Landmark Africa Group to Decontaminate IC, Unveils Village’s Reopening Strategy

Bennett Oghifo

Landmark Africa Group, the promoter of Landmark Village, a high-profile business and play centre in Victoria Island, Lagos, has put systems in place to ensure the wellbeing of visitors and smooth running of all its facilities, in response to the new normal thrown up on account of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Economic activities in the Landmark Village, disrupted temporarily, include the Landmark Towers, Landmark Convention Centre, Landmark Boulevard, among others. But these are expected to bounce back with the relaxation of the lockdown rules. Some tenants are said to be back.

Landmark’s full reopening strategies include planned decontamination procedures to be put in place to safeguard stakeholders and the general public who visit the village. This was the focus of a virtual press conference, with the theme ‘Working During a Pandemic–A Review of Landmark’s Preparedness’.

The need to make the reopening strategies public was necessitated by Landmark’s strategic role in the work and play business, which attracts not less than 10,000 visitors daily to the village, according to the Head of Projects at Landmark Africa, Enyinna Okorafor.

It was for the same reason the decontamination process of the facility was discussed, considering the fact that a 80-bed Centre for the isolation and treatment of Coronavirus patients (COVID-19) was donated at the Landmark Village in Eti Osa Local Government Area, Lagos.

The standard isolation and treatment centre constructed and fitted to specification, was built on 2,500 square metres of land off the main business area and has dedicated entrance and exit gates.

The isolation centre was delivered through a tripartite public-private partnership (PPP), consisting Landmark Africa, the Lagos State government and the Young Presidents’ Association (YPO), representing various private individuals and corporate donors. It was unveiled by the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, recently.

According to the Chief Executive Officer, Landmark Africa, Paul Onwuanibe, the partnership was an opportunity to serve the Eti Osa community and Lagos State residents, given the support and patronage the organisation has enjoyed from them over the years.

“We live in some of the turbulent and challenging times going by the health and economic crisis we are facing. Activities have been disrupted, people can’t congregate physically. We have to find a way to keep our businesses going. We have spent the last few weeks of the lockdown upgrading our facilities and we look forward to come out stronger and better,” he said.

Onwuanibe said the group participated in setting up the isolation centre to give back to the community it operates and support the efforts to flatten the curve of COVID-19.

“The world is pulling together private and public resources to fight the coronavirus pandemic and as a responsible corporate citizen, it was important for us to contribute our quota to ensure prompt treatment and help reduce the spread of COVID-19 in Eti Osa LGA,” he said.

All the protocols evoked by the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) would be in play at the Landmark Village, not only to keep visitors and tenants safe, but also to rebuild their confidence to ensure stress-free visits.

This is regardless of the fact that the business and leisure facilities are set apart from the isolation centre. “We must make it clear that the isolation and treatment centre is a physically independent and completely isolated operation within Landmark.

“Regular visitors to Landmark will have absolutely no interaction with the centre or its activities. Our partners, tenants, visitors, neighbours and the community are able to carry out their normal activities both inside and outside our premises with ease once the lockdown directive has been reversed. Together with the YPO, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the state government, there are also stringent and World Health Organisation (WHO) approved decontamination measures in place both now and once the centre is de-commissioned,” Okorafor said.

During the inauguration of the isolation centre, Okorafor lauded the swift construction process that led to the prompt delivery of the centre, adding that they are immensely proud to have delivered the facility within three weeks of commencement.

He added that with over two decades’ experience as a property services company, the company’s detailed construction processes helped it deliver the project seamlessly and to ensure that it was ready for use within the stipulated time.

Landmark promoters went into partnership with Boecker Public Health Services to decontaminate the isolation centre in a safe and secure manner, using the protocol adopted during the Ebola crisis, he said.

Chairman, Board of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Dr. Richardson Ajayi said the isolation centre would be decontaminated.

He said, as things stand, the decommissioning of the tents would be done by the middle of July when the COVID-19 crisis is expected to be over.

Speaking during the unveiling ceremony, Sanwo-Olu lauded the parties on the level of preparedness, stating that although the state had taken over the facility, but it would be operated in collaboration with the private sector, “I am happy with the level of preparedness I have seen.”

All is set for the switch to play mode at the Hard Rock Café and other facilities at the Landmark Village.