National Council on Housing meets to explore options for affordable housing
The 13th Meeting of the National Council on Lands, Housing and Urban Development has opened in Gombe with participants expected to articulate solutions to the critical areas that will enhance housing affordability in Nigeria.
The council will in particular looked at key issues on housing finance, building collapse, compensation for land, among others.
This was contained in a statement issued on Monday by the Director Information, Federal Ministry of Housing, Badamasi Salisu Haiba.
The council, which is the highest body in policy formulation on land, housing and urban development matters in Nigeria, has r<span;>egulatory agencies, professional bodies and other stakeholders in the Nigeria housing sector as members.
In a welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Gombe State Ministry of Works, Housing and Transportation, Danladi Adamu, charged the delegates to articulate ways through which to attract, increase, encourage and promote domestic sector investment in the housing sector.
He called for the adoption of best practices to address incessant building collapse in the country.
Also, the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Mohammed Bala Saulawa, urged participants to display high level of professionalism in their deliberations.
He said that the technical session is expected to come up with solutions to the critical areas that will enhance housing affordability, provide equilibrium in demand and supply, and tackle the worrying increase in building collapse in Nigeria
Saulawa said that the participants should come up with a policy that would help to curb the menace of building collapse in Nigeria.
He recalled that Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa has recently inaugurated a tribunal on building collapse to deal with anyone found wanting.
The Syndicate reports that the council meeting is being coordinated by<span;> the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.
The participants include the minister and state Commissioners in the sector, federal and state directors, Surveyors-General, General Managers of Housing Corporations, Permanent Secretaries, Professionals and Regulatory bodies in the housing sector.
Gombe State Commissioner of Works, Housing and Transportation, Engr. Usman Maijama’a Kallamu, stated that the meeting should focus on ways to provide affordable housing, which is a driver of economic growth, and tool for mitigating climate and fostering sustainable urban development.
“Our collective goal is to provide opportunity for every individual to have access to safe, decent and affordable housing,” he remarked.
