Wisdom Kwati Smart City Port Harcourt, a 144-hectare mixed-use development in Iwofe, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, has opened sales as its promoters seek to introduce a imore coordinated approach to residential and urban development in the growing Port Harcourt metropolitan area.
Located opposite Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, the development opened sales on September 19 at a launch held on the project site, with the development team, partners and prospective buyers in attendance.
The project is being developed through a partnership involving Wisdom Kwati Smart City PLC, Japaul Group of Companies, North China Construction Group, Domineum Blockchain Solutions and the Family of Thomas Ikhumetse.
The development is planned to combine residential and commercial areas with roads, drainage, water and power infrastructure, green spaces, renewable energy systems and smart-city technology. Other proposed facilities include an artificial lake, water fountains, recreational areas and a hypermarket.
Chairman of Wisdom Kwati Smart City PLC, Wisdom Kwati, said the partnership was created to bring together capabilities that would be required to deliver a development of the project’s scale.
“The reason for bringing these partners together is simple. A project of this scale requires more than land and buildings. It requires construction expertise, technology, infrastructure, capital and a clear understanding of the community that will eventually live and do business there. We wanted each partner to bring a strength that would make the project stronger as a whole,” he said.
Kwati said the project was also designed around the belief that infrastructure should be considered before residential occupation rather than added as a response to problems that emerge after communities have been established.
“Port Harcourt is already a major commercial centre, and the city will continue to expand. Our responsibility as developers is to think beyond what the city needs today and plan for what it will need tomorrow. That means roads, water, power, green areas, commercial spaces and technology have to be considered as part of the community, not added after people have moved in,” he said.
He said the development would also seek to demonstrate how technology and renewable energy could be incorporated into private real estate projects from the planning stage.
“Our intention is to build a community where technology has a practical purpose. It should make services easier to manage, improve security and help residents access essential infrastructure more efficiently. The same applies to renewable energy. These are not features we want to add simply because they sound modern. They have to solve problems that residents actually face,” Kwati said.
For Japaul Group, the partnership provides an opportunity to bring its infrastructure and project execution experience into a large-scale real estate development.
Chairman of Japaul Group, Japaul Jegede, said the strength of the project would depend on how effectively the different partners combine their expertise.
“For us, the attraction of this partnership is that the different parties are bringing different capabilities to the table. Japaul brings experience in large-scale infrastructure and project execution, while the other partners contribute expertise in development, technology, land and community building. When those capabilities are properly coordinated, you can deliver something much stronger than what any one partner could achieve alone,” he said.
Jegede said the scale of the development meant that delivery would have to go beyond the sale of plots.
“A development of 144 hectares has to be approached differently from a conventional estate. The question is not only how many plots can be sold. The question is what infrastructure will support those plots, how the roads and drainage will function, how power and water will be provided and how the community will remain viable as it expands. Those are the issues that will determine the project’s success,” he said.
He said the partners expected the development to contribute to the growth of real estate in Port Harcourt by creating a more integrated community rather than a collection of isolated properties.
“We expect this project to contribute to the growth of real estate in Port Harcourt by showing what is possible when development is properly planned from the beginning. There is significant demand for housing and land in the city, but demand alone is not enough. People need confidence in the infrastructure, the planning and the delivery behind the property they are buying,” Jegede said.
The developers said the project is expected to develop in phases, with infrastructure and other components introduced as the wider community takes shape.
The project is covered by a C of O, while details on available plot sizes, pricing, infrastructure delivery and development timelines are expected to be provided to prospective buyers.
The promoters said the partnership would continue beyond the initial sales phase, with the long-term objective of developing a community capable of supporting residential, commercial and recreational activities within the same environment.
