The Anambra State Government has commenced a full enforcement exercise at Awka Millennium City Estate in Agu Awka, urging property owners and developers to begin construction on their allocated lands to ensure orderly development and transform the area into a functional residential community.
The exercise was carried out through the Awka Capital Territory Development Authority during a routine enforcement operation in Awka on Friday. Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of ACTDA, Mr Ossy Onuko, said the action was part of the agency’s ongoing Operation Keep Awka Clean initiative aimed at strengthening urban planning and development standards within the capital territory.
Onuko explained that many individuals who acquired government allocated lands failed to commence development within the stipulated three year period agreed at the point of allocation. He said the continued delay had hindered the vision of developing the estate into a vibrant residential environment.
He stated that the government would no longer tolerate land speculation, stressing that all allocated lands must serve their intended purposes. According to him, ACTDA is working closely with the Anambra State Ministry of Lands to enforce development guidelines, revoke undeveloped plots where necessary, and reassign them to developers who are willing and ready to build within approved timelines.
Also speaking, the Head of the Development Control Unit of ACTDA, Mr Charles Ekwunife, described the slow pace of development in the estate as disappointing. He said the estate was designed to be a flagship residential project in Awka but had fallen far below expectations.
Earlier, the Facility Manager of Awka Millennium City Estate, Mrs Nwanneka Nwachukwu, confirmed that development in the estate had not reached 20 percent. She said the estate management had repeatedly engaged property owners through meetings, emails, and sensitisation programmes to encourage construction.
She commended ACTDA for its intervention, noting that the move supports the goal of building a functional and secure residential community. The enforcement exercise comes amid the state government’s wider urban renewal drive, which has included demolition of illegal structures and unapproved developments across major cities in Anambra State.
