The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc Ahmed Musa Dangiwa has revealed that his ministry is working with the National Population Commission (NPC) to establish the actual housing deficit in the Country.
The minister made this disclosure when he received the Acting Comptroller – General of the Nigerian Immigration Service, Caroline Wura-Ola Adepoju, during a visit to his office.
Dangiwa disclosed that an in-house estimate shows that Nigeria needs to build 550,000 new homes every year over the next ten years to meet the housing needs of Nigerians.
He explained that the federal government is 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.
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.”
Accordingly, the Minister told the Immigration Boss that two institutions FHA and FMBN would be able to meet and to deliver affordable housing to all cadres of the hardworking Immigration Officers.
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.
He described the types and patterns of housing units to be built to 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
Monday, October 23rd, 2023
