By Jude Njoku

Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Ms. Ama Pepple has charged property developers and financiers to provide quality and affordable houses to Nigerians.

The Minister who spoke at the 2nd edition of the ASO Savings and Loans Plc National Housing Exhibition in Abuja, said the Ministry would find a common ground to work in collaboration with stakeholders in the housing industry to resolve the challenges facing the housing sector.

“The Ministry of Land, Housing and urban Development is ready to work with stakeholders in the industry to provide Nigerians with affordable but quality houses. We recognise the enormous challenges the industry is facing, but that  should not stop us from providing the necessary and enabling environments for property developers” she assured.

Ms Pepple blamed the failure of the Ministry’s low-cost housing initiative on  the high  cost of land acquisition and  the escalating cost of building materials.

She was  however quick to state   said that her ministry is exploring various strategies to break the barriers militating against the realisation of affordable shelter fin the country.

It would be recalled that Ms Pepple had shortly after assuming office, declared that she would pursue vigorously a policy of  low cost housing with a view to ensuring that the majority of people who constitute the working class, have access to affordable housing.

Restating her commitment to the realisation of this goal, Ms Pepple said the ministry had begun discussions with the state governments with a view to making lands available for the construction of low cost housing.

She observed that although the Ministry is saddled  with the responsibility of initiating programmes and implementing government policies in the housing delivery sector, the fact that Lands Use Act vested ownership of lands in the hands of state governments has more often than not, proven to be a stumbling block.

As part of the moves to have accurate data on the housing deficit in the country, she also announced that the ministry is in talk with Cities Alliance with a view to conducting housing census in Nigeria.

The Minister commended ASO Savings and Loans for organising the exhibition which provides opportunities for housing investors and end users to come together under one roof.

Also speaking at the forum, the Managing Director of the PMI, Mr. Hassan Usman reiterated his company’s passion to see that  Nigerians build their own houses.

On the exhibition, he said: “With this platform the exhibitors get to showcase the very latest products and services from their respective industries to the general public who are interested in learning about the latest goods and services for their home and business from all over Nigeria- all under one roof”

He assured that the PMI will continue to finance the development of desirable affordable houses across the country. “As part of drive to ensure that Nigerians get affordable houses, we will be hosting annual conference on affordable Housing in Nigeria to engage the growth of the mortgage and housing market in the country,” he said.