The Nigerian Government has restated its commitment to provide decent, quality and affordable housing for all strata of Nigerians through the Renewed Hope Cities Project.
The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Mr Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, stated this when the Executive Governor of Taraba State, Agbu Kefas, paid a courtesy visit to the Ministry, in Abuja.
The Minister said that, under the “Renewed Hope Agenda” for Housing, the Government embraced a bold, audacious and innovative housing delivery approach that aims to explore possible collaborations and partnerships to make a sustainable impact.
Dangiwa said that the Federal Government, under the Renewed Hope Cities Project’s first phase, planned to build about 34, 500 houses nationwide, using a blend of the Federal Mortgage Bank, Federal Housing Authority and the Private-Public Partnerships (PPP).
“With this project alone, we aim to create over 240,000 jobs at 7 per housing unit. This is in line with Mr. President’s goal to create jobs, lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty and grow the economy. In doing this, the government was building for the 80 percent of Nigerians who fall within the non-income, low-income and medium-income brackets. We are focusing on affordability but without compromising quality,” he revealed.
He also said that the Ministry was working with the National Population Commission (NPC) to establish the actual housing deficit in the country.
“Our in-house estimates show that for us to meet the housing needs of Nigerians, we need to build about 550, 000 new homes per annum over a period of the next ten years,” he further stated.
Dangiwa said the Ministry had written to State Governors seeking about 50 hectares of land at no cost for Renewed Hope Cities, this, according to him, would make the Ministry deliver the houses at a price Nigerians could afford.
He also solicited the support of the Governor as the ministry planned to review the Land Use Act of 1978 to simplify land administration and make access to land easy, fast and affordable with the passage and adoption of the model mortgage foreclosure law establishing mortgage registries.
While speaking, the Governor of Taraba State, Agbu Kefas, who was accompanied by some of his Commissioners and Aides said they were in the ministry to seek collaboration with the ministry on infrastructure programmes that would benefit the people of Taraba.
Kefas said the State Government was ready to donate any amount of land that would bring housing development and appealed to the Ministry to expedite action on the construction of a new Federal Secretariat in Jalingo to ease office accommodation challenges faced by workers.
Dominica Nwabufo
