At last, Abuja Centenary City comes alive with hotel

The first phase of the Abuja Centenary City has commenced with The Address and Residence, a hotel and resort, after a long wait.

The entire project has a 10-year completion period while the first phase which will last four years will contain residential buildings with over 200 hotel rooms, all serviced by The Address Hotels + Resorts of 5-star ranking hotel.

Abuja Centenary City was planned as part of the Nigeria’s Centenary celebration. It is to be modelled after cities like Dubai, Monaco and Singapore, to serve as political and economic tool for securing foreign investment.

The city, according to the brains behind it, will be one of the most powerful catalysts that will trigger opportunities for better social and economic development in Nigeria.

The city is also conceived as a centre for the preservation of Nigeria’s political history and documentation of her contributions to the political, cultural and economic development and the advancement of peace and security in the world, as well as the hub of economic activities.

According to the Executive Director of Eagles Hill, Mr. Jaimal Shergill, during an interact‎ive session with the media to unveil both the masterplan and the architectural design, “the Address and Residence’, which is the first phase of the centenary city, would offer a combination of residential and hotel spaces, spanning 25 hectares of land with world class amenities, restaurants and more.

He said that the secured residential development will include four to nine-bedroom villa, and 250 one, two and three, bedroom apartments serviced by The Address, Abuja.

When completed, the Executive Director said “the Address will welcome guests from around the world with a host of state-of-the-art amenities and plush finishes, encased in a comforting sense of luxury. Ranging from Deluxe King Rooms to a 4-bedroom Presidential Suite, guests will be sure to have their every need met with the utmost care and hospitality.”

Located on the Airport Road, The Address, will be a few minutes drive from The Nigeria Mall, Africa Bazaar and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, while the Abuja City Centre will be only 30 minutes away – ensuring convenient access for residents and visitors alike. In addition, the surrounding nature and rolling hills will make for breath-taking views during the day and brightly lit city views at night.

Secured by a private gate 24/7, the project will also have triple-line security ensuring the safety and comfort of residents and visitors.

Some of the striking amenities are Spa and a wellness centre,  business centre with nine meeting rooms, executive club, ballroom, infinity pool and large garden area and much more.

Explaining the benefits of the city, Shergill said though a Public Private Partnership (PPP), the Centenary City, as a free trade zone, would be exempted from both federal and state taxes, pointing out that it would also be exempted from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) property tax but the Nigerian government and the FCT stand to benefit as shareholders in the Centenary City Plc.

“The Abuja Centenary City as a Free Zone will enjoy complete holiday from all federal, state and local government taxes, rates, and levies. It will also enjoy duty free importation of capital goods, machinery/components, raw materials and consumable items in the zones. It will also benefit in waiver of all import and export licenses and there will be no FCT land registry charges,” he assured.

Another benefit, according to him, is that majority of the 87,000 jobs that would be created would be done by Nigerians.

In his words, “we will have 137,000 residents, and a bulk of the workers will be Nigerians, and in our estimate for every resident, two or three jobs would be created, which is close to about 300,00 or 400,000 jobs.

“There will be two stages of job creation which include the construction phase and the services stage. The first phase which is the five star hotel and residence would be completed within four years.”

Shergill ‎who assured that in building the Abuja Centenary City, those behind it will ascertain that the hills and the green areas remain, said they believe “Abuja has a tremendous growth. Every city needs a hub to power the growth. The Centenary City is that city, it will become a game changer for growth in Abuja.

“We are building the most iconic structures in Abuja and a mall which will be the biggest in Africa.”

The Executive Director said, the Centenary City is designed to help make Nigeria realise her vision of being one of the top 20 economies of the world by 2020. “So this is a historic moment and as you all know Nigeria has already established its credentials as the largest economy in Africa with a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of N510 billion. As the country becomes more urbanized, cities are increasingly becoming powering agents for the growth of the nation and the Centenary City will be one of those cities powering the growth of Abuja.

He said, The Address Abuja promises to introduce a new concept in Nigeria for hospitality and residential living with serviced villas and apartments.

“The Address Abuja in the Centenary City is designed to work in harmony with nature: an exclusive community becoming part of the natural landscape and offering both an impressive downtown skyline and peaceful suburban living.

“Set in a spectacular position, offering breath-taking views of Centenary City and the surrounding landscape, The Address Abuja will feature a luxury hotel with a comprehensive range of facilities to meet the needs of business and leisure visitors including a rich and diverse range of premier health and wellness facilities. Several dining options provide the residents and visitors with a wide range of options to enjoy global cuisines.

“The podium deck is the front door of the project, featuring a carefully detailed complex of private infinity pools and decks, concierge services, and the ultimate in club facilities, all within a resort atmosphere. The development aims to boost the Nigerian hospitality sector, bringing it at par with international standards across the globe.

Shergill, assured that the other partners of the Centenary City Plc, (the FCT and the Sovereign Wealth Fund) ‎have settled the issues of compensation to original owners of the area, even as he said the city will have its own power plant to ensure stable power supply.

Mohamed Alabbar, board member of Eagle Hills said: “ The Centenary City Abuja is a fitting tribute to the country on its 100th year of formation. Envisaged as a spectacular city hub, the 1,300-hectare community is the largest of its kind in Africa. The Address Residence Abuja will be the latest premier property embodying Eagle Hills’ progressive spirit.”

When completed, the Centenary City will be an interconnected, smart and intelligent city that will create several thousand new jobs and promote other sectors such as retail, hospitality and leisure.

Written By Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye of the Sun