How Tent Group is Redefining Luxury Living and Creating iconic communities

Tent Group is primarily focused on the development of Infrastructures in her Estates, knowing that the base of an outstanding Estate is rooted in the Infrastructural provisions. And we do this with keen eyes on details and with utmost professionalism.

We also provide a platform where our subscribers can locate, monitor and access their plots online, the details and activities on their plots. This is particularly relevant to our clients that may be far from the location as it affords them the opportunity to see for themselves, the progress of work on their plots. All they need to do is to get registered on the platform, and search for their plot number and it brings out their desired view.

 

Are  you among high net worth individuals, the middle or low-income class searching for classy houses in Nigeria that convincingly match your taste and define your profile and status? Search no more. Tent Group Limited is here to give you even much more than you can ever imagine. Charles Nwakamma Chukwuemeka the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the group says the company has come in full force with passion and excellence to do something different, set higher standards, and deliver smart homes in the country’s bustling real estate sector

 

So, what’s he bringing to the market? The genre of smart homes on offer are energy efficient and gas efficient. They are thermal homes where you do not have so much heat. The experience in smart homes feels like you coming in and seeing virtually everything. They are almost like walking in with your clothes, and every other thing is available for you.

 

Prospective clients in the real estate market come with a variety of needs, tastes, and expectations. This, the company has fully analyzed and accommodated in its overall delivery and solutions strategies to satisfy its valued clients.

 

 

To satisfy the clients’ desires and specifications, Tent Group is focused on offering all building types that match their tastes and expectations, from 4 Bedroom Semi- Detached Duplexes to 4 Bedroom Terraces, 5 Bedroom Detached Duplexes and 6 Bedroom Detached Duplexes as well as 1,2&3 Bedroom Flats. The company also has semi-detached duplexes. Part of the unique offers Tent Group is bringing to the market for off-takers is mortgage protection.. This protection remains unprecedented in the industry and is not accessible by other real estate companies. It is a one-of-its-kind feature in the market.

“We brought this in to protect our clients and off takers from shocks and uncertainties arising from job losses, accidents, sicknesses that may render them incapable of building. In such cases, the insurance companies will come in and complete his building for him under this our offering. That is one of the things we are providing free of charge. We pay the premium on behalf of the off takers,” Chukwuemeka says.

 

Charles Nwakamma Chukwuemeka – Tent Group, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

 

What’s more? There are exquisite packages for Nigerians in Diaspora. The company says it has developed a robust thought process put together from conceptualization to initiating projects to meet the needs of Nigerians in Diaspora, knowing that the types of housing concepts in the UK, US and other climates are not available here. This has laid Tent Group under necessity to tailor the process in such a way that when it talks with you as a Diasporan you have the opportunity to explicitly say what you want.

Chukwuemeka told PLEASURES MAGAZINE: “We have a platform where you register. You tell us the type of house you want. We would design it from the conceptualization of the building to meet your need, and we would build it for you. You would be able to monitor the building from day one to the end of the project because when we initiate the project, we also plan it for you, we execute it for you, and finish it for you.

 

 

These are the processes we have put in place. It gives Nigerians in Diaspora a lot of confidence. You know that some of them have confidants like uncles, aunties, brothers and sisters to whom they had sent money in the past but the houses were not delivered. We have also made it comfortable and convenient for them because they are not paying 100 per cent of the project cost. So, from the time they pay as low as 10 per cent or 20 per cent of the cost, we start building for them.

For our Diasporans who are willing to come back to Nigeria, we have what we call rent-to-own. We can also build for you using our money. You come back and rent, and when you rent, you are actually paying for your house. So we know it will take you 5 years or 10 years as the case may be, to finish paying for the building. These are some of the packages that we have provided, especially for Diaspora Nigerians.”

 

Charles Nwakamma with wife and MD, Mrs Chizoba Charity Nwakamma

 

The clients targeted by the company cut across every sector, especially the corporate world, the NGOs, and the cooperatives. Wherever you belong-the high-end, the mid-market and the low end of the market- the company has offerings for you . It also looks at blue-chip companies, and has a lot for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), DPR and the cooperatives of the DSS. What this means? A clear indication that the company is building for every individual and depending on where you work, can meet your and even exceed your need when it comes to providing you a home. This, Chukwuemeka says, constitutes Tent Group’s major priority.

 

 

The estimate of housing deficit in Nigeria prints at well above 17 million, and the company says the challenge of filling this gap is one of its reasons for coming into the real estate industry to see how the various tiers of government (federal, states, and local governments can help in mitigating this huge number.

The CEO of Tent Group Limited says: “I have passion for real estate with respect to the level of work that has been going on in the sector. We wanted to come in and do something different. That is my passion with excellence, to ensure that we come in with what we call smart homes that are not readily available in our real estate market. The excellence we want to bring into the real estate sector has helped us to set higher standards. I derive tremendous joy and happiness when I deliver a home to a client. The joy I see that the client will get gives me a lot of happiness. So, this is the summary of my coming into the real estate sector.”

 

 

He adds: “It is not mere rhetoric. We know that if the government decides to come in to look at the constitution which vests the entire power in the Governors or the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), we the estate developers will have a way forward. The enabling environment that the government is preaching is to give the estate developers and individuals the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O). Individuals and estate developers pay fees and are willing to pay, but in most cases, we wait for five years for the C of O to come. You know that if your documents are not certified, they are not bankable anywhere in the world, even locally. We keep battling with Right of Occupancy and Letter of Intent with the Governments. So, if the Government wants us to help in building a lot of homes as quickly as possible, the Land Use Act needs to be urgently reviewed by making sure that the C of O is quickly secured with relative ease. That will help in bringing in a lot of funds and speed up activities in the real estate sector.

 

 

“Also, they have talked about the sovereign fund through which they want to give out a lot of money to private developers. There was an initial programme that was instituted by the Federal Staff Loans Board. Through that system, it was working, but after some time, it was stopped. If the federal Government can continue to provide enough fund to the Federal Housing Loans Board and it is extended to the individuals and developers, it will go a long way and reduce the rate at which mortgage banks give out loans. The federal Government’s fiscal policy is important in stabilising the currency. Otherwise, this affects the cost of materials in the market. So, we hope that the federal Government will tactfully string these things together in order to mitigate the huge housing deficit in the country.”

 

 

Clearly, Tent Group is out to champion innovativeness in the country’s real estate sector. The responsibilities that go with this are enormous. This is, however, understood by the group that has remained pragmatic in dilating the frontiers of the sector.

Hear from Chukwuemeka: “One of the things you cannot avoid in championing the real estate sector is embracing new technologies. I can tell you quickly that in 2010, the company travelled as far as Philippines (Manila) and acquired a technology that is called Hardiflex Board. We ran through that technology with the federal capital territory through the development control department, and they found it exciting. We also brought in another technology called Wall Tile Forms. Wall Tile Forms are almost the same regular way of constructing. The only difference is that we just bring in strong panels that are malleable enough to hold the mixture of the cement, stones and sand. We just pour and it mixes. It gives you better finishes. In finishing out projects, we try to go into various innovations. In bringing that kind of technology, today, we also use Polystyrene for our decks. Polystyrene is also giving smooth finishes. Apart from polystyrene, we are using marine boards, unlike using the one by nine planks and wood for your columns and deckings. In embracing technology it gives you finer, better fishes at the end. So, technology is one of the core areas our company has put its hand on.”

 

 

Discerning individuals who worry so much about finishes and details in their homes of choice sure need to touch base with and talk to Tent Group. They would be left in awe if they do. Reason? Projects finishes constitute a major component of what the company does. “In projects finishes, the problem has always been that the professionals have been in the classrooms all their years. They have the Masters qualifications, but most of them have never been on sites. So it becomes difficult for them to deliver on proper finishing,” Chukwuemeka says. And has been done to overcome this? “We know already that from the Chinese market to the Spanish market to the locals that we have here we have consistently trained our staff, our artisans, our site workers, on the job, to enable them deliver proper finishes on any standard of houses needed. Finishes is one of our strongest hallmarks that sell our projects in the industry. Our finishes are excellent, and we do not compromise on quality. The quality of every project we do is key,” he adds.

 

 

What choice do you have when it comes to locations? The company has already gone steps ahead on this. What informs its choice of locations is tied to the needs of clients because it has highbrow society men, middle-income class, and the low-income group. Based on this, the company tries to strike a balance in land acquisition such as in Katampe extension, Maitama, Asokoro, and other locations, for the highbrow areas. For the middle-income class, it has phase 2, phase 3, and phase 4, and even phase 5, for the low-income, knowing that individuals are not equally endowed. “So, once you talk to us, we know exactly where you fit in, and we market those areas to you. So, in choosing locations, it helps us to meet market requests. That is basically what we do,” the company says.

 

Managing Director- Mrs. Chizoba Charity Nwakamma

 

Although the company has been around for some time and boasts milestone innovations and achievements in the industry, these have not come without challenges. The monetary and fiscal policies of the government have been exceedingly difficult and remain top among the major challenges being faced. The Tent Group CEO says that if the government can give a fixed rate for a certain period of time, what we call ‘to hedge the funds,’ maybe at certain rate for Naira on behalf of the real estate, this would help the cause of the industry. He is also of the view that members of MAN, especially Dangote, BUA, Larfage, Ibeto Cement companies, can help to leverage on the materials while they are being produced, giving them the enabling environment to add value to the production of these materials. “If you watched out what happened in the past two months, the price of cement rose almost 100 per cent. This is not good for the real estate sector at all. So, if these big companies can be made to maintain a fixed rate through the Consumer Protection Council for the real estate sector, this will go a long way in preserving the pricing of virtually all materials in the market. So, the government has a lot of roles to play, especially through the Consumer Protection Council to regulate the pricing of materials for the real estate sector. That will help.”

 

 

The challenges are numerous. These include the inconsistency of the fiscal and monetary policies of the government, the instability of the naira, the need to retrain employees, time lag in securing approvals from government (it takes 6 to 12 months to get approval). “Government policies are affecting our timely delivery of projects. We also have the issue of acquisition of land. It takes a lot to acquire land with the level of bureaucracy in place. These are some of the challenges we face. But we have been scaling those hurdles all the while and God has helped us to come this far so far,” he adds.

Chukwuemeka has a Word for the youths. He says: “I can tell you that what is driving the Asian world, the Chinese economy, is research and development. Every youth today should not wait until the Government gives them white-collar jobs. They are supposed to help the government in delivering lots of jobs. So, the government should support the youth to engage in research and development. We have a lot of brilliant young men out there who have a lot to offer. Today, my word for them is to not lose hope; they should remain consistent, and they should be focused. The end does not justify the means, but the end, most likely, gives you your dream.”

Contact details
Web: www.idealgrace.com.ng , www.tentgroup.com.ng
Email: [email protected], [email protected]
Instagram: @tent_grp
Tel: +234 907 777 7741