors and traders in the country leading to high demand for accommodation in places such as Lagos.

According to him, “The influx of foreigners in the country for trading and tourism will increase the demand for affordable housing. Meanwhile, the current housing units in Nigeria are far below the total demand.”

He added that the joint efforts of the top public policy-makers and private businesses through the formulation of cogent growth policies and the conceptualization and delivery of market-oriented products and services would help indigenes and foreign investors maximise the various benefits of the pan Africa trade frameworks.

Emphasising ATCO Homes positioning in ensuring the indigenes and foreign investors gain access to affordable, high-yielding real estate products, Mr Egbochie explained, “At ATCO Homes, all our investment actions are driven by purpose. We are therefore working assiduously round the clock to ensure the expatriates and indigenes can access affordable real estate products in choice areas of Lagos, a trading hub for the nation, as the pan Africa trade agreement expands its impact.”

Recall that early this year, the Federal Government through the Executive Director of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Dr Ezra Yakusak, disclosed that it has put in place machinery to increase the competitiveness of Nigerian exportable brands in the pan African trading area. The combined efforts of the federal government and the product development actions being taken at ATCO Homes would position the economy to reap the benefits of the trading agreement.