By Dele Ogbodo
The Minister of Housing and Urban Development Arc. Ahmed Dangiwa, has disclosed that plans are underway to source for funds from fuel subsidy removal and profits from the wind fall tax to build houses for those without have income, the low income earners, homeless, vulnerable and underprivileged in the society.
Dangiwa, made the closure when the President and Chairman of Committee on Construction Projects and Infrastructure of the Nigerian Bar Association, Section on Business Law, (NBA-SBL), Mr. Andrew Osemedua Edum SAN, paid him a courtesy visit on Wednesday, in his office in Abuja.
The Minister however revealed that 80% of Nigerians are low income earners, explained that the 4 housing sector reform task teams initiated by the ministry upon his assumption of office were meant to position the ministry in a better stead to deliver its Presidential mandate of increasing the stock of affordable housing for Nigerians
He said: “That plans are underway for National Social Housing Funds to mobilize, also to administer and allocate affordable, decent and accessible houses for those who doesn’t have an income, the low income earners, homeless, vulnerable and underprivileged in the society, saying, the funds will be sourced from the fuel subsidy removal and profits after tax.
He stated that the ministry under his watch is committed to driving historic housing reforms by increasing access to affordable housing for all Nigerians across all the group and income brackets.
The reform task teams, he added include: Housing institutions reform task team, Land reform task team, Building materials manufacturing hub, saying that their reports would soon be on stream for implementation to drive the housing sector.
The NBA- SBL committee is seeking collaboration with the ministry in Real Estate projects, Construction of Bridges and Rail lines as part of their inputs towards actualization of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
Dangiwa, said the only way to make a sustainable difference is for all the key players in the housing value chain to be reformed, work optimally and deliver their mandates.
He further said it’s not enough to build houses but to have a system that will work efficiently and to deliver results practically and maximally. “The ministry is ready to partner with you and all other relevant bodies” He said.
The Minister told them about the Renewed Hope Cities and Estate programme which was launched with the groundbreaking performed by Tinubu in February, 2024, with 3,112 housing units in Karsana, Abuja.
Accordingly, he added that both the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates have commenced in all the 6 geopolitical zones of the country, and is creating job opportunities to the Nigerian youths.
The Minister expressed satisfaction for the initiatives of the NBA-SBL Committee and assured them of his readiness to partner with them, as the ministry is also partnering with National Skills Acquisition programme and National Population Commission.
He assured a better housing programme in Nigeria if all the housing agencies work together to deliver their mandates.
On the challenge of building collapse, Dangiwa disclosed that “there is going to be a checklist to monitor and prosecute any building collapse in Nigeria'”
Earlier speaking, the President and Chairman of the NBA-SBL Committee, Andrew Osemedua Edum, SAN, said, they came to seek institutional collaboration with the ministry.
He used the occasion to invite the Minister to attend the Second National Conference on Construction Projects and Infrastructure as a guest to deliver a key note address at the conference.
The conference is scheduled to take place from November 27th to 30th, November, 2024 in Abuja, with the theme “Making Construction Projects and Infrastructure Better in Nigeria.”
Edum, further said the conference will tackle some of the issues confronting the building industry especially the menace in building collapse in Nigeria, Real Estate and Financing.
