The Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, has performed the Groundbreaking Ceremony of the redevelopment of DIG Quarters in Maitama, Abuja.
A project which has been approved by the Federal Executive Council and being executed by smart estates developer, Cosgrove Investment Limited, under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) with the Nigeria Police.
The chosen PPP arrangement comprises design, finance, build, lease, and transfer property.
The Inspector General, who performed the infrastructure commencement ceremony at the M.D. Yusuf quarters, expressed confidence in the technical expertise and financial capability of Cosgrove Investment Limited to deliver a world-class smart gated community of six-bedroom villas for senior officers of the Police Management Team.
He stated that Cosgrove earned the confidence of the Police Management team after painstaking scrutiny of competent real estate development companies that came forward for the offer, and affirmed that Cosgrove has a track record of quality and delivery attainable anywhere in the world and therefore, the complex task was entrusted to them.
Cosgrove is Nigeria’s technology-inclined real estate development company that gained public confidence after successfully building the Cosgrove Smart Estates at Wuye, Mabushi & Guzape, which are all fully automated estates in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
He added that it is one of the oldest buildings that the police have constructed in Abuja to accommodate its senior officers.
Speaking about the challenges that necessitated the redevelopment project, he said, “I was privileged to live in this estate for two years while I was Force Secretary, and I recall how I suffered as a result of the state of infrastructure. I had to look for bowls and dishes to place where leakages were pouring from.”
The Inspector General emphasized the need for senior police officers to live in befitting homes, stating that some houses have already been built for junior staff and other ranks in the police through collaboration with other estate developers.
The Inspector General also expressed the desire for Cosgrove to consider imparting technical expertise in construction matters to the technical staff of the Police Construction Company. He noted that the Police Construction Company needs to upscale its expertise to handle complex projects such as the redevelopment of M.D. Yusuf Quarters. The Nigeria Police aims to strengthen its own construction company to handle future projects.
The Inspector General commended the Minister of Police Affairs, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, and the Ministry of Justice for their support.
He also acknowledged the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) for diligently executing their respective statutory responsibilities that led to the commencement of the project execution.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Cosgrove Investment Limited, Mr. Umar Abdullahi, described the groundbreaking ceremony as historic for Cosgrove and its stakeholders. He assured that the redevelopment of DIG Quarters would be impactful and he celebrated it as a monumental achievement for the company.
Mr. Abdullahi explained that Cosgrove diligently participated in the rigorous PPP process, which led to the groundbreaking ceremony. He expressed gratitude to the Nigerian Police for conducting a technical evaluation of their proposal and acknowledged the ICRC, the Ministry of Justice, and the FCT administration for their assessment and approval of the project.
He highlighted Cosgrove’s ideological foundation of doing things differently while meeting the housing needs of stakeholders. He guaranteed that the company would deliver the project in compliance with the signed PPP agreement, employing the best cutting-edge solutions for its completion.
Mr. Umar Abdullahi acknowledged the important role of police officers in national stability and their command of respect. He emphasized that the project would be delivered using Cosgrove’s renowned innovative solutions. Once completed, the estate would serve the Nigeria Police Force Adequately, fulfilling the obligation to provide befitting housing units for the DIGs.
With Cosgrove’s expertise and commitment, the Nigeria Police and the Federal Government can fulfill their obligation to provide modern and befitting accommodation for the top brass of the force.
