An Appraisal of ‘Developer-Finance’ Option for the Redevelopment of Family Properties in Lagos, Nigeria

Family properties bequeathed by deceased parents are to be found in considerable numbers within the core and central business district (CBD) of most Nigerian older cities. A number of these properties are old and derelict having suffered considerable physical deterioration and functional obsolescence. Such properties are therefore not making the highest and best use of their respective sites while they possess considerable latent values waiting to be released by injecting capital into their redevelopment. However, given their ownership structure and title deficiency among others, this category of properties hardly qualifies for funding through the conventional methods. More often than not, ‘developer-finance’ happens to provide the only pliable method of financing their redevelopment. Regretfully, this mode of financing often runs into trouble with the project either poorly executed or abandoned midway. This paper examines the manner in which ‘developerfinance’ is currently practiced in Lagos Metropolis with a view to identifying grey areas and making recommendations for needful improvement. The study revealed, among others, that the use of ‘developer finance’ in the study area is limited in scope - limited to certain geographical areas, certain categories of properties, and also limited in terms of the scale of development. The study also revealed a number of fundamental but avoidable pitfalls which tend to endanger the practice and aggravate the associated risks. Remedies are suggested to forestall abuses and eliminate observed lapses.Key words: Developer-finance, Inherited property, Redevelopment, Nigeria

Computerized decision aid for first-time homebuyers

Technology-mediated assistance in house purchasing decision is evidenced in many developed countries, however, in Malaysia less study was found although the decision challenges faced by first-time homebuyers are undeniable. This study attempts to embed technology assistance in the prominent consumer decision-making process model for the purpose of assisting first time homebuyers to make a house purchasing decision. This study employs mixed method approaches with Klang Valley, Malaysia as case study. 19 housing attributes under Locational, Neighborhood, Structural and Social Cultural group, are surveyed to validate the distinctive nature of the attributes to be part of the decision-making criteria. Factor analysis is performed on 320 data from the potential first-time homebuyers in Klang Valley. Two key factors are confirmed from the analysis; which are needs (i.e. Locational and Structural) and preferences (i.e. Neighborhood and Social Cultural). Both factors are later embedded in the proposed design model of computerized decision aid for homebuyers. The model is then evaluated through expert reviews and data was analysed qualitatively using thematic analysis. Four themes emerged from the analysis, which are Suggestion, Concern, Strength, and Limitation. Meaningful discovery on how would the future applications may have an impact is made through analysing themes with negative connotation like Concern and Limitation. The focused themes also reflect actual insights from the industry’s key players, which are useful for improvement of the proposed design model and towards more effective computerized decisionaid for first-time homebuyers

Outcomes after perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with proximal femoral fractures: an international cohort study

Objectives Studies have demonstrated high rates of mortality in people with proximal femoral fracture and SARS-CoV-2, but there is limited published data on the factors that influence mortality for clinicians to make informed treatment decisions. This study aims to report the 30-day mortality associated with perioperative infection of patients undergoing surgery for proximal femoral fractures and to examine the factors that influence mortality in a multivariate analysis. Setting Prospective, international, multicentre, observational cohort study. Participants Patients undergoing any operation for a proximal femoral fracture from 1 February to 30 April 2020 and with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection (either 7 days prior or 30-day postoperative). Primary outcome 30-day mortality. Multivariate modelling was performed to identify factors associated with 30-day mortality. Results This study reports included 1063 patients from 174 hospitals in 19 countries. Overall 30-day mortality was 29.4% (313/1063). In an adjusted model, 30-day mortality was associated with male gender (OR 2.29, 95% CI 1.68 to 3.13, p80 years (OR 1.60, 95% CI 1.1 to 2.31, p=0.013), preoperative diagnosis of dementia (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.15 to 2.16, p=0.005), kidney disease (OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.18 to 2.55, p=0.005) and congestive heart failure (OR 1.62, 95% CI 1.06 to 2.48, p=0.025). Mortality at 30 days was lower in patients with a preoperative diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 (OR 0.6, 95% CI 0.6 (0.42 to 0.85), p=0.004). There was no difference in mortality in patients with an increase to delay in surgery (p=0.220) or type of anaesthetic given (p=0.787). Conclusions Patients undergoing surgery for a proximal femoral fracture with a perioperative infection of SARS-CoV-2 have a high rate of mortality. This study would support the need for providing these patients with individualised medical and anaesthetic care, including medical optimisation before theatre. Careful preoperative counselling is needed for those with a proximal femoral fracture and SARS-CoV-2, especially those in the highest risk groups. Trial registration number NCT0432364