Imo deputy governor decries high cost of building materials

From **George Onyejiuwa, **Owerri

The Deputy Governor of Imo State, Chinyere Ekomaru, described real estate as a major driver of economic development, noting its capacity to create jobs and stimulate growth.

She, however, lamented the high cost of building materials, which she said remains a challenge to developers, but commended Governor Hope Uzodimma for sanitising the sector.

Lady Ekomaru stated this at the opening ceremony of the “Gold in Real Estate” Conference 2026, held in Owerri, the Imo State capital, with the theme “Beyond Collaboration”.

She said the Uzodimma administration has put an end to land racketeering, land grabbing, and other sharp practices that, hitherto, discouraged investors.

Ekomaru added that the state government has created an enabling environment for investment, noting that the 2025 Imo Investment Summit had opened the state to new investment opportunities.

“This administration has put an end to the issue of land racketeering, land forgeries, double allocation, land grabbing that had discouraged investors. Again, the Uzodimma administration has created an enabling environment for investors. The Imo State Investment Summit of 2025 is a clear indication that the state is ready for investors and getting land allocation has been simplified”.

Earlier, Commissioner for Lands, Survey and Physical planning, Clement Nwabiuche, said that the Uzodimma administration, in order to curb the manifold sharp practices in land administration, has established a central system, and once a land has been allocated to someone, that the plot number of that would effectively be blocked.

“During the Rochas Okorocha’s administration the master plan of Owerri by Ndubuisi Kanu was distorted, and this brought confusion as two people laid claims to the land allocation. We have about 1,500 petitions as lands were re-allocated. But this current administration has a centralised system which has made it possible to curb the sharp practices in the allocation of lands in the state for either real estate development and for businesses. Once you have been allocated a plot of land, the plot number is entered into the system and blocked, so that the same land cannot be re-allocated”, he said.

Speaking on the theme, “Trust Is Built Before Transactions”, the guest speaker, Rev. Bethel Nwanebu, said character remains the bedrock of sustainable business. He said while a transaction can be concluded within a day, it is trust that guarantees continuity in business.

“Our decisions, character, and conversations matter. A transaction can be completed in a day, but trust is what matters”, Nwanebu said.

He warned that character without competence could be dangerous, stressing the need for real estate operators to engage qualified professionals, including architects, surveyors, and engineers, in project execution.

In his remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of Biz Map Company, the convener of the conference, Mr. Nnamdi Umeh, said the event was organised to restore confidence in the real estate sector.

“We convened this conference because real estate is not just about buying and selling land, it is about building trust. In Imo, today, the government has provided the enabling environment, and it is our responsibility as developers to complement that effort with integrity, transparency, and professional delivery,” he said.

Umeh assured that Biz Map Company remains committed to providing genuine and affordable properties with verifiable titles for Ndi Imo and other investors.

The event was attended by investors, built-environment professionals, captains of industry, and other key players in the real estate industry.

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