The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG)-owned mixed-use development, Trinity Towers, which incorporates the City of David Church alongside commercial and leisure facilities, has earned EDGE certification, the green building certification offered by the International Finance Corporation (IFC).

Opened in 2023, Trinity Towers is a unique and innovative development comprising three towers, South, Central and North Towers, integrated into a single structure, the first of its kind in West Africa. The 12-floor complex is strategically located in Oniru, Victoria Island, Lagos, within one of the city’s rapidly growing commercial hubs.

The development features a multi-storey car park with split levels accommodating approximately 673 vehicles, a gymnasium and wellness centre, medical centre, recreational zone, and access potential by air, land and water.

Other facilities include electric vehicle charging stations to support sustainable mobility, ATM counters for seamless transactions, tenant-dedicated external and rooftop garden terraces protected by lattice frameworks, 12 passenger lifts, two goods lifts, two escalators, and a culinary hub offering a variety of dining options.

The certification, presented in Lagos by EDGE certifier GBCI, makes Trinity Towers one of the commercial office buildings in Nigeria to attain EDGE certification.

An innovation of IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, EDGE is an online platform, green building standard and certification system available globally. It was developed in response to the need for a measurable solution that demonstrates the financial benefits of building green while helping to accelerate the adoption of sustainable buildings.

EDGE enables building professionals to identify the most cost-effective ways to develop environmentally sustainable buildings based on occupant behaviour, building type and local climate conditions.

Commenting on the achievement, Group Chief Executive Officer of GPFI Holding, Dr MKO Balogun, who served as the EDGE expert on the project, described the certification process as highly collaborative.

“The process to achieve this was collaborative, with contributions from the church project team, GPFI and IFC teams. We are excited that we achieved the green building certification for the project,” he said.

While recognising previous EDGE experts who worked on the project, Balogun commended the architects and developers of Trinity Towers for integrating efficiency and sustainability into the project from inception, noting that their technical expertise and commitment to innovation made the certification possible.

Representative of Pastor Kayode Pitan of the City of David Church, Emeka Okide, an engineer, thanked GPFI for ensuring the certification process was completed despite initial delays.

He explained that the vision of the church was to create a unique three-tower mixed-use integrated development built above the 4,500-capacity auditorium to serve multiple purposes.

Okide expressed optimism that the certification would help tenants and users appreciate the value of occupying a green-certified building.

“We believe that building green allows us to reduce our consumption of natural resources and minimise the environmental impact of our buildings. Commercially, ensuring we have a lower carbon footprint not only reduces operational costs but also lowers occupancy costs for tenants,” he said.

Presenting the EDGE certificate to the Trinity Towers team, IFC’s Green and Resilient Built Environment Lead for Nigeria, Mrs Temilola Sonola, commended the vision behind the development and the determination of both the church and GPFI teams to secure the certification.

She highlighted the long-term value that a certified green building would deliver to the developers, church, tenants, users and the wider community, while stressing the importance of sustaining and expanding the standard achieved.

“May this building stand as a benchmark for green, future-proof development in Nigeria,” Sonola added.