THE  World Trade Centre in the Federal capital city, Abuja, is unique in many respects. It is the first 25-storey building in the city and located at the Central Business Area, dwarfing all other structures in the city. In this interview the property consultant, Mr.  Kenneth Njoku explains the concept behind the complex and what the nation’s economy stands to gain from the Centre. Excerpts:

By Emma Ujah, Abuja bureau chief

IDEA behind the Abuja World Trade centre
The concept behind the World Trade Centre, as the name indicates is a brand, a worldwide brand.  Many developed countries are using it.  A key example is the one in New York.  When one hears World Trade Centre, the one in New York readily comes to mind. The concept is that it is a modern market; a trade zone where you have everything that you can actually think of in business in one strategic location.

So we are looking at commercial towers for banking halls, oil and gas corporate offices, headquarters of conglomerates and an address for international organisations as well as a shopping mall.
The other section will be residential. In that area, too we are looking at leisure- so we will have hotels. It is a comfort zone.

Seven towers
It is something that will boost the economy because in that complex, we are building seven towers.  It will give employment to Nigerians.  People will be working there when the complex is completed.

Having residential apartments in a work environment
When you have a residential area, which we call the serviced apartments adjacent the commercial towers, it gives you straight access.  You don’t have to look for a car or taxi to take you to your office.  You can just walk from home to your office, as well as, walk to the shopping malls where you can buy whatever you need.  It takes away from you all the stress of traffic.

If you have visitors or conferences to attend in the commercial towers, you can simply walk from the residence to the venue and it is very comfortable.  What we are looking at is quality, comfort and worldwide class. Living where you are working is what the complex provides.    It is the first time we are having such a product in our country.

Corporate organisations taking up offices in the WTC
The World Trade Centre operates like a club of a high network of businesses.  When you are doing business at the WTC, it is totally different from having an office in any other part of the city.  What you have in the WTC is a high network of people not just of Nigerians or Africans but global players in one complex. Global businesses  thrive on networking, connections.  At the WTC, you don’t need to go out to look for the connections.  All the connections you need are in there.  You have it at your finger tips.
Don’t forget, it’s a world class brand.  When you are asked, ‘where is your office and you say that office is at the WTC’, it means so much to businessmen.

Security of tenants in view of global terrorism
If you come to the complex right now, even before it is completed, the security there is world class.  We are going to have seven towers and that means that we are going to have a mega security station in that complex.  Like I said earlier, it is an international brand and that means there is a standard that must be maintained.

We recognise that security is one of the issues we have in this country and therefore we are putting all necessary measures in place to ensure that individuals and their properties are safe.  Talking about insurance, that is guaranteed; talking about fire disasters, that is also guaranteed.
Every individual that works there will have an access card so no stranger can walk into that complex without an access card. Everybody will have his own record.  It is all computerised.

Use of shopping mall and individual cards
For the shopping, it will have its own access which will be open to the public.  There is a different route into the mall.  But you can’t access the main complex from the mall.  The railway that is being constructed by the Federal government passes by the mall so one can actually get to the mall by rail or by road because there will be a rail station by the complex.

If you come out of the Metro, you head straight into the mall where the security is five-star.  Those in the commercial towers can access the mall because there is a connection but those who just came to the mall for purchases cannot get to the commercial towers from there.

Completion date
In a matter of one year, the first phase will be completed. The first phase consist of one commercial tower and one block of serviced- apartment.  If you drive through the Central Area, you will see that the facade is already up.  So we are running at a very high speed. We have 22 floors of the commercial tower and 25 floors of the serviced-apartments.

Design of serviced apartments
One bedroom; two bedroom, three, four- we have villas inside there. Right now there is mad rush for the serviced apartments and the commercial towers to the extent that we have a waiting list.
We are not telling people to give us money then we build for them.  No,  the funds are there already and we have trust and credibility because of the good brand we have.