Real estate investment promotion expert, My-ACE China, who just emerged Man of the Year in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has asserted that Port Harcourt zone has talents many times more than the Lagos zone, but that lack of sponsorship is the bane to the Port Harcourt entity.

China, who is more known as Mayor of Housing, made the assertion at the award event in the Garden City last weekend where he also announced plans to push Port Harcourt entertainment industry to compete with Lagos.

The award was announced by board of trustees of the DMOMA Awards Academy in Port Harcourt at the week where the organisers also declared his company, the Construction and Housing Mayor Limited, as the brand promoter of the year, the third in a row.

The award ceremony which was held at the Arena Event centre in the GRA area of Port Harcourt was attended by topmost dignitaries across sectors of the society.

The organisers led by Ezebunwo Nyeche (chairman) and Stephen Chidiebere Okoye (Awards organizer) said in a statement that China was picked for his support and impact to small and medium enterprises in Rivers State, his media footsteps and his consistent propagation and promotion of Rivers State. They noted that China won over 10 prestigious awards in 2024 alone on his track to promote Port Harcourt as a brand destination and Rivers as a peaceful state.

Handing the award to China, the organisers said the Mayor of Housing always comes to the rescue of events that aim to promote Rivers State, saying the DMOMA Awards would be held in two more cities in 2025.

Responding, China said: “There is more talent in Port Harcourt but there is more support in Lagos to artistes than in Port Harcourt. So, the top talents in Port Harcourt work 10 times harder than those in Lagos to attract sponsorship.”

He also said Nigeria has a treasure base which is Port Harcourt but that the treasure is not oil and gas but talents. He said he was highly elated to win the honour of Man of the Year with his firm winning brand of the year.

Read also: Nigeria needs N21trn to close housing deficit – Mayor of Housing

In an interview, the CEO said he was particularly impressed with the diligence demonstrated by the organisers and the processes they used to pick winners every year.

He also said the victory showed attention paid by the organisers to unveil the personality behind the corporate masquerade, not just focusing on the company. “It actually reaffirms one of my quotes that a brand can only grow as big as the character of the visioner behind it.”

On his plans to help Port Harcourt compete with Lagos, China said 2025 will meet him doing things with the youths of Rivers State to push the Port Harcourt brand in the social media and rally the traditional press to create a positive narrative of Rivers State beyond violence and political negativity. “The Garden City has not been enjoying the best of media perception for some years now but this is the first time we have a governor committed to non-political bias in doing his work. He does not consider whether you are a member of his party or not before doing what is right. For the first time, we have a true father of the state to all, and he has been diligently following the blue print that stakeholders developed at the last Rivers Economic and Investment Summit, making sure he is doing it without political cronyism.”

He said his company would be building the biggest estate and the best, the ‘Alesa Sustainable Smart City, to move from brand perception to brand experience so as to move Rivers State to the next level.

He appealed to entrepreneurs not to be carried away by the old perception but to join the new way. “Position yourself because there is going to be a boom. People are rushing into Port Harcourt and new entrants may take the ground. Think expansion not contraction, think investment not divestment. Else, you miss it.”

To fellow estate investors, he admonished them to gear up for regulation. “It is no longer going to be business as usual especially for land peddling and land grabbing. Try to grow up because tangible development is going to take over.

“It is no longer going to be who sells the most land but who develops the most houses. The housing deficit in the land requires effective land development strategies. Any serious land seller should grow into a housing developer because developments are going to be coming into Rivers State and a lot of people are coming into the state.”

He said those that have grown to be developers will be many times richer than those that are just starting or are mere land sellers and peddlers. People should also position themselves because all the foreign investments and local ones will take advantage of this influx.

He went on: “The value of influx is coming, so prepare and take advantage. Be one of those that are big enough to take advantage. Remaining small will not be good but grow big in your products, in your services, because the market is going to grow big.”