CHAPTER ONE 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
In a published report on Business Day by Chuka Uroko (2015), he explained that, Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt, Nigeria’ commercial, administrative and petroleum industry capitals respectively, are the top real estate investment destinations, and account for as high as 65 percent of all activities in this asset class, a report by the National Bureau of Statistics has revealed. The report indicated that Lagos has the greatest amount of real estate activities at 37 percent, followed by Abuja with 22 percent and Port Harcourt (Rivers State) with 6 percent, all covering 65 percent of real estate activities in the country. The trio, often regarded as Nigeria’s traditional cities, have seen increased tempo of activity in real estate development and much of the investments that have gone into real estate in the country in the last decade were concentrated in these cities. Nigeria’s has a burgeoning real estate sector, which by the GDP rebasing exercise in the country in April 2014, was discovered to be the fastest growing and sixth largest sector in the Nigerian economy, explaining the rising level of investment in the sector by both local and foreign investors.
Foreign direct investment (FDI) is defined as “an investment in which a firm acquires a substantial controlling interest in a foreign firm (above 10 percent share) or sets up a subsidiary in a foreign country” (Chen, 2000). The International Monetary Fund adds “the investor’s purpose is to have an effective voice in the management of the enterprise”. FDI is not only a financial transaction between two foreign enterprises, in which one company invests in the capital of the other one. This transaction gives to the investor lasting management of the company and a direct control over assets. FDI investors take in whole or in part the control of the