Ministry Partners Association To Reduce Housing Deficit
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development would partner with the Association of Housing Corporations of Nigeria to deliver affordable houses in the country.
The mission of the association is to eradicate homelessness and provide descent and affordable houses for all Nigerians.
This understanding was arrived at when the President and Chairman of the association, Mr Eno Obongha, led a delegation on a courtesy visit to the minister of housing and urban development, Mr Ahmed Musa Dangiwa.
The Association of Housing Corporations of Nigeria is the umbrella organization of all federal and state housing agencies, housing research institutes, mortgage establishments and private property developers.
Its members include Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, Federal Housing Authority, Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute, and 36 states housing agencies, among others.
The minister told the association that the Renewed Hope Housing Programme was initiated to boost the stock of affordable houses in Nigeria.
He said the Ministry will ensure completion of all the ongoing housing projects and assured that there will be no abandoned houses under the programme, while quality local building materials would be used to deliver houses that will be acceptable to Nigerians and boost the local economy.
Accordingly, he said that the Ministry would not allow the use of sub-standard building materials, emphasising that high quality building materials would be used to deliver the houses.
Dangiwa expressed satisfaction with the Agric -Villages Scheme initiative of the Association, designed to acquire farmlands in rural areas in all states, using agriculture to drive housing provisions thereby creating job opportunities for jobless youths.
He assured them that the Agric villages scheme will be incorporated into the National Social Housing Fund initiative which the ministry is also working to implement in order to provide access to affordable housing to low and none income Nigerians.
Speaking earlier, Mr Eno told the Minister that the association desires to participate in the Renewed Hope Housing Agenda by providing about 15 hectares of land in each senatorial district for housing in furtherance of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The association urged housing corporations in states to access funds for housing development through mortgage institutions, and also seek inclusion in executing the Renewed Hope Housing Programme projects.
He advised the minister to ensure at least twenty percent of the building materials used are locally sourced.
