1004 Housing Estate, A History

The colorful facade of this huge housing community on Victoria Island has been a landmark in that area for years. When you drive by, do you wonder how it got the name 1004? do you also think about how it is possible to effectively manage an estate with so many residents? Or maybe you may be curious about its history. Walk with me…

The estate originally called Federal Housing Estate, Lagos, was built in the 1970s to house families of senators and members of the House of Representatives. When the seat of the government moved to Abuja, its maintenance was eventually handed over to a private development company in a 7 billion naira deal that was the biggest that year. Since then, its history has been convoluted and quite interesting.

Contrary to popular belief, there are more than 1004 apartments within its walls but the 1004 moniker has stuck. At the time it was built, it was one of the largest residential structures in the whole of West Africa. This architectural feat was the brainchild of one of the first four Architecture graduates in Nigeria; Arch. Fola Alade of blessed memory (he died in June 2021). The structure and design are indeed a testament to his architectural genius.

The living community is not without its controversies though. There have been different incidents over the years ranging from fraud to theft and a jumper in 2021 (yes, someone jumped from one of its high floors). There was even an ownership dispute that involved business moguls Aliko Dangote and Oba Otudeko which led to several court cases. 

Residents have also raised issues concerning the maintenance culture, insecurity, and transparency in the Estate which has also led to heated protests in the past. One such protest rocked the living community last year when the generating set powering the estate caught fire.

Venco’s Role In Improving Security at 1004 Housing Estate

Despite all these issues, the 1004 Housing Estate remains a famous cultural and architectural fixture of the Lagos landscape. Venco is helping to improve the living experience in this historic estate with our access control solutions. We help in managing access to the estate as well as their shared facilities, which has improved security considerably and has increased resident’s confidence and safety.

Join us next time as we delve deep into another Venco community and how our solutions are shaping the real estate landscape in Nigeria and Africa as a whole, one household at a time.