–        Initial 2,000 houses to be ready in phases soon

Sunday Okobi

 A mini-city within the Garden City, known as the PH-AirportCity, has been unveiled in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

The estate located near the Port Harcourt International Airport in the Omagwa area of the state is said to be a statement initiative to attract back top executives, most of whom fled the Garden City in recent years in the wake of threats of insecurity.

The firm in charge of the mini-city said the PH-AirportCity is planned to commence with 2,000 houses, which is to be implemented in phases.

Masta Services Company Limited, led by Ugo Ohuabunwa, stated the scheme is a partnership between the Rivers State Government through the Greater Port Harcourt City Development Authority (GPCDA) and Masta Services.

Ohuabunwa, a renowned and career professional builder with 40 years of experience in the design, construction, engineering and building profession, stated that the project is propelled by a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) known as Masta-Rivers Development Company Limited with 70 percent to the private equity holder (Masta Services Company Limited) and 30 percent to the GPCDA on behalf of the Rivers State Government.

The unveiling of the mini-city took place at the Hotel Presidential in the state capital, in addition to the PH-AIRPORTCITY Project launch and unveiling of the Masta Services Limited Partnership with the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN).

According to Ade Adeoshun, a consultant, Brands and Marketing, of the firm, who spoke at the event, “The mini city within the larger Greater Port Harcourt City, with area of approximately 1, 900 square kilometres (40, 000 Hectares of land) and spanning eight local government areas, with a projected population of about two million people planned to be an extension of the old Port Harcourt City while guaranteeing urban growth and gradual integrating of both cities as one single unit.

“Hence, the referencing of PH-Airport City as ‘A City within a city’, planned to be Port Harcourt’s most visionary development, a city that connects luxury living with modern infrastructure and investment opportunities, is to sit on 80 hectares of land with certificates ready for investors.”

Adeoshun described the unveiling as a great dawn in Rivers State, saying it wasn’t an easy breakthrough considering its huge unlocked oil and gas concentrates potential of the Nigerian economy.

Meanwhile, Ohuabunwa, the Managing Director and CEO of Masta Services, who doubles as the managing partner of Masta-Rivers Development Company Limited, said concerned developers were aggrieved that the city was undergoing infrastructure decay, requiring urgent action, hence the idea of a mini-city within the city.

Saying Port Harcourt was unique in Africa, Ohuabunwa reminded investors that Port Harcourt was a unique city connected to Aba (Abia State), Uyo (Akwa Ibom State), Owerri (Imo State), Onitsha (Anambra State), and Yenagoa (Bayelsa State) in a matter of between an hour and two. 

He asserted that people fled Port Harcourt not only because of insecurity but also due to a lack of world-class residential homes for the top-most executives who work hard.

He said such people deserved a decent location of residence to rest and feel safe.

“We want to change that; we want to create a mini city in the main city for the highest class. This will free space for the middle class.

“The new city is deliberately located close to the Port Harcourt International Airport and will become the first aerotropolis, which is an urban area where the airport is the central economic driver, with infrastructure, land use, and economy structured around it.

“This concept expands beyond a typical airport city to include a wide range of connected developments, such as commercial, residential, logistics, and entertainment areas, all feeding off the airport’s global connectivity,” he asserted.

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