Minister of Housing and Urban Development in Nigeria, Ahmed Dangiwa has assured the Zamfara State Governor of the ministry’s commitment to ensuring that its citizens have access to affordable housing in the state.
Dangiwa gave this assurance when Governor Dauda Lawal Dare of the State paid a courtesy visit to his office in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
“At the ministry of Housing and Urban Development, we want to assure that we will provide all the support you required in your efforts to enhance decent, quality and affordable housing to your citizens,” the Minister stated.
He acknowledged and appreciated Governor Dare for the 50 hectares of land provided for the Renewed Hope Estate at no cost to the ministry, saying “free land, will make the houses affordable to the citizens.”
Dangiwa also assured the Governor that Zamfara state would be on the priority list of the ministry to benefit from subsequent building programmes of the ministry.
“Let us assure your Excellency that the ministry will ensure that Zamfara state is included in the next batch of the states to benefit from the programe,” he stated.
On National Housing Programme, NHP, the Minister said “I have also been informed that our officials are engaging with your team to which next week they are coming again regarding your interest in purchasing the unsold housing units under the National Housing Program in your state.”
Dangiwa noted that though the ministry had done a downward review of the prices of the houses as requested by the state government of Zamfara, he would look into it as to see how it could be further reviewed downward.
He stressed that the ministry was not making profits from sales of the houses.
Dangiwa also affirmed that the cost expended on infrastructure on the houses have been written-off to ensure affordability, saying “the ministry is aware that Zamfara state government would further subsidised for its citizens after buying them to ensure affordability.”
Dangiwa said;, “our aim is just to recover the cost of constructing these houses so we can build more for other Nigerians to benefit.”
The Minister affirmed that Zamfara state would benefit from the housing construction under PULAKU Initiative Housing Project of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, aimed at addressing the grievances and social exclusion of Fulani in the northwest and to also address the cause of banditry in the nation. He revealed that the ground breaking for Zamfara state would soon be done.
While acknowledging that Zamfara state government has also provided land for construction of houses for actualisation of PULAKU Initiative in the state in addition to the land provided for Renewed Hope Estate, the Minister gave assurance that the ministry would always collaborate with the state government.
Governor of Zamfara State, Dr. Dauda Dare said they were in the ministry to appeal to the minister for his intervention to fast track the completion of the agreement between the ministry and Zamfara state on purchase of the NHP housing units in the state as it would enable the state take over the structure.
Dare noted the Zamfara state being bedeviled with many challenges like insecurity, lack of infrastructure, housing care among others, would need the intervention of the ministry to provide decent, quality and affordable houses for its citizen because tackling the challenges has taken a toll on the state’s finances.
He said, “I want to appeal that Zamfara state should always be considered as one of the first in any structured you are going to put in place bearing in mind some of the situations the state is facing.”
Mercy Chukwudiebere
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