Tucked in-between the Dangote Refinery and the Lekki Deep Sea Port in the Lagos Free Trade Zone, lies the proposed site of a luxury green space known as Makorios. It is just 15 minutes away from the new refinery and 15 minutes from the deep seaport.
Located in a serene setting, this luxury space, when completed, will offer tourists lasting and beautiful eco-tourism memories. Tourists will have ample opportunity to explore the terrain for leisure and adventure as long as they stay in the hotel.
With 24-hour smart technology security, the five-star hotel is located a few meters from the Grand Mall. When completed, the shopping mall will also offer guests a wide range of unforgettable holiday experience, with easy access to all shopping needs.
The distinctive nature of the water display anchors attraction that brings forth interactive water splash from dancing fountains to the beautiful light displays.
It will be a good site to behold when tourists visit the iconic mall, water park and hotel. They will have the opportunity to enjoy a five-star lifestyle.
To crown it all, Makarios promises to provide three residencies – the Anthino, Akmazo, Deleazo apartments – beautiful detached homes that will be domiciled within the premises.
Experiences from the COVID-19 era have helped to change the narrative of the management team of Makarios Luxury Space on the need for flexible working spaces. It has also made available 2,000 square metres of land for office development.
With a world-class hotel, shopping mall, unique water fountain, water park, garden and spacious car park, among others, this is an ideal environment for events and conferences.
Macarios Luxury Place aims to make states across Nigeria tourist destinations, adapting it as a project where people would want to live, especially when there is a shortfall of 17 million homes in Nigeria.
With a view of Lagos having over 32 million residents by 2050, speaking at the ground breaking ceremony of the project held in Lagos, the Chairman of Makarios Luxury Properties, Mr. Matthew Ashimolowo, during the unveiling of the proposed estate along Lekki Expressway, pointed out that Makarios is a mixture of both living and entertainment essentials from 800 living spaces.
The facility, he said, is expected to include 11 imperial towers, 230 service lots, 192 flourished homes and 18 detached houses.
He said, “We wanted an estate where people can live, which gives them a sense of excellence and a sense of serenity like a tourist destination.
“The commercial section has the water display place and right now you and I are standing on what will become the water bowl. If it weren’t for today’s event, they would have dug this place, they will be putting the bumps here and some of the pumps will shoot water for 14 meters, 10 meters, 6 meters. When the water is condensed it would look like a screen TV, so they can project.
“There will be two rooms: one controlling the water and the other controlling the audio visual, projecting onto the water, as the water dances to music. We want a place you can bring your children, your family and you can relax.
“I came to Nigeria with my children and my grandchildren and I always want to impress my grandchildren with where to go and there wasn’t much in the city of 24 million people. So that is what the commercial section of Makarios is about. There will be provision for a water park for children, a big mall at the back of the water place, which is 8,000 square meters, a school, an office,and a hotel.”
Ashimolowo added, “If you came from Kano and you want to experience the place and you don’t want to go home, you can stay in the hotel. It is an event place and it means that, if you could have your wedding, use all the facilities, including the hotel. That is where we are on this side.
“The residential area is the place of excellence where there is tranquility, stability and where things work. So when you buy Makarios you are not scratching your head about cabling for power because we have cabled it. You’re not scratching your head about draining because we have a central system. So, it is like creating an Ikoyi away from Ikoyi without the price of Ikoyi.
“This is the next Lagos because you’re standing right now 15 minutes from the next Lekki airport and that airport is going to be bigger than Murtala Muhammed International Airport. It will be done in such a manner that it would be able to handle the Airbus 380. I have flown in that airbus 380 severally but it can’t come to Nigeria because our airports are too small”.
“In five years, people will wonder why they didn’t make the decision. Today you are standing on this side of Lekki express. At the other side, even though you see house there, the place is actually occupying the space for a railway line that will come from Marina and go to the airport. So this is the future.
“It took us 23 years to consolidate all these efforts. We were not in a hurry. If we were in a hurry to look for money, we would have cut and sold them out. Rather, we waited 23 years and we are not owing anyone. If we owe anything, it’s our 27 roads which we took a loan from one of the banks to construct and the roads are ready. Nobody builds real estate the way we are doing it. We have also put the infrastructure before you even buy your plots.
“Makarios is everyone. Makarios is Muslim, Christian, Animist, whatever and that is why we don’t use Christian language. And so, we do not discriminate, I do want that kind of estate, where every Nigeria is entitled to honour, dignity, respect and celebration.
“I have made-up my mind that nobody who lives in Makarios will have to be told, sorry we can’t pump water to your side, there will always be adequate water as long as we hit the deepest aquifer from where we can draw water.”
On security, he said, “My estate is going to be the most secure and I think that because it is facing the lagoon it may have a slight challenge. So, we are going to do everything when it comes to security in this estate.
Anybody living here will feel secure and go to bed with two eyes closed. I want it, in such a way that if you are a governor you need not to bring extra security.”
On the need to bring innovations into the construction industry in Nigeria, he stated, “We want to focus on the environment. We want to build an estate where people live peacefully. Nigeria still believes they are better of abroad. We want to change that narrative.”
About the Author
Janefrances Ebere Chibuzor is a Tourism Writer at THEWILL
