The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Musa Ahmed Dangiwa, has disclosed that the the Ministry has planned to build 550,000 homes anually in order to reduce housing deficit in country. He made this disclosure during a courtesy visit of the Acting Comptroller – General of the Nigerian Immigration Services, Caroline Wura-Ola Adepoju. The Minister told the Acting Comptroller that the two agencies of his ministry ; the Federal Mortgage Bank and Federal Housing Authority, would be able to deliver affordable housing for all cadres of officers of the Immigration service.
He explained that the federal government has set to reform the federal housing agencies such as federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria and Federal Housing Authority to enable them function optimally and efficiently to deliver decent, quality and affordable housing to Nigerians in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Pointing out the importance and peculiarities of each agency, the Minister said, ” While the FMBN focuses on affordable housing using single digit interest rates and long tenors of up to 30-years to contributors to the National Housing Fund (NHF) Scheme, the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) has the flexibility to develop houses for both the low- and high-income earners.” “These two institutions should be able to meet and deliver on the goals of your agency to deliver affordable housing to all cadres of the hardworking Immigration Officers”, he added.
Accordingly, the Minister revealed that his ministry is working with the National Population Commission (NPC) to establish the actual housing deficit, explaining that an in-house estimate show that 550, 000 new homes are needed to be built per annum over the next ten years to meet the housing needs of Nigerians, describing it a massive size of housing challenge . Dangiwa further revealed that the federal government has planned to build Renewed Hope Cities nationwide with the first phase delivering 34,500 homes in selected cities and state capitals across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Describing the types and patterns of housing units to be built in these cities, the minister said that the houses would comprise of 1,2,3- bedroom affordable bungalows and multi-level flats catering for low to medium income earners while high income earners would be catered for under Public Private Partnership with reputable developers to build elegant terrace and detached bungalows as well as duplexes, noting the cities would be a symbol of inclusivity where every Nigerian family regardless of their level of income could own a home.
On funding the proposed Renewed Hope Cities, the minister stated that the budgetary allocation for the Ministry, Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria and the Public Private Partnership with reputable developers in the country, pointing out that the collaboration would not only create a new era in housing development but would also ensure that every Nigerian could afford a place they could proudly call home.
Earlier in her remarks, the Acting Comptroller General of Immigrations, Caroline Wura-Ola Adepoju, appealed to the Honourable Minister to consider the officers of the Nigeria Immigration Services in the commencement of its housing programmes nationwide.
She said that the utmost dream of every immigration officer to acquire a decent home to live after retirement have not been achievable due the high price tag put on it by private developers.
Badamasi Salisu Haiba
Deputy Director Information
Saturday, October 21, 2023
